Well, sometimes plans change. We had originally planned to get the surgery 3 weeks out. The surgeons office called and asked me if I was ready to get the surgery the day after I saw them. I told them the sooner the better. So I went in on the 23rd of March.

We checked into the hospital last Tuesday morning about 8:30am. They took me up to pre-op to get me into my robe and to start my IV. I said my goodbyes to Julie, Krystin and Aryn then they wheeled me back to the OR. I recited the Lord's prayer to myself on the way back, then the nurse asked me to slide up on the operating table. Ten seconds after that, out went the lights. No dreaming, no sub-conscious cues, just nothing.

My surgery lasted 8 hours. There were 10 surgeons working on me, each with a different job to perform. I don't remember anything from the OR, the surgeon said I was stable through the entire procedure.

I woke up in ICU. I remember a long tunnel with people standing at the end in the light. The people were slowly getting closer and closer. The ICU nurse said, "he's coming around", and then I remember waking up with 3 nurses around my bed, each of them handing packages and needles to each other. I had tubes and machines all around the bed. The nurses at UCSF were all great. Very professional with great personalities. The one common thread they all had was they wanted to help people. They helped me a lot.

I moved to a regular room on Thursday. Julie was able to stay in my room on a chair that folded out into a bed. The last place you want to go to get any sleep is the hospital. We were constantly awaken by beeps by different machines as well as visits by nurses to get vital signs. We stayed through the weekend and every day was marked by another tube coming out. My pick line, my chest tube. The week slowly went by. Finally, my surgeon came by and told us we would be heading home on Friday. Ten days in the hospital. It seemed like a hundred.

We made it home from the hospital last night (4/2/10) after a five hour drive from San Francisco in the rain. It normally takes about an hour and a half, but it was a Friday and everyone is heading out of town.

The incisions of the operation are painful. I have a 9 inch incision in by back, chest tube opening, J tube in my side, and about 6 one inch incisions in my chest. The pain is with me, we are managing it with different medications. There will be some good and bad days ahead, and we will meet them head on. I will have chemotherapy and radiation as soon as I recover form the surgery, so I do have a long road ahead. It will be tough, but I am sure with the grace of God and the prayers of our family and friends we will get through it. I appreciate all of your kind words and support.