Day One is over, and the good news keeps rolling in…

My mom and I arrived at our motel last night after a long day of driving and socializing. 

We LOVE our Microtel!  It’s clean, it’s sound-insulated, it has an ironing board and iron in the room (yes, Youngs, I am indeed excited about that!) AND it has two hundred thread-count sheets, which, for someone as shallow as me, is the height of luxury.

…okay, so maybe our room isn’t quite as luxurious as the picture above, but it is a step up from this:

We got to the hospital shortly before 8 this morning, dropped off by the courtesy shuttle provided by our motel. 

I was quickly ushered into the surgical room and tucked into a comfy chair…

My doctor greeted me warmly…

…and an army of interns and students came and went during the four surgeries that followed.

Yep.  Four surgeries between which samples of my cheek were sent to pathology to determine how much more needed to be removed.  Every surgery meant a deeper and wider cut on my cheek, which means that much of the “apple” of my cheek is gone.  The doctor not only removed the tumor but also had to repair some of the excessive scar tissue left behind by the previous surgeon.

The procedure was relatively painless.  Thank God (literally) for anesthesia! 

The only slightly nasty part of it all was the barbecue smell wafting up at me when they were cauterizing the cut to minimize bleeding!

The really good news the morning yielded is that the biopsy they took last week was benign.  So once this tumor removal is over, there will be no further surgery needed this summer!

After four hours and four consecutive surgeries, I was able to head back to the motel where I curled up under my (yes, 200-thread-count) sheets, cozied up to my computer and cuddled up with Barnabas the Bear (thanks, Renee!) under a canopy of helium balloons (thanks, Patti!) to write to you.  So it’s with a tastefully wrapped bandage…

…and very little swelling so far…

…that I sign off, feeling like the worst of Phase Two–excision–is over.

Because everything went well today and the additional “bumps” are benign, we actually have tomorrow off.  I’m not supposed to do anything that would raise my heart-rate, so we’ll probably keep a low-profile and avoid doing too much talking or smiling or Jane Fonda workouts.  Darn it–I was so looking forward to one of those.  I think Tylenol is about to become my very best friend!

 

More good news is that the bandage wrapped around my head to keep the ice-pack in place actually holds up my chins too! 

Wednesday is my consultation with the plastic surgeon who will put Humpty-Dumpty back together again, and Thursday is the BIG surgery.  According to a nurse I spoke with this morning, the surgeon will need to extend the width of the current wound three-fold in order to achieve the right shape for optimum closing and healing.  We’ll see what that looks like.  For now, I have five Blockbuster videos to watch, a couple hundred emails to answer (this entry might have to suffice as a response to most of them!), and a dinner at Olive Garden to look forward to.  Far be it from me to let a little surgery get in the way of priorities!

Thank you for your ongoing support in so many ways.  I’d surely be in much worse shape were it not for each of you.

Comments

Comments(10)

  1. YOU are amazing. Posting a whole xanga piece within hours (minutes?) of coming back from the hospital!!! I am SO happy (PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW) about all the good news. Whew. I’ve been praying like crazy all day…God hears even me…did I mention I am SO HAPPY.

  2. I cannot believe that after a battle with CANCER you still look so ABSOLUTELY gorgeous!!  I cannot tell you how happy I am about all of the good news.  You are such a fighter!

  3. Thanks for keeping us sooooo up to date… feel like we are right there with you.. and we are.. in prayer!!

    love, Anne

  4. michelle,

    this was probably not your intention, but you are so encouraging in your sense of humor and strength… continuing to pray,

    God bless

    Miriam

  5. nice computer!

    does he/she have a name yet?

  6. Michele our beloved Belle, PAGA and Jehovah Rapha!  Now I pray healing and strength and peace and everflowing JOY from our ABBA daddy, who I am sure is partying it up there with Ner and who knows, maybe my daddy is playing his horn alongside and heck, maybe my Pampa is playing the fiddle, and those that are dancing probably are beyond number…all because Mac has been overcome and beaten!  “By His stripes, we are healed!”  I love you!  Renee…p.s. I told Barnabas to give you regular healing kisses on that lovely apple of your cheek being “renewed” in just a few days.

  7. Michele, I sure have been praying – you look amazing! You ARE amazing! Olive Garden? HELLO!! That is a very good sign!! (that you are up for that, I mean!)

    Thanks for keeping us posted! What encouraging news! Praise God! We’ll keep praying…

  8. thanks for the updating. you were in my prayers yesterday. praise God for the good news about the benign spots and that you don’t need further surgery. Praise God…i pray his healing and a good consultation with the plastic surgeon on wednesday.

  9. PTL! We have had you in our thoughts and prayers and will continue to hold you up to the throne of Grace.

  10. Oh Michele! It sounds like you are doing alright both physically and emotionally. Praise God! I love you and I’ll continue praying for you :).

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