Alexandra’s Two Month Surgery Follow-Up

Alexandra’s Two Month Surgery Follow-Up

It seemed like we waited forever when our 20-year-old granddaughter was first diagnosed with a tumor in May 2016.  After tests and more tests, the results showed the tumor in her chest cavity had infiltrated into her spine and finally surgery was scheduled for November 2, 2016.  This is the blog I wrote about her two delicate surgeries back to back that lasted 12 hours. Alexandra’s Surgery. Alexandra’s two month surgery follow-up was January 3, 2017 and hubby and I went to Ohio to be with her, as we did for all her other appointments and surgery.

 

This is the result of her one month follow-up in December. One Month Follow-Up.

For her one month follow-up, she saw both the cardio/vascular surgeon and the neuro surgeon.  For her two month, she only saw the neuro as he is now handling the recovery for both.  I can’t imagine the pain from her muscles and nerves that they cut and burnt but she is such a trooper and never complains.  The surgeon was pleased with her progress but reminded her that full recovery can take up to 16 – 18 months.  She had so much trauma to the inside of her tiny body where the tumor wrecked havoc. She is numb from her center back, around her left side to her center front when the cardio/vascular surgeon went in.

 

 

 

The surgeon was pleased with how well her incisions are healing although since Alex is OCD, she was telling me the incision the neuro surgeon made wasn’t centered. LOL  I told her he couldn’t center it because he needed to go in from the side to delicately remove the tumor from the nerves, one by one.  Alex is so tiny and thin, the rod and screws can be felt also but hopefully she will put a few pounds on for padding the rod. The top picture shows how well they are healing, the bottom is a few days after surgery, after they took out all the tubes and drains.

Alex still has a high heart rate so the neuro surgeon wants her to get to the cardiologist.  It could be from the trauma around her heart and aorta but he wants to be sure there is nothing else causing the high rate.  In May she will go in for an MRI of her spine and a CT of her heart and chest. She will have another set in November and these will be used as baseline scans to compare with the annual ones she will need each November.  There is a possibility that the tumor can return and by having an annual scan and CT, they can catch it early.  So come May, hubby and I will be heading to Ohio for her scan and her 6 month follow-up.

 

But when we went up in January for her 2 month appointment, we also turned it into a late Christmas party!  Alex’s brother and his girl friend drove over from Indiana and what a great Christmas we had all together!  This was the first time I had met Zachary’s girl friend in person and what a sweet young lady Jordan is!  Zac and Jordan remind me of my hubby and me when we meet 51 years ago, we were about the same age as they are.

I set up the decorations and even had a Christmas tree!  Okay, it was a marshmallow peep but it was still a tree! LOL  The tree was on the dresser in our hotel room, surrounded by an Angel from one of our friends back home in Myrtle Beach and a sock penguin I made for Alex.

I pulled the drawer out and put the presents in the drawer so they were “under” the tree.  I love being creative and coming up with cool ideas.

The three “kids” are relaxing in their jammie pants (we have given jammie pants since they were little. One year we didn’t get the grands any and Zac was disappointed.  LOL)   Just look at all the Entemann’s and Krispy Kreme boxes, they are flavored candles from Alex!!

 

 

We had three wonderful days all together and I can’t wait to head back.  Hopefully the next follow-up that Alexandra has will be better and her nerve pain will have subsided.  We’re hoping that the “zings” and “shocks” she has experienced are the nerves trying to heal.

Whatever the outcome over the months of recovery, Alexandra is a fighter, a young lady full of determination and will get through this. That’s way I love her so much!