More appointments.

The last few days have been a bit of a blur.  I already find myself having a hard time keeping up with emails, phone calls, and just general stuff that need done.  Sometimes it is hard to believe that it has only been a few weeks since we were told that Rob has cancer as it often feels like it has been months.
On Wednesday this week we spent another morning at the hospital.  Our first appointment was Rob's pre-op.  We met with a nurse, a speech & language pathologist, and an anesthesiologist.  They went over the details for Rob's surgery and what to expect.  Some of the details are hard to take but it is good to know before they happen.  Rob's surgery will be 8 hours or more depending how long the reconstruction takes.  He will have a tracheotomy that will help him breath for the first few days but this will also prevent him from talking at all.  Not to mention all the other tubes and wires he will have coming in and out of him.  It was reassuring to hear that since Rob is young, strong and healthy besides this, that it should all go as planned. 
After that we met with the plastic surgeon about the reconstruction of Rob's tongue.  They have decided to take skin from his thigh and not his arm.  This will mean he will have a long incision almost the whole length of his thigh (as opposed to doing a skin graft on his arm).  We were hoping that they would choose his leg..after all who sees his thigh!  They will take the skin from his leg and attach it to the rest of the tongue.  This is what they call a flap since it is not muscle but will move with the muscle from the rest of the tongue.  Again the Dr said this was very routine and Rob was a great candidate!
We head into the next few days looking forward to having the surgery behind us but also with a little anxiousness about everything we will face.  We are going to try and have some fun family time this weekend and just enjoy being together.  After Rob's surgery he will not look so great so I am not sure when I will bring Isaac in to see him.  I know that Isaac will miss daddy for a few days but feel this is best.  My sister Kathy comes in on Monday to be here with me for the week.  I am hoping that having a visitor will be a good distraction for Isaac.  She is about to get a crash course in caring for a toddler! 
Some moments this all seems like too much for us to take but we know our God loves us and he has surrounded us with an army.  Some specific things to be praying for are...
-for Rob to not experience the side effects of the pain killers.
-that the surgery would go well and as planned and that Rob would recover quickly so he can come home.
-that the lymph nodes are clear.
-for Isaac as he tries to understand what is happening and for patience as we parent him.
-that we feel God's peace and presence each day.


Love Karen