Recovery Day 58

Maybe now the setback will start to heal, and we can now start upward momentum again!

Today was drain day! They moved his "call time" up by 2 hours late yesterday due to another cancellation! So we missed the rush hour traffic but still made it down there fairly early. 

By 1 he was in recovery! Everything went well with the Interventional Radiology team. After an hour in recovery, I got to harass him by his forced time in a wheelchair! We went from the 3rd floor Elevator E to the 7th floor Elevator A. If you haven't spent time at MD Anderson, that means nothing. But to those of you that have found yourself in the maze of these buildings, you get it. 

The waiting room was completely empty of the CRC/GI Clinic, which was something we had never encountered before. Kelly, Dr. You's PA had told us yesterday to come by after the drain placement so they could change out the bag IR put on. Since the clinic was empty, it took them a bit to find someone from her team!

After the nurse shows us to the room, this head peaks around the door frame and Dr. You is there. Nurse Thuy brought in some supplies then we watched the bad mammajama that is Dr. You! She proceed to change the bag on the drain from a basic gravity bag to a suction bag with a valve for flushing. Watching a surgeon work is always fascinating, but especially today. She cut the tube and placed the suction bulb on it. Then she got the valve placed on the line where the smaller catheter connected to the tube leading to the drain. She left to get something else and then came back with a face shield! She removed the cushion on the shield that goes around the forehead and created the cushion for the valve so that it wouldn't hurt him if he sat or leaned on it. Her skill was impressive, but her compassion was equally such. 

She told him to plan on 10-14 days on the drain. She relieved the IR team had removed 50 ml of milky puss from his pelvis. The fluid was running clear after they had suctioned all the infection out of him! 

Nurse Thuy taught me how to flush the drain and we headed home with tons more medical supplies for the maintenance of the drain. 

Tonight he is wiped out from the anesthesia. And we have no idea what things are going to look like as we figure out living with the drain. Christmas celebrations start Saturday and right now his attendance is majorly in the air. Tuesday Rebekah will get her wisdom teeth removed. 

Truthfully we need prayer. Alan is hurting post drain placement. I need a moment or two to process. Cancer sucks. Even with cancer no longer visible on a scan. Even with it supposedly gone. Cancer's effects are deep wounds in our bodies, minds, and hearts! Today he and I are feeling the full effects in every aspect possible. So tonight we hold tight to he's here and will be for the foreseeable future.