Awake Crainiotomy

Today is the day. Awake surgery for my Dad. We get to UCSF at 6:30 am. I have never seen my Dad like this. Wait to get admitted then up to the pre-op. He lays on the bed and we meet all the people who will be in the operating room. I finally meet Dr. Theo and ask him some questions. He says the tumor is in a difficult area and surgery will be very dicey. Also says it is very aggressive and usually comes back. Everything he says seems to upset all of us. I see tears come out of my Dads eyes. Want to break down. Need to stay strong for him. Feel terrible for even asking the questions.

At 8:30 they roll him in. See Dr. Theo. Mom and I go downstairs. We don't even know what to do. We walk around and then go pray in the meditation room. Then go to the cafeteria. Around 9:45 we get a phone call from Mitchell saying that they had begun the surgery and everything was going well. We were told we would get updates about every hour and a half. Wait for next one. Next one comes in right on time from Mitchell saying that they are resecting the tumor and that everything is going well. Wait for the next one. Get very anxious when we dont get it. Then mom realizes that she had the time wrong. Realize we still have 15 more minutes before we should expect the call. Clock hits that time and still no call. Tyler calls my phone and while Im talking to him Moms phone rings. I tell Tyler I need to go. Mom has phone on speaker and instead of hearing Mitchells voice for the update I hear a girls voice. She asks where we are and if we can come out in the hallway to talk to the doctor. Both of our hearts sink to the floor. We think something went wrong and we run into the hallway and see the doctor. He says that they are done and that he got all of it out. We completely numb. Continue to talk with him and find out that it is an aggressive tumor but that my Dad was awesome in surgery and helped a lot with being able to get it all out. Doctor says could be glioblastoma but even then there are lots of variables with the molecular makeup of the cells. Says prognosis could be 1 year, could be ten. Said if he had to guess he would say its on the further end. I hug him.

About 45 minutes later I get to see my dad on the 11th floor Neuro ICU. Very intense. Dad looks amazing, is talking, and seems actually happy. It is so nice to see him happy. He is talking a lot and telling everyone about the surgery. Its all really crazy. I can't believe my Dad just went through a 4 hour awake brain surgery. He saw his own brain and the tumor. He is so strong. I love him so much and don't want to see him like this.