The surgery is set for August 4th at the Mayo Clinic.
The surgery is set out that far due to some events that we already have planned for the summer and that I wanted a specific surgeon to do the operation. Dr. Kendrick, the surgeon who did Mel’s surgery, will also be doing mine. He is one of only 4 surgeons in the US that can do this procedure laparoscopically. Doing the procedure this way reduces my healing time and does not require me to have a feeding tube. For this type of procedure he will be making five incisions, about two inches or so in length, and then removes my stomach through the incisions. They will not be replacing my stomach, they will be attaching my small intestine directly to my esophagus.
Now I know what you may be thinking and I am right there with you. I told Dr. Kendrick that there is NO way he is getting my stomach out through one of those two inch incisions. Maybe if he connected all 5 incision together then he’d have a fighting chance. Yet, he assures me he can do it and I just need to trust him. We will see I guess, but I just don’t see it coming out in one piece. Maybe if I had skipped a couple of beers when I was younger....Nah.. Good Luck Doc!
So where is my request? Here it is. As with any major
surgery, you do not know how your body is going to respond until after the
operation. You get the percentages from the Doctors based on their experiences,
but everyone is different and every surgery is different. So, if it is not too
much to ask, please include my Sister Melanie King in your thoughts and
prayers. She has had to go through some pretty tough times over the past year. She
was the first to learn about the CDH-1 mutation. She was also the first in our
family to have to make this hard decision and the first to have the operation. She
has been going through some tough times recently and spent most of this past week
back down at Mayo. She could really use some warm and fuzzies thrown her way. Thank
you.
Love you Mel!
Hi there! I find your blog quite inspiring. I have read quite a few blogs, but none where anything was done at Mayo Clinic in Rochester until now. I was just seen down there (I live in ND) the end of April and just received my results back from my CDH1 gene analysis and mine, too, came back positive. My upcoming appointment for a consult is Monday, August 10th and after reading your blog, I am feeling (somewhat) relieved that there is someone in my similar situation being seen there, also. Plus, seeing that you may still be in the hospital and recovering quite quickly, I hope, at the same time I'm in for my consult is pretty cool! I will continue checking out your blog and hope for a speedy recovery for you!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThe entire team down there has been wonderful. I was told to forget everything I ever knew about hospitals because Mayo would change my expectations and they have. Whatever your decision, you are in fantastic hands down there. I would be great to meet you someday.
DeleteThat is GREAT to hear!! :) My genetic counselor was amazing, so I was hoping for the same when I see the GI dept. I'm getting anxious for my appointment and honestly, just to get some more definitive answers since I keep reading blogs and one says one thing and the next says another. I think, at this point, I'd be crazy not to choose to have my stomach removed especially after watching my mom pass away at 44 years old. It was awful and I would NEVER wish that on anyone! However, I'm somewhat being optimistic that I'll show up to my appt Aug. 10th and they'll say, "We just found out about this new thing that cures this type of stomach cancer." Wishful thinking, I know...but you never know. lol ;) I feel like I've already started getting a few things figured out to be able to do this surgery since I'm sure that will be the main thing they suggest (or so it seems from the report I got my counselor). So, now just to wait and be patient for my appt and then go from there. It would be great to meet sometime!!! Hopefully you will be on the fast track to recovery when I come down for my consult...so maybe sometime after that!! :) I will be sending happy thoughts and prayers for you and your family! :):):)
DeleteJust found an article on MSN about Mayo in Rochester being #2 of 15 of the BEST hospitals in the US! :) Just an FYI ;)
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