Saturday 10-3-09 Sanoviv - Surgery Day!

Whew!  Shelly got out of a 5 hour surgery at 4pm. 

I waited to see her settled in recovery, chatted for a few minutes and then raced to the computer room to get this post up (after calling Kara so she could alert the girls).

Shelly did well.  This is her first surgical procedure in her life so we were concerned about her response to the anesthesia and the prolonged period under sedation.  She did well with both.  The anesthesiologist was a delight and really set Shelly's mind at rest.  The surgeon was very thorough.
Here's what he did.

1. He removed the tumor and surrounding tissue.  The tissue was sent to a pathologist so they could make sure they removed enough.  They did.  (The pathogist was in Tijuana so that took some time.)
2. He investigated the ancillary lymph nodes and ended up removing them.  They also went off to a pathologist.

The surgery took longer than projected because they had to wait for the initial pathology reports on the tumor removal and the lymph node removal is a delicate procedure.  He took his time.

Shelly will have a drainage tube from under her left arm for 4-5 days to keep any pressure or fluids from building up.

What's next?  Shelly will be in recovery until 6pm, rest this evening and tomorrow.  The pathology reports will determine the next phase of treatments.  As I mentioned in earlier posts, guests who've been here before report a quick recovery so we are hopeful she will be up and around tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks for your prayers and messages for today.  I am sure waiting was as hard for you up there as it was here (although we have a beautiful view while waiting).

PS  We are meeting some great people here too!