Surgery update...

Just talked to Steve. Basically he is getting very basic info from nurse. Vital signs good , at the tumor, working on it. He's hoping to get a little more info at 6:00 but we probably won't get any detailed info until the surgery is over and the surgeon talks to Steve. Will continue to post when there is any news...

Surgery update...

From Steve: OK, the latest update as of 12:00. They are at the spot of the cyst and tumors. They were using ultrasound to make sure before they cut through the late thin layer that they are in the right area.

This is by far the most vital part of the surgery. The next update will let us know whether they are able to get the tumors or if it is too dangerous to mess with. Pray for no bleeding. This is the toughest part of the whole day. We are very anxious.
Nest update at 2

Surgery update...

OR nurse said they started the case at 9:04 a.m. No real update on the procedure. Next update will be 12:00 noon.

Surgery update...

They took Kim into the OR around 7:30 a.m. According to Steve she was slightly nervous, but VERY confident. The first update from the nurse should come around 10:00 a.m.

Tomorrow is the big day...

From Suzanne: I spoke with Kim around 8 p.m. this evening. She had just finished a long day of being poked and prodded in preparation for her surgery tomorrow. Steve arrived in Houston today, as did her sister, Robin. They were having dinner at the Olive Garden before heading to the hotel for a quick night's sleep. Kim needs to be back at the hospital at 5:15 a.m. to get ready for surgery. The doctor plans to start the surgery promptly at 7:00 a.m. and believes it will last a minimum of 8-10 hours.

The surgeon first plans to remove three of Kim's four tumors, as well as draining the attached cyst. There is a fourth tumor (the largest one) that is deeper in her cervical spine and may be tricky to get to. The doctor really would like to remove it, as he feels it could be causing swelling in her spinal cord and contributing to her numbness. However, he will have to determine once he is in there whether he can remove it safely or if the risk is simply too great. As I said before, the surgery will probably be at least 8-10 hours and probably much longer if he addresses the fourth tumor. (A few days ago, the doctor completed his longest surgery ever - 20 hours - on another VHL patient.) Steve will update me when he is able & I will post her status on the blog as often as possible.

Keep praying and keep watching the blog for updates...

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

It's been a very busy week getting ready for surgery. Today I went downtown for my pre-op MRI scans. I leave for Houston tomorrow morning. I'm still very confident in the surgeon, but the anxiety is starting to build as the surgery gets closer. To add to the stress, Steve lost his job this week*. However, looking at the bright side - my kids will now have at least one of us there for them the week following the surgery. I spoke with both of the kids about my surgery and me being out of town for so long. Tyler seems to be handling it well, yet he still continues to hold in a lot of his feelings. My little drama queen, on the other hand, has been very emotional this week & I'm somewhat worried about her getting through the next three weeks. I spoke with her teacher and we started e-mailing back & forth. This will be our way to keep in touch while I'm gone. We are trying to set up skype-ing as well.

And now, some good news! My brother and sister, after not being able to be with my brother when he passed away, were very determined to come out for my surgery. They both got tickets today. My sister Robin will fly out the night before my surgery and stay for a week. My brother, Jeff, will come on Sunday (the day Steve leaves) and stay until the following Thursday. My high school friend will also still come the 18th-21st. So don't worry, I will not be alone!

On a completely different note... apparently, there is bag containing funeral cards from the night of my brother's wake that is missing. It is a blue Ahlgrim's bag. If anyone has seen it, please let us know.

We will try to update the blog as often as possible to inform everyone about the surgery and my recovery. Just keep praying!!!

(* Steve has over 20 years of medical sales experience. If anyone has any leads or contacts, please let him know! e-mail: sgillespie62@att.net)

Travel plans for Houston

Regarding my upcoming surgery at MD Anderson in Houston, some of the plans are as follows:

I fly out this Sunday morning (11/8). Steve will join me Tuesday morning through Sunday afternoon (11/10-15). My sister-in-law, Laura, will be traveling in from Detroit to stay with the kids. If you don't mind, I will be leaving some of your names and numbers for her to call, as she is very unfamiliar with this area and may need some help with driving kids or errands. She will be flying in Monday evening the 9th and staying through the 15th, when Steve returns. We are now covered for the first 8 days of my 15 day excursion! After that, some friends have offered to cover when Steve needs to travel the following week.

I plan to return home on Wednesday, November 25th for Thanksgiving, assuming all goes well! I have an aunt and uncle, plus several cousins, who live about an hour from the hospital in Houston and will be visiting me while I am there. My high school friend, Sheila, will be coming from Atlanta to visit me from Wednesday the 18th through Saturday the 21st.

Thank you for all of your well wishes. I will update the blog as often as possible following the surgery! So, this will be the place to get the most up-to-date info...

On another note... after speaking with several doctors, they feel it is possible that the pressure of the tumor on my brainstem is what is making my eyesight so bad lately & that once the pressure is relieved, at least some of my vision may be restored. Let's pray that is the case!