MD Anderson--Trip #5--Incision Check

We had our post surgery follow up appt last week and when they took off the steri-strips from the incision site, the part which has a "skin island" (a piece of skin they took off during surgery and then put back), was looking a little bluish instead of nice and pink. They told us to watch it over the weekend and if the skin starts getting darker that the "skin island" was not taking and could be dying. By Sunday night it was no longer pink and we decided to head back to Houston 1st thing Monday morning to have it checked out.

So I called as soon as the office opened at 7:30am and was told to come on over to have it checked out. We head out to Houston for a check-up and was back home around 8pm. The doctor was ok with the way it was healing, said it should scab over and peel off and be fine underneath. Clean often with peroxide and apply Bactroban twice a day were the orders.

Still looks yucky to me! :)

MD Anderson--Trip #4--Follow-up and........

It's been a long week waiting patiently for pathology results. Knowing that the enlarged lymph node they had found during surgery COULD indicate that the cancer had spread made it even harder.

The Physician's Assistant walked in and said..."everything is negative, nothing was found anywhere, in any of the tissue or lymph nodes". ALL GONE!!

CANCER FREE!!!!!

We were soooo relieved and thankful. So glad that we made the decision to go to Houston. The last 3 months seems like it has been 3 years.

July 14--Appt with pediatrician for lump in neck along jawline, sent for labs, ultrasound of area
July 15--Referral to surgeon to have mass removed
July 19--See surgeon with initial diagnosis of Branchial Cleft Cyst
July 29--Outpatient surgery with mass removed and sent for pathology
August 4--Get call from surgeon, told over the phone that is was cancer.
August 5--Follow-up appt and plan discussed for total parotidectomy at end of August
August 15-25--Made plans and contacted MD Anderson for referral due to intensive delicate surgical procedure involving the facial nerve.
Sept 2-3--Initial appts with surgeon, Dr. Stephen Lai at MD Anderson, labs, ultrasound, CT scans
Sept 23-24--Appts with Radiation Oncologist, Dr McAleer and schedule surgery with surgeon for Oct 15
Oct 15-18--Surgery on the 15th, hospital stay until the 17th, home to Louisiana on the 18th.
Oct 21--Follow-up to surgery---CANCER FREEEEEE!!!!!

MD Anderson--Trip #3--Surgery/Recovery in Pictures

Up early...at the hospital waiting to be called to pre-op

Called to pre-op, got the wonderful stockings and hat, then the IV

WOOT....great fashion wear!!

IV time, he dreaded this more than the surgery. This guy was so good, Trace never knew it was started. :)

Stewart and I with Trace

Being wheeled away.... and the waiting begins

After 7hrs of waiting......   :(   and   :)

Saturday, 1 day post-op, drain has been removed and oxygen taken off. Still in a lot of pain.

Sunday, 2 days post-op, so ready to get out of the hospital.

Around the hospital....taken while trying to find the pharmacy, took me a while, no one is around on Sunday afternoons.

Discharged!!! Headed to hotel for a few days...

Resting at the hotel. Well, watching TV and playing with LEGOs.

A little droopiness and crookedness to his smile and eyebrows.

Yep, the sisters are wrapped!!

It's best you don't ask.........  :D

Trying to eat some mac-n-cheese, hurts to chew. :(

Beautiful sunset, new beginning, sign of good news ( *it was, cancer free official on 10/21)

MD Anderson--Trip #3--Surgery

Alright.....boy, has then been a rough day. Turning your child over to strangers to push away from you through doors is the worst feeling in the world.


We arrived at the hospital this morning at 9:15. He was called back to pre-op about 11. At 11:45 he was wheeled away and the wait began for the projected 2-2 1/2 hr surgery. At 2pm, I started asking the staff for any kind of news they could give us and that's when one of the nurses said they were going to go ahead with the neck dissection. Dr. Lai had told us that he would do the neck dissection based on what he saw when he was doing the surgery. Panic attack #1


By 4pm, we were all climbing the walls and I started asking the staff again for any info. All they could tell us is that they were still in surgery.


At 5:30, Dr Lai comes out to talk to us and said the superficial parotidectomy went well and as they were checking the lymph nodes, he found 1 that was enlarged and hardened, about the size of a quarter. Panic attack #2


So he told he proceeded with the neck dissection cutting down his neck from his ear almost the his shoulder checking the rest of the lymph nodes. All specimens were sent to pathology...so now we wait to see what it shows.


After 7pm we were finally able to go see him in recovery. Hard, hard, hard to see your child in that position. He would try to talk but nothing would come out. Katie and Kelsi and both sets of grandparents were able to go in and visit with him and Stewart and I were able to stay the whole time he was in recovery and come up with him to the room.


He is resting well now with his big bulldog "Hercules" next to him and his LSU pillowcase. Drifting in and out of sleepiness and when he's alert, asking for something to eat.


So, at this point we wait again to see what the pathologies of the lymph node and of the rest of the tumor show. Staff was excellent all day from the valet when we arrived to the pedi nurse once we got to his room.



Thanks for everyone's prayers.