December 26, 2009

Dad's surgery is today. I arrived very early so that I could spend some time with Dad before his surgery. He is nervous and wants to get it started as quickly as possible. I sit with him and watch him doze a bit, awaiting the transport to arrive. Dennis arrives to offer support for his brother and he and Mom meet with the surgeons prior to the surgery beginning. Dad's surgeon, Dr. Richard Whyte, explains to the that he plans to try and repair the fistula by patching it with fat from another area within Dad. If that isn't successful, the other course will be to redirect the esophagus to allow for the area to heal on it's own. Dr. Whyte further explains that he may decide to do a Tracheostomy as a temporary solution for Dad to receive use of the ventilator without inserting directly into the lungs. After this meeting, they are a bit overwhelmed with information and they explain to all of us what the doctor has told them. We are all there to wait together; Myself, Mom, Tammy, Sheri and Dennis. Dad goes in to surgery at 8:24am. The surgery is expected to take 3-6 hours. Dennis' wife Kathy arrives shortly thereafter and so does Sheri's boyfriend Hugh. We all sit, talk, read, pray and speculate on what the outcome will be.
About 2 hours into the surgery, Dr. Whyte comes out to tell us that Dad is doing wonderfully and that they are going to be able to patch the hole with some fat from the stomach. He is optimistic about the condition of Dad's stomach as he thought it would be in grave condition. It looks much better than expected. Also, he doesn't plan to do the redirecting of the esophagus or the trachestomy. All of this is awesome news and we are relieved and happy. Dr. Whyte tells us he is going back to complete the surgery, but that he should be done in about 1 1/2 hours. I am so happy, I do a little jig for the camera! We can't wait to see Dad and tell him the good news!