LeeAnne asked me to post this message on her behalf:
Also, Here's the link to CaringBridge. Please post messages for Stan here, so they don't have to go to multiple web sites. Thank you.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/stanleywhitaker
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2008 05:11 PM, CDT
LeeAnne here with a post surgery update.
Thank you to Bill for posting the previous message to let all of you lovely people Stanley came through safely.
Thank you to Mary and Bruce Penczek for their kind attention, spending time at the hospital, troubleshooting the variety of circumstances that arise, and for having lap tops and blackberries to make 'connection' a much easier process. We love them both dearly.
Thank you to my mother for coming to the hospital and living a life that is so cultured and interesting that she can tell one entertaining story after another, which makes stressful time sitting and waiting to hear far easier. We love her dearly.
We came home from the hospital yesterday. His doctor told us that usually patients with this type of surgery stay two nights, however after the first evening, he/we were finished not healing or resting there. Stanley was ready to be sprung. His doctor advised that if he completed a few tasks including physical therapy that he would 'spring him' So we came home yesterday afternoon. Mary Penczek, whom I call Mary Rabbit was our rock and our carriage home.
Stanley is doing better than one could ever expect, I am so very happy for him. A bit about the procedure...
All lymph glands on the left side were successfully removed and are being evaluated by pathology this week. There was no cancer found in the bed of where the initial mass was removed. So relieved to hear this.
This surgery involved three crucial facial nerves, there was another fellow 28 years old, having a similar surgery done at the same time as Stanley, he too was having lymph glands removed. The concern was; if any of these nerves were compromised with cancer they would have to be removed. The intention was to leave them intact, thereby avoiding any motor damage to the smile, the tongue, the ear and the shoulder. Sensory nerve damage was expected at variable levels, each patient having unique results.
Stanley came out of surgery with all three nerves intact, with no motor damage. I mentioned the other fellow because he came through sadly with complete paralysis to the left of his face. It just left me thinking, who knows what is to be.. and it made me fall introspective; two men go in, with completely different results. I do not want to feel 'lucky' seems inappropriate somehow because the other family is suffering although I do feel lucky and grateful and decided that I would not waste the opportunity to feel grateful for Stanley's outcome.
His incision starts just under his left ear lobe and continues on a crease to the center of below his chin. He has a drain that will likely be removed on Monday. The only sensory damage is; he is unable to feel his left ear. His hearing is excellent, just unable to feel his outer ear. His doctor says this is likely to be permanent. We think we'd like to give the nerves a bit of time after being clamped/disrupted during surgery and hope feeling will slowly return. If not, we'll make friends with what is and feel pretty happy that if one was to pick a part of the body to feel numb, an ear is peanuts.
So there you have it nice people, we are hunkering down, healing, doing the rehab exercises, his shoulder is quite affected and we are working on its mobility. For a guy that is seen as having a slight build, he is incredibly tough. I mean incredibly tough.
We are so enjoying your posts, so please keep up the good work and these messages will be the fuel he needs to do the same.
We love all of you,
Take good care of you and each other,
LeeAnne
Also, Here's the link to CaringBridge. Please post messages for Stan here, so they don't have to go to multiple web sites. Thank you.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/stanleywhitaker
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2008 05:11 PM, CDT
LeeAnne here with a post surgery update.
Thank you to Bill for posting the previous message to let all of you lovely people Stanley came through safely.
Thank you to Mary and Bruce Penczek for their kind attention, spending time at the hospital, troubleshooting the variety of circumstances that arise, and for having lap tops and blackberries to make 'connection' a much easier process. We love them both dearly.
Thank you to my mother for coming to the hospital and living a life that is so cultured and interesting that she can tell one entertaining story after another, which makes stressful time sitting and waiting to hear far easier. We love her dearly.
We came home from the hospital yesterday. His doctor told us that usually patients with this type of surgery stay two nights, however after the first evening, he/we were finished not healing or resting there. Stanley was ready to be sprung. His doctor advised that if he completed a few tasks including physical therapy that he would 'spring him' So we came home yesterday afternoon. Mary Penczek, whom I call Mary Rabbit was our rock and our carriage home.
Stanley is doing better than one could ever expect, I am so very happy for him. A bit about the procedure...
All lymph glands on the left side were successfully removed and are being evaluated by pathology this week. There was no cancer found in the bed of where the initial mass was removed. So relieved to hear this.
This surgery involved three crucial facial nerves, there was another fellow 28 years old, having a similar surgery done at the same time as Stanley, he too was having lymph glands removed. The concern was; if any of these nerves were compromised with cancer they would have to be removed. The intention was to leave them intact, thereby avoiding any motor damage to the smile, the tongue, the ear and the shoulder. Sensory nerve damage was expected at variable levels, each patient having unique results.
Stanley came out of surgery with all three nerves intact, with no motor damage. I mentioned the other fellow because he came through sadly with complete paralysis to the left of his face. It just left me thinking, who knows what is to be.. and it made me fall introspective; two men go in, with completely different results. I do not want to feel 'lucky' seems inappropriate somehow because the other family is suffering although I do feel lucky and grateful and decided that I would not waste the opportunity to feel grateful for Stanley's outcome.
His incision starts just under his left ear lobe and continues on a crease to the center of below his chin. He has a drain that will likely be removed on Monday. The only sensory damage is; he is unable to feel his left ear. His hearing is excellent, just unable to feel his outer ear. His doctor says this is likely to be permanent. We think we'd like to give the nerves a bit of time after being clamped/disrupted during surgery and hope feeling will slowly return. If not, we'll make friends with what is and feel pretty happy that if one was to pick a part of the body to feel numb, an ear is peanuts.
So there you have it nice people, we are hunkering down, healing, doing the rehab exercises, his shoulder is quite affected and we are working on its mobility. For a guy that is seen as having a slight build, he is incredibly tough. I mean incredibly tough.
We are so enjoying your posts, so please keep up the good work and these messages will be the fuel he needs to do the same.
We love all of you,
Take good care of you and each other,
LeeAnne
Part 3 - Egg
