Mimi's Wishing Well

The surgery was a success and mom is doing very well! Dr. Gasparri removed the small portion of mom's lung that was of concern. Although they have more tests to run, Dr. Gasparri has said that he is 99.9% confident that the spot is not (was not) cancerous. He said that it is (was) a lymph node and could have lit up on the scans for other reasons, but not cancer. This is very good news. As far as modern medicine can detect, the cancer has not spread beyond her esophageal region. That means that the doctors will be able to concentrate her treatment on her esophagus. We will learn the details of the treatment plan when we meet with the team on Monday, February 6th. 

Dr. Gasparri also installed a port just underneath Mom's skin on her chest. This will make it easier for the technicians and much more comfortable for her to have intravenous work done.


As of right now, Mom is doing wonderful. She pulled through the surgery just like I knew she would -- like a trooper. She is drinking lots of fluids and ate a good meal for dinner. We went for a short walk down the hall and she sat upright in a chair for almost an hour. This activity only made her more eager to recover quickly so she can get back to her life. Doc said that she will likely be discharged by this weekend. Mom was perhaps the happiest when the nurses reported her weight -- as it indicated a weight gain of three pounds! She has been working very hard to beef herself up and we are all so very proud.

I will never forget my mom's parting words as they whisked her off to surgery. She had just received a "cocktail" of sorts through her IV to relax her. The medical team explained that they would administer the rest of the "cocktail" while prepping for surgery. My dad, Aunt Karen, Uncle Roger and I kissed her and told her we love her. She reciprocated the terms of endearment. Then smiled and exclaimed, "I am off for my second glass of wine!"


Finally, I would like to tell Ruth that the little pink frog that you gave my mom saw her through. In fact, he is sleeping at her side tonight. Thank you.