A Whole New Meaning

Update on mom’s surgery from yesterday:


They took her in at about 7 a.m., called us in the waiting room they had started at 8:45 and they were done a little after 2 p.m.


She is now in ICU for 2 days under sedation, on a respirator, etc. and has an epidural in place for pain management now and later. She will remain in step down ICU for 2 weeks after they remove the breathing tubes, drainage tubes and get her breathing on her own, get her to progress and go up steps, etc. before she goes home in a couple weeks. Right now, the doctors said she is in critical care and to take it day by day.


They removed the right kidney, adrenal gland to the right kidney, a few lymph nodes in her abdomen and retrieved the clots from the vena cava. They had to perform the cut to her chest like they would for a bypass patient (through the sternum) and an upside down V cut across her abdomen. She is currently doing as well as can be expected and her ICU nurse and one of the surgeons reports her lungs and heart were very strong through surgery and now. I can’t go back to see her until I get over this upper respiratory cold / cough, so my sister and dad will update me over the next few days until I get well enough to go visit her.


She will also most likely have to follow-up with chemo treatments later.