A little procedure

I know that you all are wondering and breathlessly waiting to hear what exactly precipitated my need for a quick, last-minute flight to Utah.

And possibly the bigger question, why did I go alone?

 

Okay -- really, no one cares -- but I'll tell you

ANYWAY!

 

Before my Dad came to visit us, he had a growth removed from under the toenail on the big toe of his left foot.  This was something his podiatrist had been watching since August.

When he got home, the pathology of the growth was determined.

It was a 4 mm malignant melanoma.

He told us on Thursday, February 20th.

He'd known for 24 hours.

Surgery to remove his big toe was scheduled for

Wednesday, February 26th, 2014.

A scan of the lymph system was scheduled for Tuesday, February 25th to determine if there are melanoma cells in the lymph system.

 

So I flew to Ogden on Monday, February 24th.

Barry picked me up and took me to his house for the night, then we went down and went with Dad and Kurt for the scan.  The scan took much longer than we had anticipated....but we kept ourselves, and most of the waiting room entertained by telling stories, sharing family gossip and with the "boys" zinging one-liners at each other. 

Not reverent by any means.

 

While we were waiting we ran into Sharon and Ann Rushton, had a nice, quick little visit with them.

Dad finished and knew that there was one "hot spot" in his lymph nodes....but not in his ankle or knee...the lymph node that absorbed the dye is in his groin.

A man in the elevator told Barry, "I enjoyed sitting near you guys immensely.  Made the waiting for my wife rather enjoyable." 

 

 

Tuesday night, Kent came out and stayed.

He, Kurt and I were able to go with Dad for the surgery.

 

I can't take these boys anywhere!

Here they are mocking Michael J. Fox

It has always been sort of the family motto

"It's better to laugh than cry."

So we laughed a lot!

Kurt took this picture and had Dad pointing to his toe -- so we'd have documentation of why we were there.

When we went back to pre-op, there was only room for two family members -- so instead of leaving one out in the waiting area, the two cowards took off and left me there.

Surgery was delayed over an hour -- because of the case in the OR before Dad.

But eventually the doctor, Doctor Tawnya Bowles, came and talked to us.  She is very nice, very personable, and I had great confidence in her.

The Boys aren't the only wacky members of this family!

On the way to the OR.

 

 

"The Boys", made me go outside and eat a sandwich which they brought from Chik-fil-A -- and bless their little hearts, they brought me a Diet Coke too! 

Then I was given a guided tour of the Intermountain Healthcare campus.

The IHC campus is built on the acerage that had previously been a smelter.

This beautiful planter, Kent said, was the location of one of the smokestacks from the smelter.

A lively discussion ensued and went something like this...

Kent:  "That's where one of the smokestacks was....that's the base."

Kurt:  "Is not!  You don't know"

Kent:  "Is too...look it's about the right size..."

Kurt:  "Is NOT!  It would have been bigger than that."

Kent:  "You don't know.  It is too."

So I took a picture -- just in case. (Whereupon I took great flak for taking a picture of dead trees.)

And then...

...we read the signs...located around the circumference of the planter.

 

And guess what?

The planter is the size and located at the spot of one of the smokestacks.

There's Kurt's hand showing the diagram.

One of the other signs showing the site in bygone years.

 

As we walked around the campus, Kent said, "I've been right once today and I only made that up."

 

We went back in to the waiting area and were told that surgery hadn't started yet....

....it was only supposed to be an hour and a half surgery to begin with....so we settled in to wait.

 

For some un-explainable reason, we had an entire corner of the waiting room to ourselves. 

No one approached.

It could be the one-liners,

the movie quotes,

or the laughter,

that deterred people.

A hospital waiting room is a somber place, and we were not somber.

When the doctor came out, we asked if she'd "pickle" to toe for us, so we could keep it in a jar.

She laughed and said, "No."

She told us that the surgery had gone well.

She removed 4 lymph nodes from the groin area -- they looked normal, but we will have to wait for the pathology to come back to be sure there are no cancer cells.

We didn't talk in depth about what course of action would be taken if there are cancer cells...except that if there are, they lymph nodes will all have to be removed. 

We are hoping it doesn't come to that, but will face it if we must.

 

The physical therapist came by, and helped Dad with the crutches, tested him on the stairs, and suggested....strongly that he take the option of going to one of our homes where there aren't stairs to navigate.  The doctor told him the same thing.  We had all been bugging him about it earlier too...and he somewhat graciously gave in and said he'd do that.

 

So, while he was in recovery, the three of us left and went to the house where we gathered clothes, meds and such and Kent and I went back to pick Dad up.

 

All my brothers are quick-thinkers and good at one-liners. 

Being with them is a treat.

Some of my favorite one-liners of the day....

 

The nurse was checking Dad's left foot and asking him to wiggle his toes....she said, "I can't see the little one. There it is..."

Kent said, "The other one went to market...."

Kurt, Dad and I, broke up laughing....the nurse said, "You guys are so cute."

 

As we were leaving with Dad, the nurse told him, "You can have jelly, but not jam....nothing with the pith."

Dad said, "I hope you aren't saying that with a lithp (lisp)....cause I don't think I'd like to eat pith."

And he wonders where we learned it.

 

We laughed all day.

Dad was a good sport...putting up with being the butt of the joke.

 

As we were leaving the hospital Kent said something about getting the toe truck....

 

Then Kent drove us to Logan where we are staying with Barry and Lynn and the family until the follow-up appointment in a week.

 

So thankful that I could be here to help and take care of Dad. 

Not, mind you , that he thinks he needs anyone taking care of him...but really,

right now, he doesn't have a choice.

 

So very thankful for God's Plan of Happiness that places us in families.

No family is perfect, but I'm so thankful for the families that I have, for the love, care, and support that are found from them.

I would be lost without my families...

...the Henlines,

....the Saunders,

and all those who are my family just because I am lucky enough to be their friend.

 

Love you Most!