Here we go again ...

Copy/Paste from today's Facebook posts (with minor edits):

• Getting checked in again. Odd they don't have all the medications data that we updated for them last week.
• Happy to be in a room where the Bear Paws actually works. :+)
• Talked to the surgeon first thing. Apparently she's in the "10% returns" that is normal for her procedure. Lucky gal.
• Allison Sorhus Bevans holding breath, crossing fingers and toes, got a rabbit's foot in my pocket and my lucky underwear on :)
• IV team is here ... they always just call in the "Special Ops" team when she needs an IV. Will keep count ... (only 2 pokes last week) 
• #1 a no-go ... got the arm packed in a hot towel.
• ‎#2 a no-go ... might have to try the REALLY small needle and lidocaine (to allow "digging around")
• Since the nurses only get 2 tries each they are calling in the next person on their list to come down
• The nursing student reminded everyone, "Well, you DID come in on Friday the 13th ..."
• They've got her in a semi-yoga pose to droop her arm down low to fill up her arm veins. Surgery nurse, IV team, and student observer are all here now.
• Numbing a second site ... hope one of these works. Odd to watch all the digging ... owie
• Trying the same site they used last week ...
• ‎#3 a no-go ...
• #4 a no-go ...
• 2 nurses have had their confidence shattered. Sounds like they are going to have the anesthesiologist do it. Not sure if that means they "put her under" first.
• Nurse: "When our itty-bitties come in for surgery often we have to give them the gas to sleep, then we can do the IV." Rory: "I guess between my chemo brain and this IV, I'm just like a 3-year-old today."
• Catch up with what the surgeon mentioned: he is going back in to take out what will look like NORMAL tissue (which is why he didn't take it out last time). They will have to run pathology labs on it all again. If those for some reason come back as positive for cancer then we'd have to come up with a different (ie more invasive) strategy.
• Obviously hoping everything he takes out has "clean margins" meaning he gets all the active cells and a clear zone of normal cells
• OK anesthesiologist is here ... talking about doing her IV start in her FOOT. Looking at her arm again first though.
• I've got a "front row seat" for all of this ...
• #5 a no-go ...
• #6 a no-go ... apparently full doctors get more than 2 tries as he's going in a third time now
• #7 a no-go ... going for the foot now. :(
• ‎"Oh yeah, there's a good one!"  (Nurse trying to offer some positive thoughts with a comment about a vein in the other foot ...)
• Jill is here now too ... that makes 4 nurses and the Dr. here to work/observe.
• Had to hold hands and Kleenex ... (I had stopped posting updates for a few minutes)
• #8 in the right foot ... no go
• #9 in the left foot ... no go
• The doctor actually turned to Jill and asked, "Do you see anything else?" He was about to the end of what he wanted to try too. The danger of doing the gas first is they might not be able to get the IV started then either, so that wasn't an option for her.
• Started to fear we were going to get to #13 ... (still writing in past tense, catching up after the excitement was over)
• Gave up on the feet. (Maybe that's good, so she can be up and walking around tomorrow and start training again for the mini marathon next month)
• Went back up to the arm. His ears perked up when he heard she is a fairly regular blood donor. Checked the inside of her right elbow, looked under near the tricep, checked down by the wrist again.
• Finally went in at the elbow. #10 was today's lucky number.
• Shar Fagersten Wight i'm nauseous just reading this...
• Got the IV going and he immediately got a syringe of "the good stuff" in her. Within about 10 seconds she was falling asleep while still trying to give me instructions on getting food and calling my mom. Always thinking of others.
• Less than 2 minutes after the IV was started she was gone.
• At the end she was worried that she couldn't hold back the tears. Now that she's gone and it's sinking in what she just had to go through, neither can I.
• Another "new development" for us ... first time I've been kicked out to the waiting room while she is in surgery. I guess things have been pretty busy here today and they might need to use the room while she's gone. Since it's already 4:00 and they "close" this area by 6 or 7, we're pretty much for sure going to be admitted for the night.
• Guess I'll go check out the dinner selection at the cafeteria. Will be back online later.
• Ceana Baxter I love you! Fasting for you and mom...
• Thanks. Now I'm crying again. :+)
• I guess it was a good thing I didn't actually leave for dinner ... 4:20 and the surgeon just came out to find me. He said "We took a pretty good swath" meaning he again thinks there is very little chance they could have missed any of it. We should know for sure by Tuesday of next week.
• Every time I think about leaving to get a drink or use the restroom, something happens.
• The nurse just came out to ask if she needed any pain meds. Huh? Isn't she back there with you guys in recovery? Then I realized she meant that they think I'm taking her home soon, and wondered if she had meds at home for tonight.
• They are prepping paperwork for me to take her home, but if she's slow to wake up we'll be ready to stay overnight (that was the plan).
• Shut down the computer intending to go forage for food but then the nurse came out to confirm Rory is staying the night
• Got the room number so I am off (for real) to get dinner then will head upstairs
• Oops just heard three pages: "Rapid response, to the cafeteria!" Maybe I will wait a few minutes before leaving in case they are having trouble up there.
• Also overheard the ER is full. What's going on today?
• Just got to the room. Reporting no pain or nausea right now. I think she must have 25 blankets on but is still cold
• 8:30 and Rory's trying to sleep. They are taking good care of her, as evidenced by the 30 (no kidding) blankets and zero pain. Lots of good care going on today and tonight.
• Time to copy this all over to the blog ...

I guess that's about it for the night. Rory is more awake and communicative than she was at this time last week, so that's a good sign. They are starting to give her meds orally instead of only the IV, which is another good sign. She is drinking water and ice, and even asked for broth ... yes, another good sign. All by 9:15pm. Might not be here for too long tomorrow. Hope so anyway!