❤️Update on my Husband KT's Prostatectomy❤️
Last edited Thu May 27, 2021, 01:37 AM - Edit history (2)
TL;DR: The surgery went well! They expect to send him home tomorrow around noon.
Thank you so very much, DU, for all of your kind words & gestures of encouragement and support! I'd also sent a message out last night to all of KT's friends. We don't do Facebook, but a friend and an relative each posted, reaching different circles. We both felt our spirits lifted by the outpouring of loving kindness from each of these groups.
We don't know yet exactly how successful the surgery was. In the very best case scenario, he has a couple of months of convalescence and lost income. I won't speak just now of worse and worst outcomes. I'm allowing myself this brief period of joy and hope.
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The details in case anyone's curious:
KT lay down to get some rest at around 11pm, asking that I wake him at 1:30am. I did, and we lay together listening to music until around 4:30am, when we got up. He showered & gathered his things. Calm and optimistic. At 5:30am, I managed to stay relatively calm & optimistic and kissed him goodbye as he got in the car with a friend who drove him 1.5 hrs to the University of PA Hospital & dropped him off. Around 7:15 he texted me to say he'd been successfully checked in.
I got no sleep. At 10:30am, another friend picked me up and drove me to a park near the hospital where we hung out awaiting updates. Here are the texts I received from the surgical team's point person:
I was feeling cautiously optimistic at this point, but still hit by waves of panic that perhaps something went wrong and they just aren't telling me yet.
Around 2pm I checked for new texts & was surprised to see that at 1:02pm I'd received a phone call. The voicemail said:
I didn't know who Tom was, but figured he was a team member tasked with communicating to the patients' family. And I really appreciated him doing so. It would have saved me an hour of worry if I'd known there would be phone calls, not just texts. KT later said he'd told me, but my anxiety-addled brain had missed it.
KT then also told me that "Tom" was the surgeon himself, Dr. Thomas Guzzo.
I sure do wish I'd known to have my ringer on and had picked up. Not least to thank him for performing the surgery and making the call.
Last September, KT's brother, JT was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The prognosis was not good. He began a series of in-patient chemo treatment segments at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philly, first requiring a few weeks stay, gradually getting down to a few days at a time. JT's ex-wife or his ex-girlfriend drive him there from his Bucks County home.
Every time he was released, my husband, KT, drove into Philly from our Chester County home to pick up JT and drive him home to Bucks County, most recently last week, in what may be his last inpatient treatment segment for a while. He's responded to his treatment better than anyone had predicted.
KT is set to be picked up & brought home from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital tomorrow around noon. It will be his brother, JT, acting as chauffeur.
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Update 5/26 6:25pm: JT arrived here with KT a couple of hours ago. KT feeling well enough to want to lead JT on a tour of our little gardens. I had to stop KT pulling the hose up to the deck for me to water the plants there! He's not supposed to exert himself much--not lift anything heavy, nor, though it wasn't specifically mentioned, I strongly suspect, not pull hoses!
When we stepped outside, I found a beautiful hanging planter and a box of fresh-picked strawberries, blueberries, and other fruit, which KT told then me a friend texted him about dropping off. Really lovely.
We've just been going through the bag of paraphernalia for wound care & catheter maintenance, etc., and the various meds they sent home with KT. Unfortunately, the paperwork that was to explain when and how to use each was not in the bag as the student nurse had promised him it would be. So, after calling a few different numbers and getting no answer, I'm finally on hold to speak with someone who can supposedly help with that.
Dr. Guzzo did confirm that he was referring to the fact that KT's prostate was easier to remove than many. This means less chance of damaging nearby organs during surgery and that reattaching things was less difficult.
He had nothing to report regarding whether the cancer has remained confined to the prostate as we hope. The biopsy of the prostate will give him more info, as will the PSA tests moving forward.
I provided some details about KT's Gleason score and PSA tests over time here: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=15468984
Here are KT & JT here today:
And here are some more photos of our gardens that KT loves so much:
Thank you, DU!
Update 5/27 1:12am: When we find out the results of the post surgical biopsy, I'll try do a new post. But I wanted to highlight a reply by DET to my original post about the surgery. It's about how men should have their PSA tested regularly. Check it out for more important info on the subject: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=15469376
= new reply since forum marked as read
KT and JT, both doing well!
Hoping KT has a speedy recovery. Keep us posted, as I may be going through that myself in the future.
Big DU hugs to KT, you and all in your family......... ...... .......
Ty for the update, Dark! 
I'm keeping the healing vibes flowing.
Awesome that the surgeon called you & that you received other updates.
Time to do something nice for yourself imo.
Thanks for sharing KT's story, and your lovely photos.
Prayers for KT's quick recovery, and for you too my dear friend!
It's going to be a wonderful Memorial Day weekend at your house.
You have so much to celebrate.
Gardening is one of my great passions. KT pitches in as the muscle. And he's passionately complimentary about the work I've done to create and maintain the gardens. Your comment about the healing and peaceful effect is what made me think to post the pix, and I certainly hope it's true.
Wishing your brave husband a speedy and safe recovery. Sounds like he had an excellent and compassionate surgical team - and of course he was the recipient of those powerful DU vibes! And what beautiful gardens you have! Thanks so much for sharing! Wow! Wishing that you can enjoy them together for many, many years to come!
