Cody Updates by Mom

I finally have new information to share instead of me just being random and sharing food stories.  Yay!

Yesterday saw my NP Sheila and we also met Dr. Kendrick and his team.  There are some people in the world that can walk into a room and fill it with the core of their presence.  I have seen this with people that can immediately bring smiles, cause fear, exude arrogance or even sadness.  Well, Dr. Kendrick walked in and filled the room with confidence.  It wasn’t an arrogant confidence but a comforting confidence.  When you are having surgery with someone that you will only meet for a few minutes it is important that you leave with the best first impression possible.  I did.  He immediately made me feel important and at ease.  He didn’t come across as a know it all but truly he seems to know it all.  The first thing he said was that I was making the right decision, he has seen a 25 year old die of this cancer and it is not good.  I can see why he is the chief of the stomach surgery department at Mayo.  If you are a famous person and need stomach surgery, he’s gonna be your guy.  Even though I am far from famous he still treated both Jim and I with respect.

He talked about something that people have an issue with.  This is called “dumping syndrome”.  He said that my intestines are not used to getting a lot of sugar directly.  If I have too much sugar, like ice cream, he said that I could have an issue with this.  He did mention though that this is something that not everyone gets and even if someone has an issue, it is usually temporary.  He kept bringing up ice cream and said that I will need to take it slow when introducing something like ice cream to my system.  I told him that I didn’t think I could do that since both of us worked for DQ Corporate.  He laughed and said that he was sure that Blizzards didn’t have sugar and they would be just fine.  Wink, wink.  Glad to know that I was able to see the team laugh and show they have a sense of humor.

The end result is that everything is set however timelines are smidge different.  Dr. Kendrick says that I will likely be out of the hospital either Saturday or Sunday.  This is a good two days earlier than we were expecting.  Yay!  He also has said that my time home will be based on my healing however he felt that I would be back at work within six weeks at the most.  This means that I should be well enough to work by March 16th.  That’s very good and a good two weeks earlier than previously thought!  Yay!  There is a little bit of a change in when I am going down.  Because I am having a complete hysterectomy it is required that the lab there get a blood test for pregnancy the day prior.  The latest they can do this is 3pm on the 27th.  I did ask if they had a rubber room ready just in case its positive.  God knows that I would need a few months in there if that is the next plan!  Boo!  But it means that we are unexpectedly going to be down there a day earlier than expected.  Thank you to my mom for coming down a day early so Cody is not alone and doesn’t miss any robotics.  Finally, they also need to have me get some fasting blood work completed but I am able to do that at my clinic this Friday.  All of those tests need to be down to Mayo next week.

We now have a pretty good picture what the surgery will look like and what recovery will look like.  Dr. Kendrick does not use feeding tubes so we will not have to worry about how this will impact my healing process.  What it does mean is that I will be thrust into teaching my adjusted digestive track to play nice right away.  The night after surgery they plan to have me drinking fluids.  The next day they plan to have me eating either mashed potatoes or cream of wheat to start the process of eating.  Dr. Kendrick will see me one month after surgery to determine how I am doing and if I am able to go back to work.  Then it is onward and upward to the new normal.

Quite a few people have asked about visiting me in the hospital.  If you are wanting to head to Rochester that is fine with me.  I will be at St. Mary’s.  I would recommend that if you are thinking Saturday, to actually check in just to be sure I am still there.  Sorry, but if they say I can go home I am not going to wait around for visitors to show up.  Either Jim or I will update on here when I will be going home.

We are now in the final “get everything done” mode.  I am trying to tie everything up at work, home and with robotics over the next 13 days.  This is when I wish that I had little yellow minions to help.  Anyone know where I can get one that not just stuffed with fluff?  I have some premonitions that many things will have to be put in the “its just gotta wait” pile and we’ll get to it later.  Part of me just wants to get it over with and start the healing process another part says, yikes, its only 13 days.  Oy vey, there is so much mental okayness that needs to happen in such a short time.  It is odd.  There are days that I am completely confident and ready for this next challenge.  Then there are other days that I wonder “what the hell am I doing?” and wish that someone would return my sanity.  Deep breathing, calm thoughts, cold beer.  I’m okay now.

So, it looks like my “last supper” is going to be in Rochester.  Anyone have good ideas on a place that has really good steak, prime rib, etc.?  I can eat all the way up until midnight.  🙂

Let the countdown continue…

Caring Bridge Comments

Melanie King|Jan 16, 2015 8:01am
Thanks everyone! Surgery is the 28th, we have to be at mayo on the 27th for blood tests prior to surgery. 🙂