We got to back to see Dan, and he looks great. He's bargaining for tubes to get taken out of random places, talking to nurses, and pretty alert. He absolutely hates the ICU because of the noise and the busyness. He was told this morning that he will be transferred out to a med/surg unit today.
His surgeon just met with him, took out his NG tube and says he looks good. McGreeky is still unsure about moving him from the ICU because a few labs are "marginally high". We're frustrated because Dan was told one thing, looks great and now, might have to spend another day in the ICU. He needs to sleep, and let's face it, that doesn't happen on the Unit. Apparently, we have to wait for labs this afternoon to re-evaluate his transfer.
It would be such a bummer, especially for Dan.
Praise the Lord he looks so much better (to us)!
Prayer Requests:
* Dan's transfer to a med/surg unit TODAY
* Labs begin to come down and normalize
* No complications or infections (the doc is most worried about infection)
* Quick recovery
* Compassionate AND flexible doctors and nurses
Loving each other while standing on the Rock!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
A very long day
After nearly 15 hours, Dan came out of surgery last night around 2230.
Dr. Poultsides looked exhausted when he came to talk to us. Apparently, the Whipple part of the surgery was done quickly, but the liver resection became very tricky. The tumors were surrounding major blood vessels in the liver, so the surgeons had to very gently and slowly remove the tumor tissue. Also, the surgeon used radioablation on the margins where he resected to try to kill off remaining unseen tumor cells. He said Dan's liver was very sticky from previous radiation treatment. Thus, the liver resection took 9 hours! Due to the length of time Dan was under general, the surgeon has left the last part of this surgery (ligating the portal vein) to be done a little bit later. Dan doesn't know it yet, but he has another procedure to undergo before he can go home.
The surgeon wants the second surgery to be in 2-3 months, which gives Dan a lot more time to recover. That was a sweet bit of news to hear. Though, he said the next surgery will also take an enormous amount of time. Yet, McGreeky (as I have named him), said Dan got the Cadillac surgery. Lots of time, care and attention. He deserves it!
The entire surgical team was very impressed with how well Dan handled the surgery. His "robustness" required a lot of extra narcotics to keep him sleeping. The anesthesiologist told us that he has never been able to extubate a patient after 15 hours of surgery...but with Dan, he could.
By 2300, Dan was breathing completely on his own. The pharmacy failed to fill the order for the PCA, so Dan was quite upset by the fact that he couldn't push a pain button. However, his first complaint was the oxygen mask...then the NG tube...then his dry mouth...then his 8/10 pain. Only Dan could prioritize his needs like that. Gotta love him.
The nurses allowed us to come back and see him in the ICU. After a day of helplessness, it felt good to be able to DO something. Dan was glad to see me, but far more happy that I could swab his poor mouth with some water. That made him smile a bit. It was terrible to leave him alone in the ICU, but rules are rules. Hopefully, he got some sleep with all of the ICU noise. He has 3 neighbors! Yikes.
McGreeky wants Dan to be walking and using incentive spirometry before he transfer to a med/surg floor. Everyone else thinks that's kinda crazy to expect. Dan's nurse last night said usually whipple patients leave the ICU the day after surgery. I hope so.
Jamie, Mom and I all stayed with the Steins in San Jose. As much as I hate to admit it, I really needed the sleep and the shower. Everyone has been telling me to take care of myself so as to better care for Dan...so, I'm working on it.
Now, the 3 of us are sitting outside of the ICU keeping guard ready to jump the surgeon for information. We can't be in rounds, so McGreeky said he would call my phone (ha maybe). Rather than wait all day for a phone call that might be forgotten, we're gonna try to catch him as he's leaving.
I'll keep updating through out the day.
Prayer Requests:
* Pain management, comfort, alertness for Dan
* Transfer to a normal med/surg unit TODAY so he can begin recovery (ICUs are not good for recovering, walking, etc) (no one except McGreeky thinks he should be in the ICU. Grr)
* Peace and endurance for Jamie and I (and Mom while she's here)
* A quick recovery...far more fast than everyone expects
* No complications: no leaky surgical sites, no infections, no fevers, no pneumonia, nothing that will keep Dan from getting out of the hospital "on time"
* Wisdom and guidance and compassion for the doctors
Dr. Poultsides looked exhausted when he came to talk to us. Apparently, the Whipple part of the surgery was done quickly, but the liver resection became very tricky. The tumors were surrounding major blood vessels in the liver, so the surgeons had to very gently and slowly remove the tumor tissue. Also, the surgeon used radioablation on the margins where he resected to try to kill off remaining unseen tumor cells. He said Dan's liver was very sticky from previous radiation treatment. Thus, the liver resection took 9 hours! Due to the length of time Dan was under general, the surgeon has left the last part of this surgery (ligating the portal vein) to be done a little bit later. Dan doesn't know it yet, but he has another procedure to undergo before he can go home.
The surgeon wants the second surgery to be in 2-3 months, which gives Dan a lot more time to recover. That was a sweet bit of news to hear. Though, he said the next surgery will also take an enormous amount of time. Yet, McGreeky (as I have named him), said Dan got the Cadillac surgery. Lots of time, care and attention. He deserves it!
The entire surgical team was very impressed with how well Dan handled the surgery. His "robustness" required a lot of extra narcotics to keep him sleeping. The anesthesiologist told us that he has never been able to extubate a patient after 15 hours of surgery...but with Dan, he could.
By 2300, Dan was breathing completely on his own. The pharmacy failed to fill the order for the PCA, so Dan was quite upset by the fact that he couldn't push a pain button. However, his first complaint was the oxygen mask...then the NG tube...then his dry mouth...then his 8/10 pain. Only Dan could prioritize his needs like that. Gotta love him.
The nurses allowed us to come back and see him in the ICU. After a day of helplessness, it felt good to be able to DO something. Dan was glad to see me, but far more happy that I could swab his poor mouth with some water. That made him smile a bit. It was terrible to leave him alone in the ICU, but rules are rules. Hopefully, he got some sleep with all of the ICU noise. He has 3 neighbors! Yikes.
McGreeky wants Dan to be walking and using incentive spirometry before he transfer to a med/surg floor. Everyone else thinks that's kinda crazy to expect. Dan's nurse last night said usually whipple patients leave the ICU the day after surgery. I hope so.
Jamie, Mom and I all stayed with the Steins in San Jose. As much as I hate to admit it, I really needed the sleep and the shower. Everyone has been telling me to take care of myself so as to better care for Dan...so, I'm working on it.
Now, the 3 of us are sitting outside of the ICU keeping guard ready to jump the surgeon for information. We can't be in rounds, so McGreeky said he would call my phone (ha maybe). Rather than wait all day for a phone call that might be forgotten, we're gonna try to catch him as he's leaving.
I'll keep updating through out the day.
Prayer Requests:
* Pain management, comfort, alertness for Dan
* Transfer to a normal med/surg unit TODAY so he can begin recovery (ICUs are not good for recovering, walking, etc) (no one except McGreeky thinks he should be in the ICU. Grr)
* Peace and endurance for Jamie and I (and Mom while she's here)
* A quick recovery...far more fast than everyone expects
* No complications: no leaky surgical sites, no infections, no fevers, no pneumonia, nothing that will keep Dan from getting out of the hospital "on time"
* Wisdom and guidance and compassion for the doctors
Friday, January 8, 2010
2 hours
We have been told that Dan's surgery will be done in 2 hours 4 times. Accordingly, I'm not sure I have any idea how much longer my husband will be in surgery.
An hour ago, the resident anesthesiologist walked past the waiting area on her way home and gave us the best update we've heard all day. She said Dan is doing wonderfully and is so strong that they're giving him tons of narcotics to keep him under. She said the Whipple was done at 1230, and they've been working on the liver since then. She said there was no reason to send him to ICU when she left. The only thing that could change it would be if he's intubated too long. Then, he would have to be on a vent overnight before extubating. Other than that, she said everyone was thrilled with how well the surgery is going.
She also said there was probably another couple of hours.
Just a minute ago, we had the receptionist call back to the OR to get an update. AGAIN, we were told two more hours.
So, I think the surgery will be done in 2 hours. I think. Ha.
Prayer Requests:
* Dan can be extubated and sent to a regular med/surg floor. He would be seriously bummed to wake up intubated.
* These next "two hours" go by quickly.
* Dan remains stable and continues to suprise the docs with his "robustness"
* The wife can hold it together for another couple hours until she can see him.
* Pray for endurance for the surgeons.
An hour ago, the resident anesthesiologist walked past the waiting area on her way home and gave us the best update we've heard all day. She said Dan is doing wonderfully and is so strong that they're giving him tons of narcotics to keep him under. She said the Whipple was done at 1230, and they've been working on the liver since then. She said there was no reason to send him to ICU when she left. The only thing that could change it would be if he's intubated too long. Then, he would have to be on a vent overnight before extubating. Other than that, she said everyone was thrilled with how well the surgery is going.
She also said there was probably another couple of hours.
Just a minute ago, we had the receptionist call back to the OR to get an update. AGAIN, we were told two more hours.
So, I think the surgery will be done in 2 hours. I think. Ha.
Prayer Requests:
* Dan can be extubated and sent to a regular med/surg floor. He would be seriously bummed to wake up intubated.
* These next "two hours" go by quickly.
* Dan remains stable and continues to suprise the docs with his "robustness"
* The wife can hold it together for another couple hours until she can see him.
* Pray for endurance for the surgeons.
Update?
So, we have hit the 8 hour mark of the surgery. The latest update?
"Everything is just fine. We're in the middle of the surgery. Many hours left to go."
What?!
After being told that the surgery would take about 8 hours and being told they're "in the middle" at 8 hours, I am pretty uneasy. I have so many questions to ask of the surgeon, but he's busy in the surgery...of course. The person updating us is the receptionist who is not allowed to give real details.
Is the surgery going longer because of complications? Bleeding? Vital signs?
Has the surgeon changed his mind about something?
Did they find more tumors to remove?
Will this mean Dan has to be in the ICU for a longer period of time?
How many hours is many?
I hate having no way to get my questions answered!
You'll know when I know.
Prayer Requests:
* Guidance for the doctors.
* Safe surgery: no complications or problems
* That Dan's body will endure the surgery and recover more quickly than the doctors expect
* That I would be able to stay the night with Dan wherever he is.
* That those of us in the waiting room will have strength and endurance
* That God will comfort my fears and concerns
"Everything is just fine. We're in the middle of the surgery. Many hours left to go."
What?!
After being told that the surgery would take about 8 hours and being told they're "in the middle" at 8 hours, I am pretty uneasy. I have so many questions to ask of the surgeon, but he's busy in the surgery...of course. The person updating us is the receptionist who is not allowed to give real details.
Is the surgery going longer because of complications? Bleeding? Vital signs?
Has the surgeon changed his mind about something?
Did they find more tumors to remove?
Will this mean Dan has to be in the ICU for a longer period of time?
How many hours is many?
I hate having no way to get my questions answered!
You'll know when I know.
Prayer Requests:
* Guidance for the doctors.
* Safe surgery: no complications or problems
* That Dan's body will endure the surgery and recover more quickly than the doctors expect
* That I would be able to stay the night with Dan wherever he is.
* That those of us in the waiting room will have strength and endurance
* That God will comfort my fears and concerns
Wait wait wait
That is all we are doing right now. Waiting.
Dan and I arrived at Stanford before the sun came up to start the pre-op process. After starting an IV, meeting the anesthesia team and the surgery team, and a healthy dose of Versed...they took him to the OR. Gah, I hate that part.
Now, we (my parents, his parents, my grandma and my brother) are sitting in the surgery waiting area. Stanford has an interesting little airport-like screen showing where each patient is in the surgical process. Dan's number has been sitting at "Go" for an hour now, which means everyone is ready to start but they haven't started yet. Ugh. We are anticipating an 8-hour surgery, so I suppose I might as well just relax. Ha.
Dan was warned that he will wake up with 2 IVs, an art line and a central line. Good grief. Thankfully, he will also wake up with a PCA (aka: the Pain button). Additionally, the anesthesiologist mentioned that he may not need to go to the ICU. As the wife who would like to stay with Dan, I am hoping he just goes straight to a normal room. Stanford's ICU has nit-picky visiting hours.
I suppose that's all for now. I wish I had more information. Hopefully, soon.
Prayer Requests:
* Surgery goes as planned--no bad surprises. We don't want to see the surgeon early.
* God's guidance for the surgeons
* Peace and strength for those in the waiting room
* Good news! A successful surgery with great results.
Dan and I arrived at Stanford before the sun came up to start the pre-op process. After starting an IV, meeting the anesthesia team and the surgery team, and a healthy dose of Versed...they took him to the OR. Gah, I hate that part.
Now, we (my parents, his parents, my grandma and my brother) are sitting in the surgery waiting area. Stanford has an interesting little airport-like screen showing where each patient is in the surgical process. Dan's number has been sitting at "Go" for an hour now, which means everyone is ready to start but they haven't started yet. Ugh. We are anticipating an 8-hour surgery, so I suppose I might as well just relax. Ha.
Dan was warned that he will wake up with 2 IVs, an art line and a central line. Good grief. Thankfully, he will also wake up with a PCA (aka: the Pain button). Additionally, the anesthesiologist mentioned that he may not need to go to the ICU. As the wife who would like to stay with Dan, I am hoping he just goes straight to a normal room. Stanford's ICU has nit-picky visiting hours.
I suppose that's all for now. I wish I had more information. Hopefully, soon.
Prayer Requests:
* Surgery goes as planned--no bad surprises. We don't want to see the surgeon early.
* God's guidance for the surgeons
* Peace and strength for those in the waiting room
* Good news! A successful surgery with great results.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Sleeping
I do not have problems sleeping. I can curl up practically anywhere (as long as I'm warm) and fall asleep. This trait of mine will be especially handy in the next weeks, as I will be sleeping in a variety of places. Perhaps a cot will turn up somewhere on the unit, but I have a sneaky suspicion that a chair will be my bed very often.
The only problem I do have sometimes is when I have to sleep alone. The last time Dan was in the hospital, we weren't married so sleeping alone was all I knew. Fortunately and unfortunately, I now know the loveliness of having someone beside me as I sleep.
As I think about this surgery and its nearness, I really am getting sad about the sleeping part of my day. I know it's a silly thing to think about in this time, but the heart chooses interesting things to focus on.
Anyway, the surgery is less than 2 days away.
Dan says, "It's about time." (Dan: 'To clarify: it's like... going away to college. It's a big deal, and there's always that feeling that you'd like summer to be just a week longer, but really, when it comes down to it, you just need to go.')
As for me, I wouldn't mind falling asleep and waking up when Dan's ready to go back to our little apartment. God willing, that day isn't too far away.
The only problem I do have sometimes is when I have to sleep alone. The last time Dan was in the hospital, we weren't married so sleeping alone was all I knew. Fortunately and unfortunately, I now know the loveliness of having someone beside me as I sleep.
As I think about this surgery and its nearness, I really am getting sad about the sleeping part of my day. I know it's a silly thing to think about in this time, but the heart chooses interesting things to focus on.
Anyway, the surgery is less than 2 days away.
Dan says, "It's about time." (Dan: 'To clarify: it's like... going away to college. It's a big deal, and there's always that feeling that you'd like summer to be just a week longer, but really, when it comes down to it, you just need to go.')
As for me, I wouldn't mind falling asleep and waking up when Dan's ready to go back to our little apartment. God willing, that day isn't too far away.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Fisticuffs at Dawn
Dan had his pre-op appointment yesterday with the anesthesiologist and everything is "go" for his surgery on Friday. Vital signs, lung sounds, labs...all great. The surgeon doesn't even seem too concerned about the cough, which is what we were worried about. So, now we wait.
As the blog title mentions, the fisticuffs (surgery) will begin at dawn-ish to remove the hoodlums (tumors). Hopefully, for good!
Everyone has been asking us: "Are you nervous?"
Dan's response: "Not so much nervous as I just want to get it done. Hopeful. Liking the prospects of being rid of the cancer."
Ashley's response: "Of course. This is huge surgery with lots of risks. I can't be excited about the possibility of a cancer-free Dan until Dan wakes up from surgery and recovers."
Both of us are glad the surgery is happening at Stanford with world-class doctors. Though we acknowledge that surgeons are just people, it is nice to know that Dan's doc has spent years as a fellow at Sloan Kettering and Johns Hopkins.
We are also very thankful for the support of our family and friends and know that it will become even more important during the recovery phase of the surgery. I will certainly be glad to be surrounded by people in the waiting room Friday morning.
For those who are wondering, I will be residing at Stanford with Dan while he's in the hospital. We both feel better being together, even if my bed is a chair for a while. The Sizeloves have graciously opened their home to us so that I can shower and nap here and there. Dan's mom will probably be staying there for a while so that she can be in the area.
Visits will be welcome after the first couple of days as long as you're not sick. Recovery will be pretty rough for a bit, so Dan will need all the rest he can get. Until visits become possible, prayers would be greatly appreciated.
Prayer Requests:
* The complete surgery goes off without a hitch--no complications, no surprise lesions/masses
* Dan only has to stay in the ICU for a day or two
* His digestive system kicks into gear quickly--Dan really likes to eat:)
* Pain is held at bay successfully.
* Recovery occurs much more quickly than the doctors predict
* Cancer is removed completely!
* The wife stays calm and gets some rest and doesn't snap :)
As the blog title mentions, the fisticuffs (surgery) will begin at dawn-ish to remove the hoodlums (tumors). Hopefully, for good!
Everyone has been asking us: "Are you nervous?"
Dan's response: "Not so much nervous as I just want to get it done. Hopeful. Liking the prospects of being rid of the cancer."
Ashley's response: "Of course. This is huge surgery with lots of risks. I can't be excited about the possibility of a cancer-free Dan until Dan wakes up from surgery and recovers."
Both of us are glad the surgery is happening at Stanford with world-class doctors. Though we acknowledge that surgeons are just people, it is nice to know that Dan's doc has spent years as a fellow at Sloan Kettering and Johns Hopkins.
We are also very thankful for the support of our family and friends and know that it will become even more important during the recovery phase of the surgery. I will certainly be glad to be surrounded by people in the waiting room Friday morning.
For those who are wondering, I will be residing at Stanford with Dan while he's in the hospital. We both feel better being together, even if my bed is a chair for a while. The Sizeloves have graciously opened their home to us so that I can shower and nap here and there. Dan's mom will probably be staying there for a while so that she can be in the area.
Visits will be welcome after the first couple of days as long as you're not sick. Recovery will be pretty rough for a bit, so Dan will need all the rest he can get. Until visits become possible, prayers would be greatly appreciated.
Prayer Requests:
* The complete surgery goes off without a hitch--no complications, no surprise lesions/masses
* Dan only has to stay in the ICU for a day or two
* His digestive system kicks into gear quickly--Dan really likes to eat:)
* Pain is held at bay successfully.
* Recovery occurs much more quickly than the doctors predict
* Cancer is removed completely!
* The wife stays calm and gets some rest and doesn't snap :)
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