Sarah Update

Sarah is finally getting some sleep so I thought I would take this time to update everyone on her surgery. Sarah was scheduled to begin her surgery at 8:00 am this morning, and the hospital had blocked out about two hours for the complete procedure. At about 7:45 I was sent back to the waiting room from pre-op and I began my waiting game. The procedure was one to take out the right side of the thyroid, have a pathologist take a look at it and if it was definitely cancerous, then take out the left side. It was explained that if they only took out one side, then it should only take about 1:15. If they took out both sides then closer to two hours.

At 9:30 I received my first update: “they are still working on the right side, but the doctor got a little bit of a late start – 8:30 – and she is doing great.” An hour later: “they are still working on the right side, the doctor is being very cautious because the mass in her thyroid has shifted some of the anatomy and they do not want to hit the voice-box nerve that runs right under the thyroid. They are being very cautious to get a visual on the whole nerve before they snip the thyroid.” [As stressful as it is to hear that, I am grateful for a cautious surgeon]. An hour later, “they are still being cautious with the right side.” At hour five of the surgery, “we just took out the right side, the pathologist looked at it and it was cancerous so we are going to be taking out the left side now.” Hour and fifteen later, “the left side is out, and he is now taking out a couple of the lymph nodes and then he should be done.”

Seven hours after the surgery began I met with the surgeon who explained it all to me. The mass had pushed her thyroid up her neck almost to the jawline and thus they had to be extra cautious as they went in after it. The lymph nodes were taken out because a couple looked enlarged, but no, he didn’t think that it looked like there was lymph node involvement. The cancer seemed to be entirely contained within the thyroid gland, and because of the length of the procedure, her swelling and recovery would be a little bit greater and longer than normal. She did fine and in a few minutes I would be allowed back to see her.

As Sarah was recovering, Grandma (May God bless all the Grandmas who continue to work so hard for the betterment of their children and grand-children) stopped by with Derek and Payton. Payton seemed very worried that mommy had so many wires and hoses running off of her. He sat quietly and reverently in my lap for almost twenty minutes [now if I could only get that to translate to church].

At 6:30 this evening, my wife kicked me out of her recovery room as she received her first dose of morphine, asking me to help with the children and to get some rest [she promised me she would sleep better if I was not there]. The 35 minute drive home was one of quiet reflection and a huge feeling of gratitude.

I love my wife. Today has been a rollercoaster of emotion and energy (mostly lack of energy as I feel completely drained). Through it all though, the Spirit of our Heavenly Father was present and while fears and worries were not taken away, peace and calmness was present. I love my Heavenly Father. I am grateful for his many blessings. I am grateful that he sent me one of his wonderful daughters from whom I learn so much. She has made me a better person [ten times over], and without her I promise you all that I would not be where I am today. To steal from my mother: “she is the one thing I never knew I always wanted” (mom stole it from someone else). Sarah is a wonderful mother, daughter, wife, and individual. I am grateful for the talents that were expensed on her behalf today by many members of the medical staff and for the prayers and fasts of family and friends.

I close with this (and I apologize if it is greatly dramatic but it represents my emotions at this time): I know that I am married and sealed to this wonderful woman for time and all eternity. I know that if I live worthily of the blessing I will be with her forever. These last three-to-four weeks have made me ponder the brevity of mortality, and even though the promise of eternity is present, I am grateful and so extremely happy that she is mine now. Sarah, I love you very much, thank you for saying yes.

I guess the night has finally run long. . .

Brandon