If you’ve been following along with my facebook updates, you know that Mom’s surgery was completed on Tuesday of last week. It was roughly a three hour procedure, and everything seemed to go smoothly. As with any major surgery, she’s had ups and downs along the way, but overall she’s doing well.

Here’s where we stand as of today…

The surgeon assured us that they removed the entire tumor. Pathology reports did show Stage 1 cancer cells around the area that was removed, so there’s a chance we’ll have to do more chemo. We will know more about that strategy once we meet with her oncologist back in Monroe. However, the report showed that her lymph nodes were clear, so that’s wonderful news.

The staff seems to think that she may get to go home tomorrow. We’ll meet with the post-op staff before leaving to discuss her new care routine. She should be able to care for herself once we leave, but they’re considering having home health come by periodically for a bit. We won’t know for sure until the doctor comes back by in the morning, but keep your fingers crossed that we get the green light!

All in all, she’s done really well. She seems to be in pretty high spirits, and her mood is conducive to a speedy recovery. The facility and staff at Willis Knighton Pierremont have been wonderful. The room is nice and spacious. We even have a couch for us to sleep on when we stay overnight with her! This was reason to celebrate in itself, especially if you saw what we had to sleep in during her last hospital stay. The staff is so very caring and helpful, and Mom has been very appreciative of the good care she’s received.

For now, we’re going to camp out and see what the doctor says in the morning. Thank you to everyone who’s messaged and/or called to check in or send well wishes. We’ve appreciated each and every word of encouragement, and my siblings and I feel so lucky to have such great friends and family. We love you all!

You can read more about our journey here. You can also follow along with the #JoycesJourney on facebook, instagram, and twitter.