It's go time!!

Good Morning Everyone!!!  This is Jessica sending progress reports on Bryce's blog.  It was a really great send off.  We got to see all of the doctors he has on his team and a few others that we hadn't met yet.  The most important visit was the reveal of the required surgical uniform.  Both Dr. P & her PA, Monica, their unicorn socks on.  There is going to be some down time until the first updates start coming in.  They should start sometime around 10:00.  Then they'll be about every 2 hours.  These updates do not contain much information at all.  Writing blog posts for all of that is pointless.  Unless it's big news, it will come in the way of facebook & twitter statues.

Now..... this surgery could be 5 hours.  It could be 10 hours.  We just don't know.  This is what all we learned in the last week or so.  The cardio-thoracic surgeon will be removing the bone cancer portion (see Bryce's previous blog) for 2-5 hours.  Dr. P will be there just in case the stoma needs to be moved.  They WANT to keep it where it is.  IF that isn't possible, she will move it further down his chest.  Then the plastics team will step in.  This is where they have left us with lots of "options." He wants to do the same pectoral flap procedure that he did last year.  This time they would use his other pec though.  That would take him about an 1-1.5 hours
{Let the IF's begin}
IF the area of bone is bigger than they think, they will use an abdominal flap.  It's the same concept of the pec flap, it's just from his belly.
IF they decide that they need to remove some skin, they will take a skin graft from his thigh because he still has a bad rash on his chest from the chemo.
IF things really do not go as planned for one reason or another, they will do a free flap from his thigh.

The first 2 flaps are something that happen under the skin.  Hard to explain, but they basically tunnel the muscle under the skin into a new place to help protect things.  The free flap gets its name because it is completely unattached from his body and "free" to move around the room, so to speak.  IF they get to that point, the plastics team will be working on him for a lonnnnnnnngggggg time.  Basically, it's like I said before.  We could be here until noon waiting for him to wake up.  It could be 10:00 tonight.  There are also chances of him going to ICU, but we just don't know.

I do have a couple of requests  :)))))  I'm putting on my most polite voice possible.  I LOVE that we are loved and supported.  I know that many people want to see him to show us love support.  Here are my requests though.  It will be our immediate families only through Sunday.  I'm sorry.  We have a big family and I will be trying to figure out when he likes to nap.  I want him getting rest.  LOTS of rest.  My second request is that visits are scheduled by myself.  Please text me and we will get you up here.  As much as we'd LOVE to throw a party and lift up my guy with praises and prayers, the rooms aren't very big.  And he needs to sneak in some naps during the day.  Again, I can't put into words how awestruck and moved we are by the well wishes, thoughts, love and prayers.  And having to put restrictions on people showing us some love feels very weird.  But it's best for him.  And the nurses.  The nurses get annoyed when we start getting rowdy and crowded in their work space :)  There's a part of me that delights in that.

Almost time for the 1st update.  Check the tweeter and the facebook.  I'll be posting soon.  In the meantime..... all positive thoughts!!!!  In place of skittles, rainbows and unicorns, I bring you rainbow unicorn butterfly kitty.  #BStrong