Surgery Scheduled for this Friday.

My mother called this morning, Checking on my husband. He has out-patient knee surgery today. She was worried about how I was going to get him home. I told her, ‘not to worry, I have brothers, remember, Mom.’ ‘how well I remember, I gave birth to them and raised those wonderful monster,’ she said. She is always joking around. She was also worried about not being there for him today. Bless her heart. Mother’s will be mothers, worrying about eveybody else first, before themselves.
She is doing Great. Her first night home was good. She said, the pain was tolerable and has not taken any pain meds. Her doctors, told her yesterday, that there is a tummor on the right side of the liver. Very small. They would like to do radiation in about four weeks. Now she told us she would not do chemo, but she did. She told us, she would never to radiation, but she talked as if that was what she was going to do next. She continues to shock us. She just keep taking the next step and is listening to what the doctors are telling her to do. Which is great, they have the best influence over her, than we do. We just wait for her next decision and support her on her decisions. That is all we can do.
Oh get this, she said today was house cleaning day. Her and my sister are going to get a few things done. She is crazy! The real issue is this. She has been a smoker since she was a teenager. The doctors has advised her to stop. She didn’t stop, but has tried on several occassion in the past seven months. After this surgery, she said she was done. Yippee! Now she can’t stand the smell of the smoke in the house. That is the only thing, making her sick. So, she has to get rid of the smell. My sister said, she will start cleaning somethings today and tomorrow my sister and I are going for the overhaul. Whatever it takes to make Mom comfortable and happy, will happen. By the way, both my sister and I decided to quit smoking with her. All for one, one for all. Woo Hoo!
Well that’s my update, talk at you all later. Thanks for everybody being here for me and my family. It is a wonderful feeling, knowing you have people who care, standing beside you. Thank you for letting me part of your family, as well. I pray for everybody on this site, everyday. I am thankful to be here.

Christine

All is Well! My Mother’s surgery went quite well. The surgerons were able to remove the gall bladder, the tumor on her bile duct and the left part of her liver. It took approxiately three hours for the surgery. My brother saw her doctor in the pre-op area after the surgery, actually dancing, before he came out to talk to us about the surgery. It was a very successful surgery. Great News! He was able to remove everything that he could see. The reality is, that of course, what he could see. He recommended, radiation by the bile duct, after her recovery. He did say, this surgery provided another year or two of life expectancy. Not so great of news, but the outlook is much better than, what we had before the surgery. Besides the way we figure it, her attitude is not something to be overlooked. Obviously, she is still in the Fighting Mode. Her only problem, she had was waking up from the surgery, so they kepted her on the ventilator, until the following morning. She wasn’t too happy about that or the feeding tube either. But they removed the feeding tube by Sunday. She is in a pre-op care room, since Monday night. She is tolerating the pain quite well. She has been on oral pain relief since yesterday and has only taken them at night and in the morning. She was able to walk the floor yesterday and is still on a full liquid diet. Should be able to have soft solids today. She has the nurses in stitches, on her floor. One nurse came in and asked her if she had a BM yet? My Mother looked at her and said, ‘No, but how can I poop an ice cube? Get me on solid foods and we’ll talk BM’s.’ So, of course, they keep coming in, asking the same question, just to hear the answer again. What a Hoot, she is. Her recovery is remarkable. Spirits are great. She is ready to go home, she says. They are talking about releasing her this Friday. She told the doctors, ‘don’t tell me a release date, then there are no false hopes.’ She had a sonogram on her legs yesterday and they are clear. By the way, her swelling in her legs is all but gone. Which she is very happy about. So, at the rate of her recovery, we should see her at home fairly soon. This is all great news and we are so proud of our Mom. Yes, we are!