Surgery Thursday

We are praising God over here. :)  We made it to Minnesota on Sunday night. The drive wasn't too terrible with the kids. They did argue quite a bit, fought over the TV, the Dsi,  and the game boy. We heard "are we there yet?" and "how much longer?" Probably a hundred times. Sunday night sleeping  didn't go to well but last night was better. Kids are enjoying the time with  their cousins. Kevin's brother Glenn and his wife Teresa are graciously accommodating our family of 6 in their beautiful home. Yesterday Kevin and I made the trip to Mayo, it's about an hour and twenty min from here. We were both pretty amazed at how huge the clinic is.We had to wait in a really long line just to register, it was more like check in at the airport then a doctors office! lol. I was kinda getting that scary, " I wanna go home" feeling. Anyway the apt went really well. The two doctors kind of work in a team. One came in first and pretty much recapped everything from my records from the time the lump was found. Seemed like he knew it all from memory already. He then proceeded to freeze my nose and used a camera up my nose and down to see the cancer on the back of my tongue. It's basically right above the vocal cords. I am such a baby I had to hold Kevin's hand for that. lol. So after he was done we watched it on the video screen and he showed us the cancer and where it is.  He then told us what he thought they would do for me, then said he went and got his partner, Dr. Eric Moore who is the head ENT. He is the one on the you tube video I will post. He is also a super personable guy. They really just look you in the eye and talk to you at your level. So we watched the video again, and he went over what the first doc said. They would remove the tumor from the back of my tongue, which he said looks like it is all growing on the outside of my tongue, which is great news, not growing into the muscle, at least from what he can see. He said it's the size of a golf ball, which honestly, I don't know how that is possible, how can I not feel that?? Anyway, they would also do a neck dissection on my lymph nodes on the right side of my neck. Said they'd remove about 40 nodes!! eek. Said, levels 1,2,3, and 4. 

He said if when they go in it is only that one lymph node that is cancerous, then I'm done after surgery! This is what we need to pray for now. That there is no other lymph nodes involved in the cancer. He will still remove 40 of them, but if only once is cancerous then I need no radiation afterwards. If there is more cancer, then I will need radiation, probably 6 weeks of it, after I heal from the surgery. I think he said like 4 weeks later? So please pray that it's only that one node involved!! 

He gave me more positive news, that he doesn't think I will need a trach tube after surgery, that was one of the things my doc in Waukesha said I might need, so that made me tear up. Then he said I may not even need a feeding tube! I was shocked. I said, "really?" with the tears, he said, "maybe, but I think you will be able to swallow". That took some of my fears away. He was positive minded. If I do end up with a feeding tube, Kevin said he thinks he said I'd have it for 10 days till I come back for follow up. (so yes, I have to come back to Rochester for one follow up in 10 days). So all in all, it was a good appointment. Some of my fears were taking away. He said my recovery will be alot like the one I've been going through the past two weeks, only I will be more sore because of the neck surgery too. But a real sore throat for a few weeks again. I will be in the hospital for around 3 days. He said it just like he does in the video, 2.3 days if everything goes well. I guess the drain tube coming from my lymph node surgery determines how soon I can leave the hospital.  He sounded positive about the surgery and said it's 85% cure rate, and after a year goes to 90 something percent! So the plan right now is to find out what time surgery is on Thursday and try to figure out when we will get a hotel close to mayo for Kevin and the kids. My sister and my dad will be making the trip up to help Kevin out with the kids for the 3 or 4 days I'm in the hospital. It's going to be rough having kids in a hotel , but I know between the three of them they will handle the kids.  We have to meet with the anesthesiologist tomorrow, which I am glad about because I had such a bad reaction to the anesthesia last time, hopefully they can do something different this time so I don't get so sick. So that's the plan! We have a free day today, but it is raining, so if the kids and I can talk Kevin into it, maybe we will go to the Mall of America since we are only about 20 min from it here in Chanhassen.   I'm sure we'll make the most of the one free day we have here to enjoy ourselves.  Kevin and I feel so very blessed during this time for our families that are supporting us through this, letting us stay at their house, people driving 5 hours to help us out, staying at our house with our dogs, (and even sleeping with them!) and all the prayers and little texts and face book notes I get from people saying they are praying and thinking of us. God has sure provided us with lots of support and love and it means so much to us during this time.  Our church has been right here with us through this, being our advocate and support system, prayers and hugs and tears and meals, and I hear someone is even cleaning my house when I am gone. God is good. He is doing everything to support us that we could ask for, I can see him everywhere I turn in all the faces of these people who are loving on us right now. Thank you Lord Jesus.

Well this is getting pretty long so I should probably close for now. Praise God for lots of positive news at the apt yesterday. Pray for the surgery to go well without complications, for the doctors to do their job well and God to guide their hands,  for me not to get so sick this time, just for everything to go well, and for there only to be that one lymph node involved!! Pray for Kevin and my sister and dad and the kids, that their time goes fast and it's not too hard at the hotel for them. God is able. He hears your prayers.

Thank you everyone for your love and support and prayers, we can't express how much it means to our family during this stinky time!!

Love you!!

Oh, I almost forgot. Yesterday morning I got a devotional with this verse ~ Psalm 119:67-68

Before I was afflicted I went astray,

but now I obey your word.

You are good, and what you do is good,

teach me your decrees.

I liked that because it teaches that being afflicted sometimes is for good. Of course we don't think so at the time. But God knows that it will grow us and make us more like him. I don't want to go through any of this, but it has already changed Kevin and I so much, taught us so much. God knows what he is doing.

:)