Hi all, this is Neil (husband of the sky). I wanted post something really quick to keep everyone updated. Boxing is such a perfect metaphor to use for going up against the big C, so I think I’ll continue on that path.
After 4 hours in surgery, Melanie has taken round one in this battle, easily. She was pumped and ready to go this morning, singing that Rocky theme every now and then to keep up the mentality. That attitude was taken all the way into the operating room with her. As I was leaving the OR prep room, I turned to her and put up both of my fists in front of me and did a few ‘air jabs’. Words were not needed; she knew what I was telling her.
Four hours seems like an eternity when you’re sitting there waiting. But, it took longer because they did a biopsy of two lymph nodes in her armpit during the surgery. Both came back as cancerous, and this meant that all lymph nodes had to be removed from the left side. Obviously, this adds some time onto the whole process. Aside from that, everything else went perfectly.
As you can imagine, even through the fog of anesthesia lifting up after surgery, Melanie was able to crack wise. After most of the grog wore off she said: “Alright… who brought the margaritas?!! Time to party!” If she remembers that tomorrow…Â we’ll have to just wait and see.
Of course, any great fighter has to have a team behind them in the corner. And we have such an awesome team.
- Thank you Larry and Susy (Melanie’s parents) for being there with me all day today, and for taking over Brody-sitting when you were done at the hospital. I’m sure if I was on my own I would have gone batty, and the same for Larry if he was on his own. But together we kept each other busy.
- Thank you to my mom, Rose, for Brody-sitting all day today, and for teaching him how to count to three in German! You have a lot going on right now, and your support means so much to us.
- Thank you Shannon for staying with Mel tonight at the hospital so that I could get home to Brody (although it pains me to not be there with her, probably just as much as it pains her not to be with Brody).
- Thank you Rene, for driving 1.75 hours in Friday afternoon traffic to be there for Mel (and for trading cell phone batteries so Shannon could have a fresh one).
- Thank you to countless friends and family who have been providing so much support to us throughout this ordeal. Your thoughts, prayers, and messages of encouragement keep us so motivated. You know who you are, and you have to know how important you are as well.
- Thank you to old friends and new ones who have hands-on experience dealing with the big C, who have been helping us prepare for this fight. You are our trainers who give us nuggets of wisdom that are so valuable.
Oh, let’s not leave out the minor technical glitch today: half-way through the surgery, the power went out in the hospital. Lights shut down, A/C turned off… and we all freaked out for a little bit. Good thing for battery backups and generators!
OK now team, we’ve got this round done with. Now it’s time to get ready for round two.
Ding! Ding!
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