I wasn’t feeling giddy with joy after my surgery, but I still had spark enough to put on a fresh wood Bow Tie o’ the Day. I mean—I figured if I was gonna be somewhere people were constantly inspecting me and my incisions and drains and vitals, I owed it to them to give ’em something fashionable to look at. My daily neckwear ended up being a dandy curiosity for my nurses and doctors. And, of course, it made me feel more like myself during my hospital stay.
Here’s the skinny on my surgery. The operation took nearly 6 hours. The incision began at my belly button and went straight up all the way to my breastbone. (See, I really was gutted.) My surgeon spent nearly half of the surgery time fighting her way through the scar tissue adhesions left from my first Hanky Panky surgery three years ago. She was able to remove the pesky pancreatic stone that has been stuck in the pancreatic duct recently: the calcification which has been causing all my painful drama this year. She also widened the pancreatic duct to make it more likely any new calcifications my pancreas might grow will be able to pass freely out of my Panky. She did not have to remove any more of my remaining half pancreas. Let us all cross our fingers and toes that this is my last apocalyptic run-in with my dastardly Cranky Hanky Panky. Frankly, I’m tired of it being a topic.
Hey, I’m realistic. I know my pancreas is never going to be completely pain-free or normal, but I’m hoping its peculiarities will be easier for me to live with from now on. So far, my situation is looking to be on the upswing. I am blessed, yet again.