Cody Updates by Mom

Well, today was another Mayo Monday.  We met three new people that we have added to my care team.  Today we met the GYN surgeon and her team to discuss the hysterectomy that we are looking to have on the same day as the stomach surgery.  We started out with the physician’s assistant and for the life of me I cannot remember her name.  I do remember that she was from Texas.  She was very nice and was efficient with my examination.  ALWAYS good in that office!!  Once done, we then met Dr. Bakkum and her nurse Tami.  Dr. Bakkum will be performing my hysterectomy on the 28th.  I liked her and her staff very much and am comfortable with her doing the surgery.  She will be determining on the day of surgery if she will be able to perform the surgery without any incisions or if she will be using the laparoscopic technique.  Either way the additional surgery will increase my total surgery time by 2 hours.  I am not sure yet what the stomach surgery will take.  As far as recovery she said that it will not dramatically increase my recovery time.  There are some complications that can happen (like infection) that will increase it but those are fairly low possibilities.

I have signed all of the paperwork so I am officially on the schedule for surgery on the 28th.  Yikes.  Each step of this process is bringing me closer to the reality of the situation.  I am moving from the surreal to the real, the numb to the scared and the strong to feeling moments of weakness.  This experience is so different from cancer.  Cancer has that crash of emotions when you hear those life changing words “you have cancer”.  It is a completely overwhelming despair and fear.  You then pick yourself up and decide to fight.  This is different.  There was that emotion however it wasn’t a crash.  It was disbelief, shock and the “you’ve got to be [bleeping] kidding me” feel.  As I move through all of this I am amazed at the ridiculousness of all of this.  They are going to remove my stomach.  Really?  I am actually telling them that I am in agreement with the surgery.  Really?  I mean, what the hell has happened in the last 10 months of my life.  Sorry for that.  Got a little emotional.

On to better things.

This weekend we did get to go to two more places on my list.  On Friday we made it to Savoy Pizza in St. Paul.  If you have never been, you should.  Their pizza is crazy good.  We got there way early and only had to wait for 20 minutes for a table.  On a normal night people wait for an hour for this pizza.  They serve all their pizzas on cafeteria trays.  See pictures below.  I forgot to take a picture after we had already dug in.  Sorry, stomach was telling me to eat not play with my phone.

The second place we went was our favorite watering hole.  American Motor Sports “The Car Bar” is a nice little bar/restaurant in Cottage Grove that we frequent quite often.  My list would never be complete without it.  We chatted with our favorite waitress and my friend Jen.  We love this place because they actually have good food, they know us (not quite the “Norm!” as in the show Cheers) but we are typically greeted with our favorite beers without having to order.  After Cody’s father passed we had some really long days.  We still had to eat though and Cody requested the Car Bar multiple nights in a row.  There is such comfort in being surrounded by the normal in a time of sadness.  There were also many, many hugs to all of us from our friends that work there.  This place means so much more than food.  It is a place that has seen our year of really hard circumstances and provided us a safe haven to land.

So, on to the next appointment.  Tomorrow we get to see Dr. Mann.  Remember him? He’s my plastic surgeon and we have a 3 month check up to make sure that all is well with my reconstruction and that we can move forward with surgery later next year.  Unless he has been doing some light reading when he is bored, he is completely unaware of everything that has happened since mid-October.  Tomorrow should be an interesting day.  I get to see that look again on someone’s face when I tell them what is going on.  Really hoping that this doesn’t delay my other surgeries.  Really need some good news.

Then Wednesday I head back down to Mayo to meet the genetics counselor down there.  Not sure yet why or if I will learn anything new but no need to put any hiccups in their process.

We then have a break from doctors for a bit again.  That’s good because as much as I like my doctors, I am getting a little worn out on seeing so many of them.  Now off to try to get some needed sleep.  Hoping I am able to turn off the brain long enough to have a few hours in a row. Wish me luck!!!

Caring Bridge Comments

Love and prayers..from mom|Dec 17, 2014 10:57am
I know your brain is busy but it is doing just fine. Loved your post and yes you have a lot of doctors to see and talk to. You are both so very strong and positive that you have really become my heroes. I love you and sending prayers and love.