Recovery

Sarah's surgery went great. She is home recovering and is a bit sore where they port was put it on the left side of her chest. She can't lift her arm, and she is taking pain medicine. The experience at the hospital was so wonderful. The staff remembered meeting her the day before, and when we got to her pre op room, there was a pink crown with jewel stickers and alphabet stickers to put on it. Doggie, who has been with her since the day she was born, even got a hospital wristband!

It was a busy day in surgery though so it took a little longer than we thought to get started. And during this wait, Sarah was so nervous that she decided we needed to call it off and tell the doctors we decided not to have the surgery! To get her mind off of that train of thought, I read the Junie B. chapter book that the staff put had brought her from the Children's Medical Center library. It made us laugh, and it passed the time. Sarah wanted me to come back with her to the theater, and the doctor was so gracious in letting me. So I dressed up in scrubs (a white bunny suit jumper with a blue shower cap - thank goodness Jay didn't have his phone to capture the moment) and rode on the bed with Sarah!

The first doctor put in her new port and then her oncology doctor came in and did her lumbar puncture and injected the chemo. So it was a two for one day with anesthesia.

Then in recovery, the nurse had a new soft Panda waiting for Sarah and even the color of popsicle she wanted (red, of course) and the flavor of icy she had told them she wanted during pre op. Her post op nurse, Minnie, has a sister living in Hong Kong and working as a Cathay flight attendant. Turns out, she even lives in Tung Chung, just like we do! Small world. It was so nice to find that connection. And just like Sarah's really nice nurse, Maggie, in Hong Kong, there was a really nice nurse, Maggie, here in recovery. Sarah liked that coincidence too. After she woke up fully, they wheeled in a flat screen and brought DVDs. We didn't even get to finish a movie before Sarah was able to be discharged. They have both wheelchairs and red wagons to take you to your car, and Sarah chose a wagon. And with free valet, our car was waiting at the door.

We now have two weeks without chemo, just blood work. Sarah's body will have a chance to recover before starting interim maintenance for the next 56 days.

Thank you for all your prayers and for caring for us and taking care of us during this time. The blessing it brings us continues to refresh us and revive us in such a hard time. Thank you.