Dr. Maldini told us several surgery options were possible, driven largely by the proximity of the tumor to a major blood vessel, and the course of action would be decided once the surgery was underway:
- If the tumor was malignant and near the blood vessel, the doctors would stop surgery, I would have chemo for six months to shrink the tumor, then a second surgery to remove it.
- If the tumor was benign but near the blood vessel, the doctors would remove the tumor and neighboring vein, take a vein from my leg and replace it similar to heart bypass.
- If the tumor had enough margin from the blood vessel to remove it, Dr. Maldini would do that and perform Whipple surgery.
- Blood transfusions with IV into neck artery were possibilities as well.
I couldn’t control those options but I could control what I packed in my hospital bag. I included four pairs of socks. I was worried that I would be cold through surgery without my trusty socks. I love socks. When I arrived at the hospital the morning of surgery, I was awarded a surgery gown, along with a pair of purple non-skid socks. My favorite color! Those Bair Paw socks would be my constant companion from surgery to discharge, for seven days in the hospital. A small comfort that was a good sign.
I also packed a Time magazine to read while in the hospital, which I never did take out of my bag. I had surely done my share of reading and Internet searches about pancreatic cancer over the last month. Many people will say don’t read too much and don’t believe all of what you read. There was certainly a lack of positive, uplifting information about pancreatic tumors, but it was also helpful to be able to learn about the experience of others and the types of treatment options that the doctors were considering.
In the midst of extreme stress and worry about the surgery, I found comfort in the fact that it was going to happen in September because it was the start of the college football season. I can and do watch college football on Saturdays from 6 a.m. kickoff of the first game to the 9 p.m. conclusion of the last game, and channel surf to catch all the games in-between nonstop. Hal also loaded the Big 10 Network (for Northwestern games!) and Watch ESPN apps on my tablet. I was reminded of my father’s stay in the hospital when he was 75 and had quadruple heart bypass surgery. One of the nurses rushed into his room when she heard him say “oh no!” Turns out he was responding to a dropped pass during a game he was watching. Like my Dad, I was ready for my surgery sports.
Next: Doctor Z
Beyond Six Five 