After lots of blood tests, doctor's appointments, and a long list of opinions...mom's having her gallbladder removed tomorrow. For now, the surgery is set for 1:30- but we'll have a real-time confirmation sometime tonight. Our hope is that this surgery goes as smoothly as it has with nine million other patients- but we can never be sure. After having breast cancer in 2000, mom had a double mastectomy with TRAM-flap reconstruction (essentially, a tummy tuck). The draw back of that surgery is that she no longer has abdominal muscles in her abdominal area. Instead, they're in her chest- crazy, the things they can do these days! So- to keep her insides INSIDE, they replace that muscle with a piece of mesh (think...screen door material). While that mesh has done it's job in keeping everything in tact- even a little too good, if you ask mom- it complicates an otherwise basic gallbladder removal. Hopefully, everything will go as planned- but there is some concern that the mesh will hamper the ole' removethegallbladderthroughthebellybutton trick. In that case, her abdomen will have to be opened up and a different type of surgery will be done to remove her gallbladder. This unexpected step opens up a whole new can-o-worms...so we're praying that we can avoid it at all costs.
Tomorrow, at 1:30, will you have a chat with God and ask for things to go swiftly & smoothly and give the doctors clear guidance?
Thanks. We'll meet you there.
3 comments:
Ahhhh...I will be thinking and praying for you all!
Been thinking about you both all day, Kim
I have been praying for your family today. Leigh and Donna are both good friends of mine. I have your Mom's blogspot saved on my computer, and I read it constantly. I pray that all goes well and the belly button surgery will work.
Nancy Owens
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