Friday, May 22, 2009

Day 9

Natalee's surgery finally ended around midnight.  She will be in the intensive care unit most likely until Sunday.  The surgeon came out around 10-10:30 to tell them that everything went really well in the abdominal area.  However, in the pelvic area there was a lot of blood vessel and nerve ending involvement with the tumor, and he didn't think he'd be able to remove the tumor without damaging her leg irreparably.   At midnight he came out to tell them that they didn't have to amputate, which is a huge relief.  Some of the nerves were damaged, so she'll need to have physical therapy to learn how to use the leg again.   He did get out as much of the tumor as possible.  

They are keeping Natalee sedated for most of today to help her body recover.  Sherri is very fatigued as she has been fasting for quite a while and hasn't been able to get much sleep.  She was headed down to get some breakfast after we spoke, and she is hoping to get some rest today. Obviously, Natalee isn't ready for any visitors the rest of this week, and then they will evaluate the situation once she is moved out of the ICU.  

We can't decorate her ICU room, but as soon as she is moved out we'd like to fill the walls with posters and pictures of her friends.  I know that several people have been making videos, if you can email those to me or drop by a DVD I will convert it to iPod format for her to watch.  

15 comments:

Susan Vargo said...

Natalee:
We are so happy and unsurprised(!) that your surgery went so well. You have so many people holding visions of healing that your health is assured! The night before your surgery, Charlie printed out a picture of you, which we placed on our family altar. We lit a vigil candle (which is still lit now) and put a special statue of an angel next to your picture to help us visualize your guardian angel taking care of you. We visualized and prayed for the doctors and for a complete healing in your body. And then we placed "angel cards" around your picture. Angel cards each have a powerful word on them and we pull one when we need some guidance on what we need. Here are the words we drew from the deck and placed around you: courage, trust, expectancy, power, faith, gratitude, peace, strength, healing and surrender.

We are believing in your total recovery. Even when you are having a hard time believing it yourself, know that lots and lots of people are out there believing it FOR YOU. We absolutely expect to hear the doctors say that you are completely well and that your healing defies explanation. That will be an amazing demonstration of God's power! We are honored to be a part of helping to manifest this miracle.
Love,
Susan Vargo and family

Shanan said...

Natalee,

I am not surprised at how well things went yesterday. You are meant for great things... this is part of the building blocks. Someday in the near future, people will look at you and say, "How did she get THAT amazing?" (Not that they don't already think that). And you'll have this little story to tell, and inspire with, and people will be moved beyond words...

I sit here all day, every day, and think of you. And then to hear this news this morning, I'm just smiling. Because the leg - Let me tell ya, small stuff! You'll be prancing around us all a lot sooner than you may think. And if it takes a little longer than hoped - well...I don't miss using my "other" leg, never really liked it to begin with. It's really just a drag LOL! You can come hang with me. ;)

Brianna Smythe said...

Natalee,

I am SO glad that the surgery went well. I am also glad to hear that they did not have to amputate. I fasted for you yesterday and all the people that did fast were praying for you all day. I love you Natalee.

Love,
Brianna

Margo said...

That is great news! I'm really glad your surgery went okay. So, I really don't have too much more to say, so I wish you a good recovery [which would be a good time to cetch up on you homework] and I wish you health and happiness,
Margo;-]

Presley K. said...

Natalee-
Oh how I have missed you! You fight for me, Ok? I will keep you updated on everything! I loved the slideshow- and your songs. Great choices!:) I have been thinkin' of you forever. I have also been seeing your mom around my school helping in the cafeteria.
So I wasn't sure if you knew this or not, but my mom is having a baby boy. He is due July 21st.
Natalee...or 'Pickle', whichever you like... You get better. Just know my family and I are thinking of you all the time. I miss you soo much! Love you Natalee-

<3Presley<3

Anonymous said...

Natalee~
Words cannotdescribe how happy I am for the nice and easy surgery! Even though we all new it would work out, It still makes us happy that our prayers and hopes have been answered. It's nice they didn't need to amputate you. To be honest, I'm smart, and try to use big words but i have absolutly NO idea what that means...but it sounds bad so I'm glad they didn't need to do it on you! And now I am praying and wishing that your physical therapy goes well so your leg will be better again! You couldbe one of those people that send there story into like a magazine and they write a whole story and you and how you made it through your cancer and everything! I need to think of something fun to put on the blog today...
OK, SO these are a few off of a list called 101 Ways To Annoy People:
1. Sing the Batman theme incessantly.
31. Give a play-by-play account of a persons every action in a nasal Howard Cosell(who is that? IDK...you choose the tone) voice.
41. Set alarms for random times.
56. Pay for your dinner with pennies.
76. Lick the filling out of all the Oreos, and place the cookie parts back.

I'll post more tomorrow~ <3
--Courtney T <3

Lizzie said...

Natalee,

I'm so glad to hear the surgery has gone so well. I hope that your recovery from it goes even better. :) We're still praying for you.

Lizzie Landon

Joby De La Rosa said...

Natalee:
Hi, Natalee.
This is Joby, remember me? From Mckay? Dan's friend? I miss you and wish you best of luck. (I now live in colorado)

Sincerely,
Joby De La Rosa

Ally said...

young little pickle,
I am so glad that your surgary went so great! I am praying that your leg will be just fine after physical theorpy and I know it will! It was really strange because last night i had a dream that the two of us were danceing around in pickle and cucumber suits! It was so srange but i could imagine you laughing at that! I miss you so much and whenyou are better we can have a pickle party!!!!!!!! I will start planning right away!! Well i miss you so much!!!!! love you!

~cucumber

Taylor Family- Moses Lake, WA said...

Natalee,

We are so happy that your surgery went well yesterday. We fasted for you and have been praying for you as well. We love you very much and hope your recovery goes smoothly.

Love,
Todd, Mandi, Heather, Devon, and Charity

Nikki M. said...

Natalee!
We all miss you soo much.. I knew your surgery would go good! WE all know you can get through this!
Get well soon! our lunch table is so not the same without you! =)
Love, Nicole

kaytlin22 said...

hey natalee i am so glad you did well in your surgery! i miss you so so much and also love you as much! i keep praying for you!
i hope you feel better soon!!!!!
I MISS YOU SO SO MUCH!
-KAYTLIN :]
P.S.
here is the joke of the day:
where does chocolate milk come from?........ a brown cow! :D
get it? it is so funny right!
well i just want to say these jokes because when i type them down i picture you laughing at them.and that makes me feel good and i hope it does the same for you!
love ya lots,
kaytlin

Tearei said...

Our whole family is praying for you every step of the way, Natalee.

Right now we're trying to put some fun things together for you to do while you recover, let your Mom know and she'll get it back to us ;o)

Don't worry, we prayed for all the stuff you requested, now we want to know what you would like to make YOU feel comfy ~ books, games, DVDs, (I have an iPod you can use if you don't already have one, I can load it up with all your fave songs, also a mini-DVD player and a Nintendo DS) ~ just let us know!!

Praying for you and thinking of you every step of the way!!

Tearei McWhirter(your Mom works with my sissy-in-law)

Megan Huey said...

This is Megan, Lorraine Huey's daughter. I'm glad to hear that the surgery went as well as it did. And hope that she will fully recover from all of this some day. I am willing to do housework for Sherri Walton this coming week if it's possible. I can vacuum, do dishes, the laundry, and whatever else needs to be done. Please contact me at Shinju0@gmail.com if there's housework I can help with.
Thanks,

Megan

Unknown said...

Natalee~
I was just thinking about you and want you to know that I pray for you and your family very often- you are always on my mind and in my heart!

Let your mom know that you were my best thing yesterday!! Just knowing that the surgery went so well was wonderful but not unexpected. You are surrounded by prayer and faith and I truly believe you are going to be a testimony about the power of God and the miracle of your full recovery!!

Hugs :O)
~Christy