Chelsea cleared a major hurdle today. She had surgery to implant her shunt (brain drain) internally. This surgery was problematical because of swelling, breathing, and infection issues over the last few days. Yesterday it was determined to go ahead with the procedure. Scheduled to go to surgery at 6:30 a.m. she finally rolled out the door at 7:45. The surgeon, Dr. Bergschneider, another world renowned physician (Chelsea has been so fortunate with her amazing doctors) came out to the waiting room at 9:45 to announce success. He was chuckling at an episode he had witnessed that is typical Chelsea. Because she is on aided breathing, they put her on a temporary device while transporting her to surgery. It consists of a kind of bellows, a football size heavy plastic balloon that a, in this case male, nurse has to repeatedly squeeze to force air into her lungs. While waiting to go into surgery she expressed exasperation and disgust at the nurse with her eyes. She gave the hands down waving signal indicating to slow down! He didn't get it so she grabbed the device and started squeezing it at her own pace. He looked dumbfounded and just let her do it. She was squeezing away at this thing when the surgeon came to her bedside. He told us in 20 years of doing surgery here he had never seen anyone self-ventilate. All I can think is that it's a good thing she was unconscious during surgery or she probably would have had an opinion in there as well.
With each surgery she loses more hair but gains more ground. The tube running from the top of her head is now gone. The goal is for her to lose the ventilating tube in her throat tomorrow or Sunday. All her vital signs are good. Her heart rate is now consistently in the 50's. Her breathing is still labored on it's own but fine when aided. Her right eye still doesn't track to the right. I'm concerned about her swallow function when she loses the tube. The next surgery on Friday the 30th is going to be tricky given the location of remaining tumor tissue. However, we remain confident that everything will work out. With your prayers and Chelsea's feistiness, all hurdles will be cleared just as today's was.
Returning the love we feel from you,
George, Michelle, Chase, and Chelsea
