Cheers! (And other surgery details)

 Today was my appointment with my surgeon to discuss my abdominal mass.  Which just sounds like a polite word for candy-gut, but really isn't.

He gave me a few more details from the CT report.  The tumor is just off the transverse colon.  The tricky thing is that if the tumor is mixed up in the colon they may have to cut into it some.  And if the tumor is mixed up with any major blood flow to  a section of the colon they may have to cut out a section.  We'd rather avoid those things... not that there's anything we could do to change it... but still!  My colon has enough trouble without cutting into it!

So I have to do a bowel prep (same as colonoscopy prep) before the surgery just in case.  It involves drinking one of those bottles of Pure Evil, sitting in the bathroom for six hours, then drinking the other one and trying to keep them down long enough to let it do its job.  I have serious opinions on the subject, though I don't think I could put it any more clearly than Dave Barry.

Tomorrow is "prep day".  I have an appointment at the hospital to have labs and tests run, then I'm hoping to run to Build-a-Bear (cause a sweet friend sent me a gift card to build myself a surgery buddy and I'm SO excited about it!!!  Love you!!!), then do the liquid roto rooter.  That will take up all day tomorrow.  I'm on all clear fluids tomorrow until they say I'm not any more.

Wednesday is "surgery day".  Tomorrow evening they will call to tell me what time to arrive.  Since I've already pre-registered by phone, filled out pre-admittance online, and will have been pre-poked and prodded in the lab it shouldn't take so long to get into surgery.  The surgery will be done at Utah Valley Hospital (UVRMC).  It is being handled as an admittance procedure rather than out-patient.  There is a *chance* that I might make it home wednesday, but most likely I'll be kept overnight at least. 

There are several factors for when I'll get to leave and none of them can be answered until I'm not conscious (at least I'd better not be!).  Hopefully the procedure will be laparoscopic, but depending on size, exact location, complexity, etc. they are going to be prepared to do it as an open surgery which will be a lot longer recovery and hospital stay.  And of course if they start fiddling around with other organs that would complicate matters as well.

It will likely be two to three days before we hear the pathology report.  Then they'll know what happened or is happening to cause such a nuisance.  At that point they'll discuss management of the cause which will hopefully be to do the one surgery and be done with it.

There are many people who have offered to help us out.  I really appreciate it!  I fully intend to be unconscious for the majority of the time when help would be useful, so Michael is the one to talk to about that.  I particularly appreciate the love and prayers of so many.  It is a miracle to have found this in the first place and getting it gone will be a big relief. 

When we have more information we'll keep people updated.  We're hoping to settle down to be happy, boring, healthy people in no time at all.