Harpooned - Surgery update

Note: This posts automatically to Facebook, and I basically provided this same update there. So F/B friends ... double post!

I have 5 holes in my abdomen ... but I am more "whale-like" than this image (source), hence the Moby Dick imagery above.

Thanks all who have prayed for me. My surgery was Wednesday and I came home yesterday. I have 5 holes in my abdomen but I am not in pain. I am a bit uncomfortable coughing, getting up, rolling over (in bed last night). 

I am moving but slowly. I am looking forward to Thursday as the catheter will be removed and I will no longer be tethered to a bag with a long tube. 

I had very good care at Methodist Hospital (Saint Louis Park). I am amazed by the passion for care that nurses and nurses’ aids have. Additionally, there are a myriad of other volunteers (like a person who brought a warm washcloth every morning and the food staff) who are incredible. 

I have an amazing wife who loves and cares for me! 

If you have read this far here is what I hope be be a funny thing and an interesting thing: 

Funny thing: In post-op (where one comes out of anesthesia). I kept repeating “I’m going to have surgery in two weeks”. Nurse: “You had surgery”. Me: “It’s in two weeks”. I’m not sure how long this went on but it seemed to be 5 or 10 times. Finally me: “I had surgery?”. Nurse: “Yes”. Me: “Am I dreaming?” Nurse: “No!” 

Interesting thing: I had IV’s in both hands. Yesterday as I was preparing to leave both were removed. Now detached from everything and getting dressed, blood spirted from where the IV was in my right hand. Kathee was helping me get dressed and my hand was near my crotch. There was a lot of blood on the floor and the bed and I thought it was coming from my private parts. Nurse Sean came to the rescue. The floor looked like a crime scene.

Thanks all for your prayers!

Operation - Today is the day

My surgery (blog post)

Interesting background:

‘Operation’ Inventor, 77, Can’t Afford Real Life Operation

 Excerpt:

In an ironic twist of fate, the inventor of the famous board game Operation is in need of money to pay for an operation. In 1964, John Spinello invented the classic children’s game, in which players attempt to perform “surgery” without tripping a buzzer, and sold it to a toy invention firm for just $500. In spite of its great success, that’s the only money he ever received for the game. Now 77, Spinello can’t afford to pay $25,000 for an oral surgery.

 Comment: Hope to be home on Friday

Why I chose Laparoscopic Prostatectomy

Surgery day will be Wednesday March 2nd. I found these links very helpful:

• How is prostate cancer staged?: Me: PSA = 5.1; Gleason = 7; T1c
• Six different options available for the treatment of prostate cancer
• For newly diagnosed patients …
• Good FAQ site …
• Initial treatment of prostate cancer by stage
• Prostate brachytherapy
• Local Cyberknife: Allina health | Health East |
• Mayo Proton Therapy
• Treatment Comparison: Proton Therapy vs. CyberKnife
• Cyberknife Is Not Robotic Surgery Pro-surgery
• Robotic Surgery for Prostate Cancer

After careful consideration, the consultation with multiple individuals, and much reading (2 books plus much on the Internet (including the above):

• I personally interviewed three men who have received the diagnosis. One chose Cyberknife, another Proton Therapy, and another prostatectomy.
• Additionally we had a lot of 2nd hand testimonies that were in the form of "my brother's experience" or "my Father's experience", et cetera. Examples:
• Jim S's father had the prostatectomy
• Eric E's friend had the brachytherapy
• Roy W's brother had radiation
• We met with a radiologist oncologist to discuss options
• And yesterday morning we met with a surgeon
• Based on our research and knowing that every man (and his wife if he is married) must make the best choice for them, we  chose surgery
• I chose surgery because:
• Pathological staging is not done with radiation (while with surgery the removed prostate can be examined in the lab).
• Prostate surgery is often not an option after radiation  
• I believe that with my age (66 ½) and expected lifespan (my Mother is nearly 96), that surgery is the better option for me.
• Surgeons will be Nathan Hoffman and Daniel Zapzalka
• At Methodist Hospital
• Using the da Vinci Surgical System (image above)
• We are:
  • Trusting the Lord: 1 Peter 5:7, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
  • Confident: Philippians 1:6, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ"
  • Optimistic: Romans 8:31, " If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
• Prayers appreciated!

Robotic surgery may be something like this ....