Sunrise , Sunset

The day is here! Kent and I woke up, got ready and were chayffeured off to the Hospital! We rode in the wee hours of the morning or close to Sunrise.  

Kent and I walked into the hospital to the 2nd floor, we checked into the surgical registration area.  Kent was banded and I gave my phone number for updates, we then moved to the waiting area.  Then were called back a very short time later.  A very bubbly nurse greeted us and as we walked back to the first holding area.  We had a short conversation as Kent was getting some pre -op requirements done.  We shared our Faith.   Let me share , Kent was just about to leave the holding area she asked if it would be ok if she would pray for us.   I said, "Yes!"  She said,  "I am not that great at praying out loud." She wanted to share what she thought we needed and she said words that were exactly what we needed at that time. 

We then were brought back to the second intake area.  Kent recieved his block, met with anesthesiologists, the doctor and nurses who were helping with all of the above. 

Many who know us know we have a family friend who is a chaplian in the hospital.  It was not her day to work but she arranged her coleague  to meet and pray with us and yet again we were covered in prayer in the intake area!   A blessing.  Kent did great during the block, defintely uncomfortable.  He was also given some meds to relax him.  Kent and I were in this area for just over 2 hours.  We are unaware of why we waited so long? An unavalible OR? a surgery the doc had before us? waiting for nurses to get out of another surgery? We weren't sure.  

Surgery was set at 10:05 am and Kent was taken back to the OR at 12 pm.  I squeezed his hand, gave him a kiss and gave him a pep talk as he was leaving. " You got this! Well fight together!"  

I weaved my way back through the OR coridors and found the family waiting room.  I sat down in one of very few avalible seats with all my belongings and waited.  Kent's family joined me a short while later  and we began the wait.  We sat there visiting with one another.  We took shifts and I grabbed a small salad but I just didn't feel like eating.  We took shifts to ensure we would not miss any updates on Kent.  His Surgery was anticipated to be 3 to 5 hours but shortly after 2 and 1/2 hours we were give a call saying that he was ready to begin the ending of his surgery.  I was shocked. 

As I learned he was nearing the end of surgery I began texting family and friends. As  soon  we would be we talking with the surgeon I would be sharing what we found out. 

A short time after the phone call we were invited into a doctor waiting area.  She greeted us and sat down shortly after.  Sharing what she had encountered.   Here we go..... Kent was opened up, The doc removed roughly 6 hernias to even get to what the needed to to look at the tumors.  She then found a 6 CM cluster of tumor lymphnodes  on the left side of the portal vein.  She removed those.  She then said, "There was no cancer found on the liver, or surrounding organs."  She then looked at the right side lymphnodes hoping to be able to remove those as she did with the left but was not able to as the were not easy to remove.  Her words were, "Its not apporpriate to remove those tumor that way on Kent."  It would require a lot of surgical procedures that wouldn't work for him.   Kent will be facing radiation at a later time.  I am not sure on the details with this as it requires the surgeon meeting with the tumor board.

We all then returned to our seats as Kent recovered.   We then would be allowed to see him in his room.  

I then found Kent's family and I our way to 7 N to room 7018.  As rounded the corner  Kent faced me and he began to cry.  Kent then greeted his family for a very short time.  Kent was a bit nauseous, groggy and had several nurses around him.  

As I greeted Kent I learned he had a private room, with a view.  Lydia joined us roughly at 6 pm and she looked out Kent's window and as she did it was a beauiful Sunset.