Is this day over yet? It has been a rough day for me. Lots of tears and worry. I am missing my Jackson like crazy.
Called the doctor first thing at 8am, told them Jackson's tumor burst. We got a 10:30 appointment with surgery following. Met up with Josh shortly after 9 and took the girls to Justin and Cami's. Jackson did great in the car considering the long drive.
Filled out paperwork. Met with Dr. Nixon who would be doing the surgery and he went over everything with us. First off, he did mention that the tumor Jackson had removed 2 years ago probably was cancerous since it came back. Then he went over the plan of action for today. They would start with blood work, x-rays and an ultrasound to check for any other tumors or concerning areas specifically on his lungs and spleen. Then they would proceed with surgery where they would remove the tumor and a wide margin around it in hope that all cancerous cells were removed. His biggest concern was his skin being pretty stretched to close him back up after surgery since a huge area would be removed. He said he'd have to remove some muscle but did not think Jackson would have trouble walking fine. The tumor and excess would then be sent for biopsy and given a grade 1-3 which would determine the next step (chemotherapy, radiation etc.). We were given the option to talk to the Oncologist to go over chemotherapy and radiation but we decided to wait to see if it was even necessary. Then they slapped down the quote for the procedure $3600-$3800! I was fine the entire time till I had to sign a paper whether we would like CPR given if he went into cardiac arrest. Then the tears started.
We said our goodbyes, gave Jackson kisses and told him we loved him. Then we left broken hearted.
Dr. Nixon called around 2pm to tell me the x-ray and the ultrasound were clear, no signs of additional tumors. He said that is a huge weight lifted off and said things obviously weren't advanced. He said Jackson was now under anesthesia and ready for surgery. He said he had been a little snippy and they had to muzzle him. Lol.
He called again at 4pm to tell me everything went great and Jackson came out of anesthesia just fine. He was a little sore but they put a catheter in his wound to be able to flush medicine in there to keep it numb and keep him comfortable. He removed a large portion and took pictures and sent it off. He said the incision wasn't very tight at all like he worried about so that should not be an issue at all. His only concern was that once he got in there things were a little inflamed, most likely from it bursting, so it was a little hard to tell the difference between the red, inflamed tissue and the edges of the tumor. I think he's pretty confident with what he removed. Now we sit and wait (and pray some more) till the biopsy comes back and they give the tumor a grade. Then we will proceed from there. Specifically, we are praying for Grade 1 which means the margin around the tumor that was removed was clear of cancerous cells and no additional treatment is needed at this time. Grade 3 would mean radiation and/or chemotherapy and Grade 2 is somewhere in the middle.
I can't say enough how grateful I am for each and every person who prayed for us today. We feel so blessed. We are so thankful for all of the good news we have received today and keep our fingers crossed for the remaining results. We love our sweet little boy and can't wait to see him tomorrow. I will make a special trip to the store to get him Frosty Paws (ice-cream) to help him recover!
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