Another biopsy down

I was told I would be next in surgery if I posted this picture as taken (so it has been edited slightly). I thought it was good of Kelsey, but she thought she looked too groggy. I took this right after Alexa got up from her nap and went in to see Kelsey. She loves her mommy!

Kelsey was a rock star today and did a great job before, during and after her surgery (I suppose she was only conscious for two out of three of those times, but that doesn't change her rock star status).  Everything went pretty much as scheduled - she got in to surgery about twenty minutes late and got to spend more time in the recovery room before they woke her up. Kelsey had mentioned that she didn't like waking up so soon after surgery last time, so she got over an hour in the PACU (post-anesthesia care unit) and was much happier once she woke up. She had a really good nurse in the recovery room as well, making for an even easier transition.

The surgery itself went well - Dr. Riggs (the general surgeon) said that he took a biopsy of a lymph node on her right shoulder blade. That was the lymph node where the greatest amount of dye had traveled after the injection. After the surgery he came out to talk with Marilyn, Holly and me and said that everything went well and he got a good sample to send off to the two labs. They will collaborate on the results and we should hear back early next week. He said that the lymph nodes were slightly swollen, but nothing looked abnormal. As usual, though, it is all about the pathology results.

Our prayers now aren't too terribly different (although we are adding slightly to the list). Pray for great rest for Kelsey, that the incision would heal quickly and that the lymph nodes would not need to be drained. Dr. Riggs didn't think it was necessary to leave a drain in her arm, but there is potential for the lymph nodes to weep after this type of surgery, which could lead to inflammation. Continue to pray that the cancer would be 100% localized in her forearm and would not have spread elsewhere. We also know that God is without any doubt, completely capable of fully healing her body and continue to pray that He would do that if it is His will.

Here is another story of God's sovereignty in all of this: We were originally planning to travel to see my grandmother and family out in Southern California tomorrow, but this surgery and all of the tests put a kibosh on our plans (more of a postponement - we still hope to get out there after Kelsey is recovered from surgery and feels ready to travel). I needed a doctor's note in order to cancel our car reservations without a penalty, so I went by to drop the paperwork off with Dr. Smith's nurse. She asked how Kelsey was doing and I told her she was in good spirits going in to surgery and she really liked Dr. Riggs. She was glad Kelsey had been able to get in to his schedule. The nurse explained that Dr. Riggs is their preferred general surgeon. When she had called his office originally, it had sounded like it would be several weeks before he would be available, but then his nurse had said, "Wait, we just had a cancellation and he will be available on Thursday." Dr. Smith's nurse told me that Kelsey clearly has Someone looking out for her. I told her that we are certain that God is looking out for us each and every step of the way.

Thank you again for your constant prayers for Kelsey and our family. We can feel your prayers and it is incredibly encouraging to know that we have such a great team!