The "D" day for us... SURGERY FOR OUR PRINCESS
June 25h came along... she needed to be there early. Celeste seemed composed, but I am sure she was struggling inside her with so many questions. At this point, she knew that she was going to have her stomach removed completely. Something she did not want and she was hoping that once the Surgeon looked inside that he'll change his mind.
As we were waiting, I just couldn't express my disbelief of everything that had happened. I could not believe I was a parent of a child who loved life so much and was going through this. A sense of guilt, hopeless, unworthiness comes to my mind of this struggle that we are going through. Needless to say, Celeste upheld to everything she believed in. She prayed with love and respect to the trial she was giving. She kept saying to herself that this is what she sign up for before coming to earth. She wanted to be brave to any ordeal that she needed to endure in this life ... as something she had already agreed to.
The surgery took place at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, it started at 9:00 AM... we knew it was going to be a long surgery. We were still hoping that only part of her stomach needed to be taken out. As time was passing, we were just waiting in the waiting area... we slept in and out trying to catch up on some sleep that we missed. We were praying in our hearts and waiting for them to tell us when she was done. We saw countless of people coming in and out of the place. We watch how Doctors delivered the news to the relatives waiting for news of their children. I was struggling every time to hold my tears emphasizing what they were going thru. Feeling thankful for the members of our family and church for their support. My cousin Ezequiel came to visit with my aunt and they were waiting patiently with us. Time was running and people were leaving as it became dark outside... the Dr. came out and said that everything went well, except, that as they were doing x rays... they found out that they may have left something inside her and needed to open her up again and check on it. What do you do? What could we had said... except go and fix whatever the problem was. We were not happy but we controlled our emotions... our number one priority was our little girl. I believe it took them 11 hrs...
The Surgeon explained to us that Celeste's stomach was removed, that about 15% of her liver was removed, that er pancreas was also cut... leaving the head for reattachment, her spleen was gone, he had to cut part of the esophagus, took lymph nodes around the area... plenty of them... (can't recall a number), all this plus the redirection of the pancreas and so forth. I just couldn't believe what my daughter was experiencing. I have always been a chicken when it has come to a possible surgery, and here, my daughter is being butchered with the hopes of her surviving this cancer. Sick! I felt sick and so useless to not be able to do anything for her. They did let us know that her condition or I should say her looks would be a shock to us... so we needed to be aware.
It was so hard to look at her. She looked like a different person. She was so swollen up! They were right about letting us know before hand what she might look like after surgery, it prepared us mentally so we would not be on the ground once we saw her.
Once she regained consciousness, she was trying to communicate with us even though she couldn't because of the tubing she had placed in her mouth. She signaled
as if she was writing on air ... then I remember to give her my note phone and she wrote Thank you. A simple thank you to those who put all the effort to make her better. It took a day for her to be taken off the breathing tube. She was just amazing... sticking out her tongue to her brothers and making love signs.
She was in the hospital until July 10, 2015. During this time she had to carry with her two drains and wait for them to be taking them out. By the way... whatever they left inside her it was still inside. Apparently it was a wire of thermometer that got clipped with the staple in her esophagus. We were concerned of it... but she was to come back and see if they can take it out with an endoscopy.
As we were waiting, I just couldn't express my disbelief of everything that had happened. I could not believe I was a parent of a child who loved life so much and was going through this. A sense of guilt, hopeless, unworthiness comes to my mind of this struggle that we are going through. Needless to say, Celeste upheld to everything she believed in. She prayed with love and respect to the trial she was giving. She kept saying to herself that this is what she sign up for before coming to earth. She wanted to be brave to any ordeal that she needed to endure in this life ... as something she had already agreed to.
The surgery took place at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, it started at 9:00 AM... we knew it was going to be a long surgery. We were still hoping that only part of her stomach needed to be taken out. As time was passing, we were just waiting in the waiting area... we slept in and out trying to catch up on some sleep that we missed. We were praying in our hearts and waiting for them to tell us when she was done. We saw countless of people coming in and out of the place. We watch how Doctors delivered the news to the relatives waiting for news of their children. I was struggling every time to hold my tears emphasizing what they were going thru. Feeling thankful for the members of our family and church for their support. My cousin Ezequiel came to visit with my aunt and they were waiting patiently with us. Time was running and people were leaving as it became dark outside... the Dr. came out and said that everything went well, except, that as they were doing x rays... they found out that they may have left something inside her and needed to open her up again and check on it. What do you do? What could we had said... except go and fix whatever the problem was. We were not happy but we controlled our emotions... our number one priority was our little girl. I believe it took them 11 hrs...
The Surgeon explained to us that Celeste's stomach was removed, that about 15% of her liver was removed, that er pancreas was also cut... leaving the head for reattachment, her spleen was gone, he had to cut part of the esophagus, took lymph nodes around the area... plenty of them... (can't recall a number), all this plus the redirection of the pancreas and so forth. I just couldn't believe what my daughter was experiencing. I have always been a chicken when it has come to a possible surgery, and here, my daughter is being butchered with the hopes of her surviving this cancer. Sick! I felt sick and so useless to not be able to do anything for her. They did let us know that her condition or I should say her looks would be a shock to us... so we needed to be aware.
It was so hard to look at her. She looked like a different person. She was so swollen up! They were right about letting us know before hand what she might look like after surgery, it prepared us mentally so we would not be on the ground once we saw her.
Once she regained consciousness, she was trying to communicate with us even though she couldn't because of the tubing she had placed in her mouth. She signaled
She was in the hospital until July 10, 2015. During this time she had to carry with her two drains and wait for them to be taking them out. By the way... whatever they left inside her it was still inside. Apparently it was a wire of thermometer that got clipped with the staple in her esophagus. We were concerned of it... but she was to come back and see if they can take it out with an endoscopy.
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