Finally

Disclosure - Katie is in really good spirits right now as she wakes up from anesthesia.  After she's more aware, and someday in the future, you should ask her to see 'the video.'  I've already said too much.  

Tonight's post comes courtesy of my amazing sister, Dr. Mary Catharine Maxian.  She was here all day and helped us to understand what was happening and to make the right decisions.  She also called in all her marks to get the best team assembled to care for Katie's pain and confirm that the surgeons were top notch.  I am eternally grateful to her for her help today and for her friendship throughout this ordeal, but most especially for the time I got to spend with her today.  

Disclaimer - comments made regarding station management do not necessarily reflect said management's thoughts or opinions.  

Hi, this is Mary Catharine.  David asked me to give a succinct explanation of the high points of the whole surgical thing.  Apparently it’s not succinct.  And I have to warn you that I am not nearly as gregarious and witty as my little brother, so bear with me.

It turns out that Katie’s bowels were in fact kinked from the first surgery and there was no way that they would heal on their own.  The bowels were swollen, angry, and generally miserable from being blocked up for a week and a half.  As soon as this surgeon, Dr. Ch (as opposed to the ER doc, Dr. C), relieved the blockage, Kate’s intestines started smiling and laughing and behaving again, thanking Dr. Ch profusely.  For any of you medical people out there, the surgery was technically a right hemicolectomy but Dr. Ch said that Dr. G had already removed most of the right colon with the first surgery and there was only a little bit more to remove today.

As David mentioned, Dr. Ch checked all around the abdomen for more cancer and found none (yay!!!)  There was some fluid in the abdominal cavity.  She sent that fluid to the lab for them to make sure that there is no cancer in the fluid.  She doesn’t think that there is.  As long as that comes back negative, my understanding is that Dr. Ch is very confident that there is no other detectable site of cancer in Katie.  That’s great news!

This surgery was a little bit longer of an incision that the first one, so she got an epidural for pain control.  Her pain right now is zero!!  She has very minimal nausea right at this moment.   They preemptively gave her almost every nausea medicine under the sun for this surgery.  I am very hopeful that she will have good pain control and much less nausea than the first time around.  With the epidurals that they do at MD Anderson the patients are still able (and encouraged!) to walk.  A good epidural means fewer opioids (pain control drugs that could cause an ileus) and that will help the bowels recover quicker.

Recovery should be about a week in the hospital.  She’ll be on IV nutrition for about 2 or 3 days and then we hope her bowels will be playing happily with each other and she’ll be eating.  She has been looking forward to a Smoothie King, which they actually sell in the cafeteria here!  After she’s home it’s the standard 6-8 weeks of not carrying anything heavier than a milk jug so she’ll still need someone at the house at all times to take care of the kids.  I am expecting (and praying!) for a much smoother recovery this time. 

As far as the cancer, the surgeon is an oncological surgeon, not an oncologist, but gave us some general thoughts.  She said that after 6-8 weeks of recovery from this surgery, the oncologist will likely want to do a round of chemo lasting 3-6 months.  After that chemo, Dr. Ch will want to do a minor procedure called a laparoscopy which is making a small incision in the abdomen and placing a camera to look around inside and make sure there is no cancer growing in the peritoneum (abdominal cavity).  Imaging wouldn’t be able to pick up a cancer growing there, so a camera is the only way to check that.  Assuming that there is no evidence of cancer after the chemo, I think Katie will be “in remission” and just checking in every so often to make sure no cancer has come back.  God willing, today was Katie’s last real surgery for the cancer.  More good news!

I know many of you are concerned about David and how he’s holding up.  I have to say that he is amazing and inspiring in his ability to manage the kids, coordinate to make sure there is always someone at the hospital with Katie, emotionally support Katie, deal with the emotions of having a young wife diagnosed with cancer, emotionally support his kids, make sure that John still gets his birthday celebrations, manage a blog, eat (some), sleep (some), and still get a few hours of work in this week.

While Katie was in the OR, David and I walked around the medical center enjoying Starbucks and the beautiful weather and chatting together for a couple of hours.  I’m not sure that I have had that much quality time – just David and me – maybe ever!  God grants us many blessings.

David is holding up well.  He does allow himself moments to let his emotions out every now and again, which is good.  But it’s amazing how well he is doing considering all of the hats he’s been filling since last Monday.  I know he is able to do it through the grace of God and your constant prayer support.  To all of you, thank you for the debt that our family can never repay.  We love you.