Rock Star!

Mandy is progressing ahead of schedule and she'll be moved from the ICU tomorrow. She went in for an MRI today and the results of the surgery were exactly as they planned for. We are blessed with these results and keeping steady thoughts for a smooth rest of the recovery. She is still on track to be back in Deerfield on either Friday or Saturday. Tomorrow she will start to work with a physical therapist and get up and moving a bit. Today was probably the peak of her post-surgery pain and discomfort, so we're hoping for a positive trajectory from here.

The Day After

Mandy had a good first night after surgery. She is still in the ICU and they expect her to stay until the end of the day today (Wed) before moving to a regular recovery room. She looks great! While she is in some serious pain, the nurses are keeping her well medicated. Just this morning, they moved her from her bed and into a reclining chair. Her spirits are positive, she maintains her good humor, and she is currently resting well.

Mandy will go in for an MRI later today in order for the doctors to take an initial look at how the resection went yesterday. In all likelihood, the MRI might not look very different from before, as the surgery was primarily focused on removing the inside of the tumor. Essentially, they went in and took the pulp out while leaving the rhine. The hope now is for the tumor to collapse on itself and retreat a bit from the cranial nerves in order to make the 2^nd surgery less risky in terms of facial and balance nerve preservation.

Despite the long road ahead, we are thankful that Mandy’s journey has officially begun, and moreover, that it has begun positively.

One day at a time.

Happy Leap Year!

Recovery

Mandy is doing well. She is tired, with a bad headache, but she looks great and is very alert! The hope is to have her out of the ICU either tomorrow or Thursday.

Good News!

Mandy's surgery was a success today. She is now recovering after a grueling 9 hours in the OR. All went according to plan and they were able to shrink the tumor substantially in preparation for a more delicate second surgery on 3/19. I will be able to see her at around 7:00 PM and I will be sure to give her a big hug from everyone. We will learn a lot more over the next several days, but the doctor's expectation as of now is to have her out of the hospital this weekend. All of the risks associated with post-surgery still apply (fluid leakage, brain swelling, blood clotting), but Dr. Martuza is cautiously optimistic that Mandy's recovery will be steady based on how things are looking as of now.

So, we're now one down and one to go. Thanks for your steadfast support and endless optimism.


Onward!

With Love,

Dave

Up-Date

The waiting room nurse just came in with an up-date from the OR. The brief word from Dr. Martuza was that everything is going great. She is about half way done!
My waiting room crowd is starting to thin out, but people seem to be receiving good news. A good day for the surgeons of MGH it seems. It sort of feels like a high stakes version of American Idol. I think there is a reality show out there somewhere... Just so relieved to hear that things continue to go according to plan. Seek it.

Up-Date

One waiting game ends, and another begins…

All went according to plan this morning. Mandy went into surgery around 8:00 AM and the next eleven hours will now be spent in prayer, meditation, distraction, and frustration as I wait to see her tonight after the operation.

This honestly doesn’t feel ‘real.’ I sit in a non-descript family waiting room, pedestrianly appointed with the requisite blue fabric chairs and couches supported by wooden frames. Back issues of TIME, Good Housekeeping, and Sports Illustrated are strewn across the coffee and side tables that dot the perimeter of the room. The walls are lined with the ubiquitous and indispensable waiting-room watercolors of calming ocean scenes, flowers in vases, and bowls of fruit.

I can’t help but to notice the families around me. Several spouses, sons, and daughters of patients wait alone. Some pockets of the room contain larger family gatherings- generations who have come together to offer strength and support. Regardless of who or what brought us all here today- it’s safe to say that we would all rather be somewhere else. Perhaps the exception being the children who lay on the floor entertained by coloring books and portable DVD players, blissfully ignorant to the broader context of life and death that surrounds them.

I finally cried earlier today. It felt good; the eruptive release after working so hard to be strong for Mandy over these past eight weeks. Not that I have been walking the earth devoid of emotion since the diagnosis, but rather, my energy has been intensely focused on Mandy: her needs, her feelings, her fears. Today, as the nurse wheeled her away and the heavy glass doors closed behind her, I felt my own pain.

I find resolve and put my faith in the laws that govern our universe. While I’ve struggled with my familiar childhood creed over the years, I still feel intimately connected with God. If there were a box to check for religion, I would check the one that most closely represents the notion of “Work In Progress.” Nonetheless, I have felt the power of prayer in my life and I believe that God puts us in situations that we can shoulder, despite how heavy. Moreover, we draw strength from these experiences where our humanity is stripped down to its core. This feels like one of those times.

Thank you all for reaching out with your prayers and support. We feel blessed to have such caring and compassionate people in our lives. Here’s to a day of seeking the joy of being alive.

Yours,

Dave

Confirmed

First surgery 2/28/12
Second surgery 3/19/12

New surgery date

We will be heading back to MGH for a second chance at the first surgery on Tuesday, February 28. The second surgery has not been rescheduled at this point. 

Surgery was cancelled

We arrived at MGH at 5:30 am and left by 8:30 am. After getting an IV and compression boots, the surgeons decided to cancel the surgery. I got the stomach flu yesterday and they felt it was not safe to proceed. We won’t know when the new surgery date will be until Wednesday. I will post more information as soon as possible. 

Pre-Admission Testing

I wish I could have videotaped the cast of characters I encountered at MGH today. I had an EKG where I couldn’t apparently ‘relax’ enough for the nurse to get a good ‘picture’; spoke to a nurse who asked me “Are you nervous for the surgery? Oh, Hearing loss? Yeah – that sounds pretty bad. I don’t know if I could do that;” discussed the risks of the anesthesia with someone who seemed like she could have been in one of my classes; and had lots of blood taken by an angel of  a Grandmother from the Caribbean who responded to my tears with hugs.

After my appointment we visited with Dave’s Grandmother in the cardiac unit of MGH. This is the third time we have seen her in a hospital setting in the last three weeks. She looks much better and they are hoping to move her to a rehab facility on Friday.

I am exhausted. I am still trying to write end of term comments and I am dreading any visitors for extra help tonight. Tomorrow will be my last day of classes….All I want to do is watch season two of Downton Abbey! 

Latest appointment

We went to Massachusetts Eye and Ear on Friday to meet the woman who will perform the second surgery. She explained most of the same risks of the surgery (possible facial paralysis on my right side, balance issues that could require physical therapy, a shunt could be needed to drain fluid from my brain, and most likely, an uncomfortable recovery), but she also echoed the same need to have the surgery because of the serious health risks of leaving the tumor in my head (stroke, seizers, etc.). She was very compassionate and she did add a bit of new information. Dr. Smullen indicated that in terms of recovery, the first surgery would most likely be more challenging. I was more concerned about the second surgery because the surgeons will be separating the tumor from my nerves, but it turns out changing the way my brain is compressed will be more serious for by body.

 I am not sure if it is due to the stress or the tumor, but I have not been feeling completely normal over the last few weeks. I am having a hard time finding a position to stand, sit, or sleep where I don’t feel light-headed and my heart is not throbbing in my ears. I have also been having headaches more regularly. I cannot take anything at this point because in addition to dulling pain, Tylenol, act as blood thinner (apparently not what you want before major surgery).

I am pretty nervous. I have never stayed in a hospital before.

We head back to Bedford on Tuesday night. Early Wednesday morning I have an appointment at MGH for pre-admission testing. We will return Bedford on Sunday evening and be at MGH by 5:30 am on Monday, February 13.