It's Only A Flesh Wound!

Guest blogger the Queen Vee here (Ken is recuperating and will add more to this post later, so stay tuned)!

What would a cancer blog be without a good gory picture every now and again? This is a shot of Ken's neck post-surgery. We are now affectionately calling him "Frankeneck". For those of us who are related to him, it's "Frankenken", "Frankendaddy" or "Frankenpapa".

I'm having flashbacks to the 5oo carpet staples I removed by hand from the staircase in our entry foyer last year. I've been assured it will be much easier to get Ken's staples out next Tuesday.

The surgery and pathology results were completely terrific! Dr. Markwell the ENT surgeon over Ken's case decided to try for a "Super Selective Neck Dissection" rather than the "Radical Neck Dissection" which had been originally planned. The "Super Selective" route, if successful, would keep Ken from losing neck mobility and more importantly, allow him to still play golf. The doctors feared the treated lymph node would be difficult to find, but as soon as they opened the neck, it "popped right up" (their words). This miracle prevented damage to the trapezius (sp?) nerve in the neck. Other lymph packets were removed with no difficulty due to ease of access - which was a surprise to the doctors. The best news of all is that post-surgery pathology reports show all tissue is free of cancer.

Dr. Markwell feels that Ken's successful response to all the treatments and the positive outcome of his surgery have greatly increased his cure rate. There is no doubt in our minds that the prayers of so many people worked together to help bring us this miracle. We are so grateful.

As you can imagine, we are all doing a big happy dance out here in Virginia! Won't you join along?

Kernal ken here now folks.  Just wanted to add thanks to the Queen and Samantha for filling you in on the details of this week's happenings.  I really didn't know much about what happened because most if it was told to me while I was still halfway home from Lala land.

Special thanks this week to my great surgeons, both of whom have some sort of connection to Staples.  I stopped by on the way home to see if the local store needed a poster child, but all I got was a grimace and a not very pleasant "Eeeeww, ugh."

I also want to thank the folks on NNMC Surgical Ward 5East.  Navy Ensign K. McDonald, and Army SP4s T. Patton and M. Buckley were extremely competent nurses who had great senses of humor.  Patton served in Iraq as a medic with the 101st Airborne and Buckley was an Army MP who served with the 1st Marine Division during the horrorific battle of Fallujah several years ago.  Hearing their war stories and sharing a few of my own was an inspiration for me and the best form of healing.  These young people are very special Americans who will be the future leaders of this Country.  I am thankful for their care and help in my case and for their service to our Nation. 

The high ground is getting closer.  I'll see you there!