I’d like to start by thanking everyone for your prayers today. It’s been a very long day, and I’ve been up since 3 AM, so I’m heading to bed very soon. But I have been getting a lot of texts and IMs asking how things are going, so I wanted to update. First, for those of you who didn’t see my posts today, the surgery was successful. Doctors removed the main tumor, along with a section of colon, and the lymph node tumor in the groin. Dr. DiRocco was unable to detect any cancerous lymph nodes in the abdomen during surgery, so nothing else was removed. The rectal tumor had grown to the point that it was causing a blockage, which is why Nick has been so sick for the past week. Now that it’s removed, Nick will have a much better quality of life. But as Dr. DiRocco reminded us today, the two inoperable chest tumors remain, and after his recovery from this surgery, Nick will need to go back on chemo to keep them stable. Unfortunately, several of the sacral veins (veins which lie deep in the pelvis, in the area of Nick’s body that was already damaged from radiation treatment) were bleeding, and the doctors were unable to stop the bleeding. So, the entire area was packed in order to apply pressure to the vessels, and then the surgeons sewed the skin closed, but left the subcutaneous layers of the abdomen open and packed. The plan is for Nick to stay sedated and on the ventilator for the night, giving the veins time to clot effectively. Then tomorrow at 12:30 PM, Dr. DiRocco will remove the packing and close the abdomen. Because he has lost a lot of blood, Nick will require transfusions. The ICU nurse said she would let me know if friends or family were needed to donate. He was transported to the ICU, where he will remain until surgery time tomorrow. At 5:15 PM, Nick’s mom and I were finally allowed to visit him. We were expecting him to be unconscious, but unfortunately the sedation wasn’t working as effectively as the doctors had hoped, and Nick was semi-conscious and in a great deal of discomfort. He has a breathing tube, an NG tube (which travels from his nose to his stomach) 3 IVs, and several drains. His wrists were tied to the bed to prevent him from pulling out the tubes. The doctors and nurses were fighting to get his discomfort under control. He was aware that his mom and I were there, and tried to communicate by writing. He wrote that he was choking, that he was hot, and that he wanted the breathing tube out. It was extremely difficult to see him at that time. It was a really helpless feeling. Even worse, I had to leave because I knew I needed to get home to Gabe. It was so difficult to leave there knowing that Nick’s pain was not yet under control. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being there alone all night long in that condition. But I knew I could trust the doctors and nurses, who were in and out of the room constantly, to get his sedation to the right level so he could be comfortable. When I called the ICU at 9 PM to check on Nick, his nurse reported that he had become agitated again and even at the maximum dose of Fentanyl, he was in a great deal of discomfort. She told me that the doctor had just given the order to switch him to Propofol. This made me feel better, because I know that Propofol has been an effective anesthetic for Nick in the past. I plan on checking in again during the night, and again in the morning. It seems absurd to me right now, but I actually have to spend my morning and afternoon in class tomorrow. I wish I could skip it, but I have a big test on Thursday and I can’t afford to miss tomorrow’s information. I am going to call the hospital in the morning to make sure Nick is stable, and if he’s not, I will have to skip class. Nick’s mom is heading over to the hospital in the morning and I will join her after I’m done at school. I want to let everyone know that I have been reading every single comment, text, IM, and note of encouragement. I am deeply touched by your kindness and your comforting words. I know I also speak for Nick when I say that we are grateful for every kind word, prayer, positive vibe, and good thought that is being sent our way. I need the encouragement to fully rely on and trust God right now when I am so scared and discouraged. I know Nick is trusting God even as I type this. He has inner strength that I don’t possess and a powerful will to live. This morning when I said goodbye to him, he looked at my eyes and told me not to be nervous. Well, I’m still extremely nervous, but I am praying like heck, and I believe God hears me. I’ll update tomorrow, when I can. Love, Mel
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 02:46:13 +0000
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