Tuesday July 13, 2021.
David drove Deidre and I to Jacksonville on Tuesday. We left at about 7:00 AM because I needed to be at the hospital by about 2 PM (it is about a 5 hour drive) and so that I did not have to "wave goodbye!" to the whole USA family. I let David drive my car so I could be sure he did not scratch it later.
At the hospital they needed to test me for COVID and take more blood samples and to meet the anesthesiologist. He said I was in "great shape" for the procedure, which pleased me a lot!
That night we had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen - I had a salad. We had picked a hotel about 20 minutes from Mayo.
Wednesday July 14, 2021
We had to report to the hospital at 5:30 AM so we were up at 4:30 AM and arrived 10 minutes early. They took me in right away and dressed me in all sorts of awkward stuff and started poking sharp things into my arm. I ended up with three IVs, special inflated socks, and a lot of wires glued to me.
This was just my 3rd time for a general anesthetic - first was tonsils in Sandringham when I was about 20 years old, and second was Gall Bladder in Scottsdale. (My friend Nick has had 23 generals - poor bugger!)
By about 7:30AM I was wheeled out of the room and that was the last thing I remember until I woke up with my head in a turban.
After I woke up about 2:30 PM. I don't remember this at all.
I do "sort off" remember the nurses taking off the head wrap. My hair had been "glued" in place away from the opening.
The staples on the way home. My goodness, I look old!
Thursday July 15, 2021
Cant say I remember much for the rest of Wednesday. I think I remember being woken up during the night by nurses asking questions, but I was soon back to sleep. Deidre tells me I was involved in a meeting with the surgeon (with her and David) but I do not remember and such thing.
By 4 PM Thursday I was told I was OK for discharge and Deidre and David rolled me out to the car. I was feeling pretty well, but I don't really remember too much. We had booked a 5 star hotel about 25 miles north of town to spend the night "close to the hospital" - just in case! I went to bed, David headed out and bought some dinner at Chic-fil-a.
Friday July 16, 2021
The hospital had told Deidre and David that I needed to walk a bit every hour or so on the drive back to the IOP. We left the hotel about 10 AM and we stopped every "hour or so" for a walk. We were home by about 4 PM. Adam and family had left the day before. Jen, Connor and Fiona were waiting for us. I went to bed.
The staples today, just before they were removed.
Monday August 2, 2021
Deidre and I had Kylie's two kids for the weekend. On Saturday we took them to a coin fair, on Sunday morning we took them to a swimming park. We dropped them off at the Taylors at about 3:30 PM and headed back to Jacksonville to have the staples removed and to hear the results of the tumor analysis.
The previous two weeks had been easy enough but:
A. I don't like taking pills, and
B. I don't like "sitting around", and
C. I was anxious to know the analysis of the removed tumor
I had called the hospital after about 10 days, asking for the results of the analysis of the tumor. In general, I was expecting a good outcome, but as the days passed by I was getting a bit edgy. I was told the analysis was not complete as yet, but it would be by our scheduled appointment. I was not happy with that answer.
Our appointment was not until about Noon so we had a casual morning. When the surgeon walked in the door he asked me "How are you doing?" and I responded with a bit of an edge "How about you tell me about my tumor, and I will tell you how I feel!" He quickly responded with words to the effect that the tumor was as benign as a benign tumor could be.
My tumor had been recorded as a DNAT - Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial - and is considered to be a benign tumor. It is usually associated with children.
They will arrange another follow up MRI after 90 days, another after another 180 days and then another after 1 year. In the doctor's opinion he would not expect the tumor to ever reappear.
