Surgery went well

So happy to report that Joe's surgery went well today.  Dr. Ong told us that he had prepared us for the worst because these surgeries can be so tricky, and often come with lots of complications.  He was worried about Joe's strength as well.  But, in typical Joe fashion, he was amazing!  Dr. Ong did not have to open him as far as he had originally thought.  He was able to sew the bowel back together and put it back in it's original place.  The hope is by doing this, the food will have farther to travel in Joe's system and a Joe will have a better chance of the nutrients being absorbed.  If this all works, he'll be able to gain weight and strength and can go back on chemo to continue the battle against his cancer.  Joe does not have an NG tube either.  That made him very happy when he woke up.  The other connections are nothing, compared to his last 3 surgeries.  He bypassed ICU and had a huge smile on his face when they wheeled him to a regular room.  A wonderful feeling considering he was bracing himself for something much worse.

Joe is not out of the woods yet.  He can't have food or drink (except through an IV) for several days.  After that, he will be on clear sips, clears and then a soft diet.  They have to make sure that a bowel does not form until the stitches on his small intestine are healed.  Without that, he risks having the stitches come apart and going septic again.  That would be devastating. 

Dr. Ong told us because he did not open him as much as originally expected, he could not look around to see how the cancer was doing.  He could only see the part of the small intestine he was sewing back.  He did say it was clear of cancer.  We'll take it - - - small victories!!

Joe is resting comfortably on pain meds and an epidural block right now.  They are going to get him up tomorrow.  They will start by sitting him in a chair and knowing Joe, he'll be walking down the hall before you know it.  Stay tuned....

As always and as Joe expressed to you on the last post, we can't thank you enough for the never ending support and prayers.   You can definitely tell, it's working. 

All our Love from the happy Kahler's! 
Sherrie