Surgery is a Go...

Well, what to say other than some days lately I feel I might be going a little crazy trying to get ready physically, mentally, and spiritually for this surgery. The week in Tampa was pretty rough. I was very sick and endoscopy, biopsy, and scans with contrast didn't make life much easier. I am set for surgery Wednesday the 14th. I am going on a cruise to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and the Bahamas for a week and will drive up to Tampa from Ft. Lauderdale where we embark on Sunday the 11th. Em and Darik will be waiting for me there and we three will spend a couple calm days on the beach at Clearwater as I begin starving myself to prepare for surgery two days later. Mom and Dad will drive down on Tuesday evening before the big day. I will have a PET/CT scan on Monday a.m. at Moffitt to determine a final "road map" if you will. Dr. Scott Kelly (same Dr. who did both previous surgeries) will perform the surgery and plans the incision will begin at my sternum vertically down to my pelvic bone. Additional cancer cells were identified from the biopsy, and Kelly has planned to remove every node found, seen, or reached throughout my body/torso. All nodes and tumors will be sliced and diced and studied. The decision for further chemo will then be made depending on what the findings are after surgery. I am praying for a break! A loooong one. If and when all goes well, we anticipate a similar recovery period as my liver surgery...painful and long. A couple weeks in and then Mom and I will fly back to GA. This is evidently a controversial surgery among the doctors at Moffitt, as it has not been done in my situation before...so I'm choosing to look at it positively and think of it as making history ;) ha. All my personal doctors have pushed hard to get this surgery and I feel confidant they will fight hard for me once on the table. I am ready to get this cancer OUT OF ME! I will have someone post updates (as accurate as they can get them) here on the blog...please encourage others to check here as the calls are sometimes overwhelming. I will also try and get my direct room # however for now: Moffitt's # 1800-456-3434 and hospital address:
Courtney Cook
Moffitt Cancer Institute
12902 Magnolia Dr
Tampa FL 33612
I can only hope that everyone who reads and doesn't read this thing truly knows and can feel my appreciation and love for the support I have been wrapped in thus far. Thank you. I love you.
court