The “C” Word – Day 52 The Longest Day

Our morning started around 4AM, just before the alarm was due to go off.  A quick shower, last minute packing (an Ativan for George) and we were on our way to the hospital for a 5AM check in.

Nurse Yvonne brought us back to the pre-op room and went over the check list of things that she had covered with us on the phone yesterday.  Lots of lists she had to check off.  The gowns are now a paper-like fabric that has an place for them to insert a flexible tube (like the old fashioned hair dryers). Then they turn on the machine and it injects warm air into a pocket lining in the gown to keep patients warmed.  It does give them a bigger belly (like when you have a once piece bathing suit and you jump in the pool and it fills up with air).  It does the job.

This procedure required George to get to full “bags” of fluid before they could do surgery so they primed the pump to work overtime and get it in his system as fast as they possibly could. Time moved slowly as we counted down to 7:30.  All who would be in charge of him stopped by during the last hour… the anesthesiologist (with an extra “boost” to aid in calming the anxiety), the OR nurse and the doctor. 

Then it was time for him to be wheeled away from me and into operating room number seven.  A little kiss and a hug and away he went.  And then my waiting time began.

Rosemary arrived just before 7:30, Sara arrived a little later along with some breakfast for me.  Visits by Keith, Victoria and Fred helped wile away the time that would be passed. 

At about 9:30 or so a nurse came out with the first report. “He is doing well.  They are proceeding.”  You could hear the sigh of relief from all of us – and the tears of joy that we had crossed that first hurdle of the day.  Yes, things are going to be okay. 

Lots of small talk, quick notes via phone and facebook to relay this news – and more waiting. 

Dr. Bastidas made his entrance at 11:10 to let us know how things were going.  They had just started the chemotherapy process.  He noted that they think the cancer may have started in the appendix as the mass surrounding this area was quite large.  A biopsy will be done to reveal the details.  They removed the appendix along with six inches of small intestine on one side of it and a couple of inches on the other side of it (all in one piece he said).  They removed his gall bladder which, by the way, had gall stones in it.  They removed the right and left colon but left the transverse (?) colon and rectum in place.  And they removed at least a “bucket full” of the mucin (gel) that was in his belly. He also said they used three units of blood (more than what they had expected) due to the amount of surgery that was needed. Dr. Bastidas said that George was behaving himself (haha) and after a little calculating figured he would be done around 4PM. 

Another sigh of relief and a few tears of joy. 

I ordered up some lunch for us and Keith ran out to pick it up.  We sat and visited some more, Keith, Sara, Rosemary and I.  Sara left just before two.  At 2:15 Dr. Bastidas walked into the room again.  I was shocked to see him so soon.  We went into the little conference room where he updated me and said they were all done.  He said I would be able to see George in about an hour and a half.  They will keep him sedated and intubated for the night.