The surgery went well.
Here are a series of emails from Steve, Annie and Winnie which will help understand their last 24 hours:
Wednesday morning 6 a.m. from Steve:
It is early morning the day of surgury. Suregeon and patient are ready. Thanks for all your support for the last week. Thanks for Skype. Thanks for taking the late night calls. We are a a stronger family than we can imagine. Each of us contribute on our own way. Annie also thanks for your love amd support. I don't think that I could have gotten to this point without yout help and support. I look forward to discussing this in person when this is all over. Just know that I love you and determined to get better. Thank goodness for the Nuggets. I am counting on you all to fill in my shoes and cheer the Nuggets thru the series so that I can watch the Nuggets in the championship next week.
Annie emailed:
Dear All,
First of all, I'd like to thank you all for your love and kind support you guys all have extended to us during this difficult time either by call, SMS or in person. We couldn't have passed all those dark days without the great support from you guys. Also thanks for all beautiful flowers you have sent. It brighten our spirits. We thank ourselves, God and Lord Buddha that has bless us to be in great family and surrounded by great friends. The crisis has made us become stronger as a couple, friendship and family.
OK, Steve is now resting in ICU. Doctor has managed to remove most of the tumor. We have to do chemo and radiation for follow up treatment. The operation was not an easy one and it took almost 6 hours. Steve was in good condition when he came out of the operation room. He started asking questions right away! We only seen him for couple of minute in ICU as doctor advise to let him rest as much as possible. So now, let's all pray for his fast recovery.
Steve won't be able to receive visitors for few days after the operation. I will SMS or email you as soon as he is ready to see you guys. For any of you who want to send him flowers, pls send to our house in a week time as we stay in a semi private room and the table is small !!! Our address is 5A Stubbs Villa, 2 Shiu Fai Terrace. Wanchai.
Thank you again and talk to you soon.
Annie & Steve
And Winnie emailed:
Wanted you to know that things went well today. He went to surgery about 11:00 a.m. He came out of the recovery room about 5:30 p.m. The anesthesiologist said that the surgery was not as complicated as originally thought - was not as long as originally thought - that Steve had done well under anesthesia - came out of the anesthesia as he should.
The neurosurgeon came out and talked to us. It is a malignant tumor they removed. They were able to remove most of it but the tumor had lots of vascular involement which causes bleeding and they didn't want to do anything to "lose" in that area. He will now be having radiation and chemotherapy. He said the tumor was pressing on the brain and when they removed it the brain seemed to relax, which is good.
We were able to talk to him - he recognized us - Dr. said the limbs all moved in the recovery room. He was complaining that his head hurt and they said that they could give him some medication for that. They have sent samples for biopsy so until they know the kind of cancer, they will not predict what type of therapy will work, etc. He went to ICU and will be there for 24 hours for observation. They don't want any bleeding problems.
David - he has his head wrapped similiar to what you had when you had your cochlear surgery. He tells people you were his inspiration since you had had the head surgery with your cochlears.
Kathy - he wants to stress that the 11:00 p.m. call was probably one of the most important calls he made to anyone because after the two of you talked he was able to actually say the word "brain cancer" and talk about the future. So all in all it was a good day - we didn't do much but it still was stressful. They don't have a waiting room so we came back to the condo but went back to the hospital and sat in the hall for several hours. Steve was ready to go this morning. Anxious to get over it and get on with whatever future holds for him. We were glad that we could be here to be with him.
So all in all things went as predicted. Let the healing begin!
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We went up to the hospital early this morning because the nurse told us that the Dr. made rounds about 8:00 a.m. Well today is a holiday so the Dr. didn't come in until right before the end of the Nuggets game so we still don't know the score!!!
Steve looks good. He was up in a chair - did a little walking - everything seems to be working - limbs, eye problem is much better, etc. He will be in ICU another night and then to a hospital room.
Because they want to wait for the pathology results, they have not started chemo or radiation but will be doing so soon.
So Everything looks good and now we go to the next step along the journey. Winnie
This is Saturday morning in HK. We spent last evening with Steve and Annie in his room. He had been moved from ICU in the afternoon. Their cafeteria is so bad patients have a book of restaurants that deliver so we had italian food delivered to the room and were all able to eat together.
He is doing so well. Saw the team of oncologists that will be taking care of this next step. Probably won't start until the swelling in the head goes down. Steve is anxious to get going on this. Radiation will be five days a week for six weeks. Chemo will be by oral drugs.
He is up walking - visiting and much the same as he was before he went in to the hospital.
Again he stresses how much the prayers and thoughts have helped him through all of this. Please continue as he continues his journey. Winnie
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