Back to the routine

It’s hard to believe that two weeks ago I took my Sunday morning walk, believing it would be the last neighborhood walk for quite a while.

And yet here I am today able to do my usual route once again and praising God for a recovery that has been easier than anticipated.

This journey is far from over, but I am thankful for moments like this when I can see the goodness of God.

Now I will build an altar
And stack it stone by stone
'Cause every Ebenezer says I've never been alone
My faith will surely falter
But that don't change what You've done
'Cause every Ebenezer points to where my help comes from
Oh, every Ebenezer points to where my help comes from.

— Just as Good, Chris Renzema (featuring Ellie Holcomb)

Not what we were expecting

I had two CT scans and a PET scan prior to last week’s surgery, so we were fairly confident about the extent of the cancer’s spread and what was needed in order to remove that. As you know from previous posts, surgery went really well, and my recovery has been far easier than expected.

This week I received the pathology report. Overall, sections A - D of the report were positive - either noting absence of malignancy in the sample taken or noting successful excision.

However, the report did note two additional GCT tumors that were not defined by scans, and, unfortunately, it also included the following information regarding the left anterior abdominal wall resection:

This information is concerning and will likely result in difficult decisions in the near future.

Dr. Rossi has asked that my case be presented at a Monday morning conference. Once the team talks about my surgery and pathology, they will contact me regarding recommendations for a plan to go forward.

This morning my thoughts are set on Psalm 90:12, and I ask that you pray that we may have wisdom in deciding how to approach this new hurdle.

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

— Psalm 90:12

Thank you for showing up

It would be impossible to enumerate all of the acts of kindness and love you have expressed in recent days. I am incredibly grateful and overwhelmed.

I have seen many of you living out the truth of I Corinthians 12:28.

“And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.”

Thank you for using your various gifts to invest in my life. I feel so loved.

We made it through the weekend

Being home is a little different than being in the hospital, and it has its own set of challenges. For example, as disruptive as it was to have someone checking on me every two hours through the night in the hospital, here at home I still needed Rick (and now my brother) to wake me up to take meds at the prescribed times.

Speaking of meds, we added a new one to the list over the weekend as it seems I have an infection. My neighbor, Rebekah, has been great in helping us keep things on schedule, including the daily injection of Lovenox.

We also learned that getting out of a regular bed after abdominal surgery is no joke, so now I am sleeping on a couch in the living room. Rick and Addison brought it down from upstairs for me on Saturday.

Speaking of Saturday, Steeve had the idea to have a video call with some of the community children before English class, and that made my day to see all of them and hear their voices.

The rest of the weekend was filled with watching The Bridge on-line, short walks in the neighborhood, time with some of my favorite people, and other small pleasures.

My belly is healing nicely, I think. I’ve decided to take photos each day so I can see the progress. This was Sunday. We can see my belly button distinctly again as the swelling continues to go down.

Visitors are wonderful. Feel free to stop by and visit this week. I’d love to see you!

It’s Friday, and we're home

I said goodbye to Room 6309 at the Duke University Hospital around 3 pm yesterday and transitioned to our Airbnb.

It was good to have a night to rest before making the drive back to Wilmington this morning.

My belly is really sore today, and nausea has been my constant companion since last night. But we’re back in Wilmington and looking forward to some R & R this weekend.

Some flowers from The Bridge were waiting when we arrived, as well as packages and cards from friends!

This afternoon I plan to take it easy here at home and enjoy my latest obsession - a Detox Island Green from Tropical Smoothie.

Thanks for praying, Friends!

A quick Thursday update

Wednesday went by quickly as I had several visitors and different teams were checking in on me every couple of hours.

I was able to get up and walk laps around my floor. There’s a board where we’re to keep track of our laps. I ended up at 3 miles at the end of the day. I’m room 6309. (Yes, I am bragging.)

Ethan has been a great help to me, even staying overnight. It’s been good having him here and seeing him put his professional skills into action on a personal level (and he really likes this blanket Elizabeth gave me).

Yesterday afternoon, however, we noticed I was experiencing some sort of allergic reaction (probably due to the epidural), so that was suspended, and I’ve only had Tylenol and Motrin since then.

My battle scars are substantial, but I am proud of them because they mean Dr. Rossi was able to do what she needed to do, and I came out on the other side.

I am hoping to be discharged later today (or at the latest, tomorrow), and I look forward to a clear plan going forward that includes healing and health.

I truly appreciate all of care and support that has come from so many of you. Thank you for being on my team during this unusual season.

Above all that we could have asked or imagined

It wasn’t the worst case scenario. It wasn’t the best case scenario, either. It wasn’t even somewhere in the middle. It was even better than we asked or imagined.

We arrived at the hospital a little before 5 a.m., and I was absolutely miserable. I had become dehydrated by the bowel prep, and this was causing extreme nausea and fatigue. So when I was called back to the pre-op prep area, I was relieved.

My new friend I met on the phone yesterday stopped by, as well as Dr. Rossi and other members of the surgical team. Every caregiver was so kind and compassionate.

The patient care here at Duke is phenomenal. One guy on the anesthesiology team was even showing me photos of his dog and chatting with me while another physician was doing my epidural in the OR.

I entered the OR at 7:27 a.m., and the surgery started at 8:50. The procedure was complete, and I was ready for visitors by 10:12 a.m. This was much shorter than the time originally estimated!

The shortened time under anesthesia resulted in a fairly quick stay in the recovery unit, and I felt aware of my surroundings and confident in my ability to communicate almost immediately. My first questions:

Do I have a bag?

Did she have to breach the abdominal wall to remove the tumors in the subcutaneous tissue?

The answers to both questions was “no!”

Further, Dr. Rossi decided not to do a hysterectomy, and there was no need to resection the bowel (that tumor was incredibly easy to remove!) so I came away from the procedure with a less invasive procedure than I had anticipated.

It looks like I’ll be here at Duke through Friday. I’ve yet to get out of bed. (That’s a goal for tomorrow!) I still have an epidural administering pain meds. (I’m not complaining!) And I have a great volunteer nurse. (Ethan is the best human!)

Tonight Ephesians 3:20-21 is on my mind:

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”

The last 24 hours

To those of you who have called, texted, and showed compassion in so many different ways, thank you.

I’ve spent today walking and following the dreaded clear liquid diet - which hasn’t been nearly as bad as I anticipated.

Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 7:10 a.m.

Looking forward to sharing positive news as I feel able!