Day 58, Year 7: T-Minus 10 Hours
Date: Thursday, January 5, 2012, 10 pm
Weather: Windy and Very Cold, Low Tonight 15-20 degrees F
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
We arrived in Cambridge a couple of hours ago. Tonight we are both staying with Jed’s aunt and uncle, John and Sue Reed. They live in Cambridge which is about 15 minutes from Mass General Hospital. By staying here tonight the trip to the hospital by 6 am won’t have to begin nearly as early as it would have if we had stayed on the Cape. John and Sue have been most gracious and opened their home to us. I will be staying here while Mark is in the hospital. Most of my time will be spent at the hospital but it is comforting to know that I have a place to return to get a good night’s rest. So thank you, John and Sue.
Mark has to check into the hospital at 6 am and surgery is slotted to begin two hours later. I have been getting emails from friends asking for details about the surgery. Basically, in order to remove a cancerous tumor, a large portion of Mark’s colon will be removed. The surgery is called a colectomy. The colon, or large intestine, looks like a goal post. The top part of the goal post is called the transverse section and that is what will be removed. The surgery is being done laparoscopically. As I understand it, several small incisions will be made in his abdomen in order to insert the long, narrow surgical tools. The abdomen is then filled with gas to lift the skin away from the organs allowing the doctor to see using a camera that is inserted. For Mark, there will be a three-inch incision through which they remove the transverse part of the colon. The doctor says he will have a three to five day hospital stay. The information on the internet says five to seven days, so we will hope the doctor is right.
I’ll post logs tomorrow as I get more information. Since tomorrow is the twelfth day of Christmas, I am hoping that my true love is going to give me a successful surgery and news that the cancer has not spread beyond the colon.
