Surgery...

Surgery today was a great success.  Surgery was supposed to start at 8am but they didn't get started until 9am.  They were done by 2pm, a record 5 hours.  Dr. Broslosky (Dr. B, he is from the Ukraine) came out and told me the team was closing her up and that he successfully removed the large tumor and 4 other tumors for a total of 5 tumors.  He said that the kidney pinked right back up and began to function normally right away.  That's the power of our God.
 
I forgot to mention that he said her kidney was stuck to her liver and pancreas and he unstuck them.  I had him explain that of course, since I could not imagine what in the world he was saying.  
It seems that when a surgery is done on an organ, where they make an incision scar tissue develops, and when scar tissue is developing it will attach itself to anything it comes in contact with.  
Since her kidney lays against her liver an pancreas they had become stuck or grown together, so he unstuck them.  So she really got worked over inside. 
I asked Dr. B if he would be there to check on her when she had to come back in three months and he just looked at me a little shocked and smiled.  I said I had heard a rumor that he was leaving and he asked from whom.  I said well I just heard it in the wind.  He grinned and said well... I said, we really loved him and know he has always taken such good care of my girl and although we hated to see him go I was very happy for him.  
It is a very good position for him since he has been offered the directorship in a New York facility.  He said well nothing is certain yet.  And then he thanked me for the praise and as he stood to leave he turned and said, in his broken English don't bury me yet, we will see.  So, it sounds like he isn't sure he is leaving yet.  I told him that God has been so faithful to put Mandi in the hands of the very best and I know that if he leaves God will bring another along to take his place, but he will always have a special place in our hearts because he saved her kidneys when others said there was no hope.  We will really miss him.
They had her up in ICU by 3:30pm but didn't alert me until 4:30pm.  When I got up to ICU she was alert and knew I was there.  She was in a lot of pain and they were adjusting her medication at that time.  I was there about two hours and Dr. B came in to check on her.  He told them to double her pain med's and to make sure she was comfortable tonight and wanted her to get a good nights sleep.  In 24 hours they will get her up to walk.
At 7pm I decided to return to my room at the lodge.  I had been there since 6am and had not eaten all day so besides being wore out I was a little hungry.  I came back to the lodge and ate a bite then up to the room.
I have met so many new people here this time, probably because I am by myself so it makes me even more social than I already am.  Most of the people I have met are vHL patients or family members of vHL patients.  I call it common ground.  We become instant family because we have this common link.  You realize that you are not all alone in this.  
Amazingly most of them are of like faith with mine.  How great is that?  I can't wait to give Father God a great big hug for all the love He has shown me in the past couple of days.  I felt so all alone the other day and everywhere I turned I was meeting someone else going through the same thing we were going through and two of the families I met are actually from Oklahoma... how about that!
It started to sleet around 6:30pm and then began to snow.  Snow is blanketing everything outside right now and they are already shoveling and plowing.  The snow is still falling as I write this evening.  The storm isn't supposed to peak until around midnight.  Already there is several inches on the ground and it is only 10:50pm.  They say it will snow again on Saturday.  If this keeps up we may have to wait until Tuesday to return home.
That's it for now.  I will let you know how tomorrow goes.