I will be under blackout conditions soon as at 0400 I will be heading downtown to the mother ship for my Whipple surgery scheduled for 0730 followed by ICU, a painful hospital stay and then a lengthy recovery at home.
They stopped all treatment 6 weeks ago as my numbers are where they need to be and my tumor has shrunken to where it is now far enough away from the artery that this can be done roboticaly which is far less invasive. I won't be ingesting nutrients for several days so my rearranged innards can begin to knit together. The surgeon said this is because the pancreas is thin skinned and to imagine putting sutures into a stick of butter.
I have long anticipated this surgery as it inches me closer to the brass ring which is to gain a large measure of wholeness and a few more years with my wonderful family in our forever home. I am no stranger to pain and have a high threshold for it and I will gladly endure it to regain a large degree of normalcy.
Every invasive procedure and surgery I have experienced I was blanketed by His grace and felt no worry or anxiety and such is the case now.
Ruthie will keep in contact with Fred (old bear), John (hsguy) and Kevin (wood714) with updates.
When the time comes that I feel lucid enough I will re-engage with my magic glass portal.
Until then I'll see ya when I see ya.
