The Time Has Come

We arrived at the Kimel Cancer Center for our 6:45 check-in.  After registration, Ernie was taken back to pre-op where they will start his IV.  Once that is done, I will be called back and allowed to wait with him until the doctor arrives and the surgery begins.

I will be notified once the incision is made and then given updates--which I will post--every two hours until the surgery is completed.  My sister and  Charley will be joining me shortly to wait things out. 

Ernie and his entourage: Charley, Cyndi, Heather

 

 9:41 AM--The patient coordinator just came to say that the breathing tube was successsfully inserted and the first incision is completed!  We were anxiously awaiting this news.  In the pre-op consult, the anesthesiologist explained that because Ernie lacks complete range of motion in his neck and can't open his mouth as wide as normal (scleroderma strikes again), they had devised three possible approaches to placing the breathing tube.  Unfortunately, all require that Ernie be awake--typically they knock you out before doing this.  The docs cautioned him that it would be most unpleasant but they would give him amnesia medicine so that he will not remember.  After the operation, they are going to wait until he is fully conscious to remove the breathing tube.  Again, this is not SOP but necessary for his safety as they can not quickly reinsert the tube should he have breathing problems while awakening.  My poor guy.  I hope the amnesia medicine works its magic. 

 

11:58 AM--The doctor just came out to report that Ernie is out of surgery and that he successfully removed the mass, got the breathing tube out fine and that he is awake and talking..  They won't know for a day or two if it was cancer or not.  They also removed the Level II to IV lymph nodes just in case as they do not want to have to do more surgery.  They did have to cut one shoulder nerve but that should be fine with PT. 

 

Now we just have to worry about the recovery.  According to the surgeon "it was a rough surgery". Ernie's skin was so woody and hard that it bent the retractors.  He stapled the incision closed--skin was too hard for stitches--and will leave the staples in as long as possible. I will get more info about post-op expectations later.  Right now I am just anxious to see him. 

 

7:45 PM-Ernie finally escaped the recovery area and is settled in his room: 4D8 in the Weinberg Cancer Pavillion.  He does have a phone in his room, although I don't know the number.  He is in good spirits, joking with all the nurses and watching the Wake Forest/Maryland game.  They started him on a liquid diet but he is tolerating that well and asked for something more substantial.  His throat is sore and swollen so he will need to have a soft diet for a day or two, then hopefully graduate to the good stuff.  All in all, he is progressing much faster than I dared hope.  However, I still plan to spend the night here to keep an eye on him.