My dad's surgery on Monday, 4/25 @ Mayo Clinic - UPDATED 5/2
Comments
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I too have been checking inBobs1wife said:Surgery day
Dana, We have been thinking of you and your family all day. Surgery day is a long one. We pray all is going well. Linda & Bob
I too have been checking in often today hoping to hear good news from your dad's surgery. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.0 -
Thank you!!!
Thank you so very much for all of your prayers and thoughts. We read them today while in the waiting room and it touched us all.
SUPER long day today and it's not over but the surgery was successful. Dad is getting into his hospital room right now and we know we still have a long road ahead. I'll type more when I can but wanted to send this quick note. We pray now that he is free of complications!0 -
Thank you for the updateDanaMB3 said:Thank you!!!
Thank you so very much for all of your prayers and thoughts. We read them today while in the waiting room and it touched us all.
SUPER long day today and it's not over but the surgery was successful. Dad is getting into his hospital room right now and we know we still have a long road ahead. I'll type more when I can but wanted to send this quick note. We pray now that he is free of complications!
Thank you for taking the time to let us know that the surgery was successful. I think a lot of us were hoping you would post, but also knowing what an exhausting day it was for you and your family. Now, let the healing begin and we will pray for no complications, and a speedy recovery. Linda & Bob0 -
GOOD TO HEAR EVERYTHING WENT OKAYDanaMB3 said:Thank you!!!
Thank you so very much for all of your prayers and thoughts. We read them today while in the waiting room and it touched us all.
SUPER long day today and it's not over but the surgery was successful. Dad is getting into his hospital room right now and we know we still have a long road ahead. I'll type more when I can but wanted to send this quick note. We pray now that he is free of complications!
Dana,
I'm so happy to hear of the successful surgery. Now the road to recovery.
Since my diagnosis in my daily quiet time I've tried to search the scripture for a verse or two of encouragement. I found this one this week.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 - "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
What this says to me is that we're going to have hard times and struggles but if we keep our focus on Him we still can find joy, no matter what our circumstances.
Praying for your father's speedy recovery and strength for you through these trying times.0 -
praying that recovery isDanaMB3 said:Thank you!!!
Thank you so very much for all of your prayers and thoughts. We read them today while in the waiting room and it touched us all.
SUPER long day today and it's not over but the surgery was successful. Dad is getting into his hospital room right now and we know we still have a long road ahead. I'll type more when I can but wanted to send this quick note. We pray now that he is free of complications!
praying that recovery is uneventful & smooth for your dad
Kim0 -
Your DadDanaMB3 said:Thank you!!!
Thank you so very much for all of your prayers and thoughts. We read them today while in the waiting room and it touched us all.
SUPER long day today and it's not over but the surgery was successful. Dad is getting into his hospital room right now and we know we still have a long road ahead. I'll type more when I can but wanted to send this quick note. We pray now that he is free of complications!
Hello Dana
So happy to hear that your dad's surgery went well. Answer to prayer for sure! Hope he is recovering nicely. Tell him to take it slow and easy....that is what wins the race! We will be thinking and praying for you your dad and family. Keep us posted.
Tina in Va0 -
Update
Thank you everyone for the prayers and support! It has been so appreciated! My dad is recovering very well and should be coming home on Wednesday. He is up and walking better each day, but is still draining a bit internally so the tube(s) removal has been keeping him there a bit longer. The day of the surgery was a very long one, as many of you know. We didn’t know what to expect – because in the worst case scenario, the surgeon would have seen more tumor activity on other organs when he first went in laparoscopically, and the esophagectomy would not have taken place. We were so relieved when we received the update from the nurse communicator that they were moving forward with the entire surgery as planned and the abdomen portion had begun. The actual procedure began at 9:00 a.m. and did not end until 7 p.m. There were several things that made things complicated such as the size of the enlarged lymph node, and the location of that node. Unfortunately for those two reasons the surgeon did have to make a large incision so it did not get completed as a MIE. We were hoping it could be, but aware there was a chance it wouldn’t be. Due to the lymph node pressing into the stomach they had to cut out a larger portion of the stomach than they normally would have, but he assures us it will have no impact on his eating, etc. He also said he already had a large amount of scar tissue from the radiation, and other lymph nodes in the area were like cement. In the end, the portions of the stomach and esophagus were removed, the large lymph node (which was a ball of several lymph nodes it turns out) and a few other lymph nodes in the area were removed. The pathology report showed that the large lymph node did have traces of remaining tumor as did the original tumor site – but the surgeon felt that the chemo/radiation did do their job and my dad had a really good response to the treatment. The other nearby lymph nodes that were removed all came back negative from pathology. The surgeon said that by some freak coincidence, when they had him open they noticed something on the surface of his stomach and removed it. The biopsy showed it was a small tumor, a GIST, and it was completely separate from the E.C. The surgeon said on the scale of worrisome cancers this is very low, but either way it was removed. We feel fortunate for everything that happened that day and to have been in such good care at Mayo Clinic/St. Mary’s, even though it was more invasive than we hoped for. The surgeon, the staff, the nurses were all amazing. The have a very well organized facility there and we really didn’t have to ask for anything or remind nurses of anything – they were completely on top of it. Everyone was extremely nice, the facility was great – we have nothing but good things to say about our experience there. Most importantly, my dad is safe and comfortable there, happy, and knows he is in great hands.
All in all – we are beyond, BEYOND happy that we went to Mayo for this second opinion since all of his local doctors felt that from his last PET scan – his response to the treatment was poor and that his cancer was advancing through his treatment, therefore they did not want to operate. Obviously the surgery and pathology on the tumors showed a much different story. My dad had his goal set on surgery from day one, and even if in the end it’s not his “cure”, it will have been worth it to him to be given this extra bit of a chance.
Thank you all, once again!0 -
Thanks for the update. EvenDanaMB3 said:Update
Thank you everyone for the prayers and support! It has been so appreciated! My dad is recovering very well and should be coming home on Wednesday. He is up and walking better each day, but is still draining a bit internally so the tube(s) removal has been keeping him there a bit longer. The day of the surgery was a very long one, as many of you know. We didn’t know what to expect – because in the worst case scenario, the surgeon would have seen more tumor activity on other organs when he first went in laparoscopically, and the esophagectomy would not have taken place. We were so relieved when we received the update from the nurse communicator that they were moving forward with the entire surgery as planned and the abdomen portion had begun. The actual procedure began at 9:00 a.m. and did not end until 7 p.m. There were several things that made things complicated such as the size of the enlarged lymph node, and the location of that node. Unfortunately for those two reasons the surgeon did have to make a large incision so it did not get completed as a MIE. We were hoping it could be, but aware there was a chance it wouldn’t be. Due to the lymph node pressing into the stomach they had to cut out a larger portion of the stomach than they normally would have, but he assures us it will have no impact on his eating, etc. He also said he already had a large amount of scar tissue from the radiation, and other lymph nodes in the area were like cement. In the end, the portions of the stomach and esophagus were removed, the large lymph node (which was a ball of several lymph nodes it turns out) and a few other lymph nodes in the area were removed. The pathology report showed that the large lymph node did have traces of remaining tumor as did the original tumor site – but the surgeon felt that the chemo/radiation did do their job and my dad had a really good response to the treatment. The other nearby lymph nodes that were removed all came back negative from pathology. The surgeon said that by some freak coincidence, when they had him open they noticed something on the surface of his stomach and removed it. The biopsy showed it was a small tumor, a GIST, and it was completely separate from the E.C. The surgeon said on the scale of worrisome cancers this is very low, but either way it was removed. We feel fortunate for everything that happened that day and to have been in such good care at Mayo Clinic/St. Mary’s, even though it was more invasive than we hoped for. The surgeon, the staff, the nurses were all amazing. The have a very well organized facility there and we really didn’t have to ask for anything or remind nurses of anything – they were completely on top of it. Everyone was extremely nice, the facility was great – we have nothing but good things to say about our experience there. Most importantly, my dad is safe and comfortable there, happy, and knows he is in great hands.
All in all – we are beyond, BEYOND happy that we went to Mayo for this second opinion since all of his local doctors felt that from his last PET scan – his response to the treatment was poor and that his cancer was advancing through his treatment, therefore they did not want to operate. Obviously the surgery and pathology on the tumors showed a much different story. My dad had his goal set on surgery from day one, and even if in the end it’s not his “cure”, it will have been worth it to him to be given this extra bit of a chance.
Thank you all, once again!
Thanks for the update. Even though the surgery was more invasive than you had hoped for, I'm so glad that ya'll decided to go for the second opinion at Mayo. He stands a chance of beating it now.
Praying all will keep getting better, Sandra0 -
So glad to hear that thingsDanaMB3 said:Update
Thank you everyone for the prayers and support! It has been so appreciated! My dad is recovering very well and should be coming home on Wednesday. He is up and walking better each day, but is still draining a bit internally so the tube(s) removal has been keeping him there a bit longer. The day of the surgery was a very long one, as many of you know. We didn’t know what to expect – because in the worst case scenario, the surgeon would have seen more tumor activity on other organs when he first went in laparoscopically, and the esophagectomy would not have taken place. We were so relieved when we received the update from the nurse communicator that they were moving forward with the entire surgery as planned and the abdomen portion had begun. The actual procedure began at 9:00 a.m. and did not end until 7 p.m. There were several things that made things complicated such as the size of the enlarged lymph node, and the location of that node. Unfortunately for those two reasons the surgeon did have to make a large incision so it did not get completed as a MIE. We were hoping it could be, but aware there was a chance it wouldn’t be. Due to the lymph node pressing into the stomach they had to cut out a larger portion of the stomach than they normally would have, but he assures us it will have no impact on his eating, etc. He also said he already had a large amount of scar tissue from the radiation, and other lymph nodes in the area were like cement. In the end, the portions of the stomach and esophagus were removed, the large lymph node (which was a ball of several lymph nodes it turns out) and a few other lymph nodes in the area were removed. The pathology report showed that the large lymph node did have traces of remaining tumor as did the original tumor site – but the surgeon felt that the chemo/radiation did do their job and my dad had a really good response to the treatment. The other nearby lymph nodes that were removed all came back negative from pathology. The surgeon said that by some freak coincidence, when they had him open they noticed something on the surface of his stomach and removed it. The biopsy showed it was a small tumor, a GIST, and it was completely separate from the E.C. The surgeon said on the scale of worrisome cancers this is very low, but either way it was removed. We feel fortunate for everything that happened that day and to have been in such good care at Mayo Clinic/St. Mary’s, even though it was more invasive than we hoped for. The surgeon, the staff, the nurses were all amazing. The have a very well organized facility there and we really didn’t have to ask for anything or remind nurses of anything – they were completely on top of it. Everyone was extremely nice, the facility was great – we have nothing but good things to say about our experience there. Most importantly, my dad is safe and comfortable there, happy, and knows he is in great hands.
All in all – we are beyond, BEYOND happy that we went to Mayo for this second opinion since all of his local doctors felt that from his last PET scan – his response to the treatment was poor and that his cancer was advancing through his treatment, therefore they did not want to operate. Obviously the surgery and pathology on the tumors showed a much different story. My dad had his goal set on surgery from day one, and even if in the end it’s not his “cure”, it will have been worth it to him to be given this extra bit of a chance.
Thank you all, once again!
So glad to hear that things are going well. Again it just goes to show how important getting treatment at a large cancer center is. Will be praying for your dad and family,
Cheryl0 -
Yay!!DanaMB3 said:Update
Thank you everyone for the prayers and support! It has been so appreciated! My dad is recovering very well and should be coming home on Wednesday. He is up and walking better each day, but is still draining a bit internally so the tube(s) removal has been keeping him there a bit longer. The day of the surgery was a very long one, as many of you know. We didn’t know what to expect – because in the worst case scenario, the surgeon would have seen more tumor activity on other organs when he first went in laparoscopically, and the esophagectomy would not have taken place. We were so relieved when we received the update from the nurse communicator that they were moving forward with the entire surgery as planned and the abdomen portion had begun. The actual procedure began at 9:00 a.m. and did not end until 7 p.m. There were several things that made things complicated such as the size of the enlarged lymph node, and the location of that node. Unfortunately for those two reasons the surgeon did have to make a large incision so it did not get completed as a MIE. We were hoping it could be, but aware there was a chance it wouldn’t be. Due to the lymph node pressing into the stomach they had to cut out a larger portion of the stomach than they normally would have, but he assures us it will have no impact on his eating, etc. He also said he already had a large amount of scar tissue from the radiation, and other lymph nodes in the area were like cement. In the end, the portions of the stomach and esophagus were removed, the large lymph node (which was a ball of several lymph nodes it turns out) and a few other lymph nodes in the area were removed. The pathology report showed that the large lymph node did have traces of remaining tumor as did the original tumor site – but the surgeon felt that the chemo/radiation did do their job and my dad had a really good response to the treatment. The other nearby lymph nodes that were removed all came back negative from pathology. The surgeon said that by some freak coincidence, when they had him open they noticed something on the surface of his stomach and removed it. The biopsy showed it was a small tumor, a GIST, and it was completely separate from the E.C. The surgeon said on the scale of worrisome cancers this is very low, but either way it was removed. We feel fortunate for everything that happened that day and to have been in such good care at Mayo Clinic/St. Mary’s, even though it was more invasive than we hoped for. The surgeon, the staff, the nurses were all amazing. The have a very well organized facility there and we really didn’t have to ask for anything or remind nurses of anything – they were completely on top of it. Everyone was extremely nice, the facility was great – we have nothing but good things to say about our experience there. Most importantly, my dad is safe and comfortable there, happy, and knows he is in great hands.
All in all – we are beyond, BEYOND happy that we went to Mayo for this second opinion since all of his local doctors felt that from his last PET scan – his response to the treatment was poor and that his cancer was advancing through his treatment, therefore they did not want to operate. Obviously the surgery and pathology on the tumors showed a much different story. My dad had his goal set on surgery from day one, and even if in the end it’s not his “cure”, it will have been worth it to him to be given this extra bit of a chance.
Thank you all, once again!
So happy he got the surgery. Yay! Yay! Yay! This gives him a chance. Sorry he had to have the larger surgery as it takes a while to recovery. My husband had the full Ivor Lewis. It took him about 6 or so months to feel more like his old self. He kept active even then. Learning to avoid "dumping," which he still forgets. Working to regain his strength. All this takes time BUT he is one year post op with No Evidence of Disease. [For which we are humbly grateful for the prayers and God's comforting hands]. He goes to his office everyday and works hard although with the arrival of spring, I find him coming home during the early afternoon to check out things around the farm, etc. (We call it a farm, and he does work at it. It just is hard to turn a profit in these times.) So, let your Dad know things are going to get better and don't get over concerned if he takes a while to improve. He's on his way. [What's a GIST?]0 -
thanks for the update.......DanaMB3 said:Update
Thank you everyone for the prayers and support! It has been so appreciated! My dad is recovering very well and should be coming home on Wednesday. He is up and walking better each day, but is still draining a bit internally so the tube(s) removal has been keeping him there a bit longer. The day of the surgery was a very long one, as many of you know. We didn’t know what to expect – because in the worst case scenario, the surgeon would have seen more tumor activity on other organs when he first went in laparoscopically, and the esophagectomy would not have taken place. We were so relieved when we received the update from the nurse communicator that they were moving forward with the entire surgery as planned and the abdomen portion had begun. The actual procedure began at 9:00 a.m. and did not end until 7 p.m. There were several things that made things complicated such as the size of the enlarged lymph node, and the location of that node. Unfortunately for those two reasons the surgeon did have to make a large incision so it did not get completed as a MIE. We were hoping it could be, but aware there was a chance it wouldn’t be. Due to the lymph node pressing into the stomach they had to cut out a larger portion of the stomach than they normally would have, but he assures us it will have no impact on his eating, etc. He also said he already had a large amount of scar tissue from the radiation, and other lymph nodes in the area were like cement. In the end, the portions of the stomach and esophagus were removed, the large lymph node (which was a ball of several lymph nodes it turns out) and a few other lymph nodes in the area were removed. The pathology report showed that the large lymph node did have traces of remaining tumor as did the original tumor site – but the surgeon felt that the chemo/radiation did do their job and my dad had a really good response to the treatment. The other nearby lymph nodes that were removed all came back negative from pathology. The surgeon said that by some freak coincidence, when they had him open they noticed something on the surface of his stomach and removed it. The biopsy showed it was a small tumor, a GIST, and it was completely separate from the E.C. The surgeon said on the scale of worrisome cancers this is very low, but either way it was removed. We feel fortunate for everything that happened that day and to have been in such good care at Mayo Clinic/St. Mary’s, even though it was more invasive than we hoped for. The surgeon, the staff, the nurses were all amazing. The have a very well organized facility there and we really didn’t have to ask for anything or remind nurses of anything – they were completely on top of it. Everyone was extremely nice, the facility was great – we have nothing but good things to say about our experience there. Most importantly, my dad is safe and comfortable there, happy, and knows he is in great hands.
All in all – we are beyond, BEYOND happy that we went to Mayo for this second opinion since all of his local doctors felt that from his last PET scan – his response to the treatment was poor and that his cancer was advancing through his treatment, therefore they did not want to operate. Obviously the surgery and pathology on the tumors showed a much different story. My dad had his goal set on surgery from day one, and even if in the end it’s not his “cure”, it will have been worth it to him to be given this extra bit of a chance.
Thank you all, once again!
I've been wondering how your dad was getting along. So glad things are going well. I too share your praise of the Mayo Clinic/ St Mary's. Are you on 4th floor, did you meet Bill the pa? Both special from my stay there. God Bless you and your family.
Gerry0 -
The funny thing is...ourcher76 said:So glad to hear that things
So glad to hear that things are going well. Again it just goes to show how important getting treatment at a large cancer center is. Will be praying for your dad and family,
Cheryl
The funny thing is...our first opinion WAS at a large cancer center in Chicago. Just goes to show a 2nd opinion is worthwhile no matter where the first one was obtained!
Thank you for your prayers!0 -
Thank you!BMGky said:Yay!!
So happy he got the surgery. Yay! Yay! Yay! This gives him a chance. Sorry he had to have the larger surgery as it takes a while to recovery. My husband had the full Ivor Lewis. It took him about 6 or so months to feel more like his old self. He kept active even then. Learning to avoid "dumping," which he still forgets. Working to regain his strength. All this takes time BUT he is one year post op with No Evidence of Disease. [For which we are humbly grateful for the prayers and God's comforting hands]. He goes to his office everyday and works hard although with the arrival of spring, I find him coming home during the early afternoon to check out things around the farm, etc. (We call it a farm, and he does work at it. It just is hard to turn a profit in these times.) So, let your Dad know things are going to get better and don't get over concerned if he takes a while to improve. He's on his way. [What's a GIST?] That is
Thank you! That is wonderful about your husband's status. Thanks for the advice for my dad. A GIST is a Gastrointestinal Tumor.... (I had no idea before I heard it either...) 0
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