Deana

My sister had surgery today.  Her husband, John, called late in the afternoon to tell me what was happening.  The surgery took 10 hours because the tumor was much, much worse than the surgeon expected.  It was so adhered to the aorta that they couldn't cut it off.  They had to shave it.  The tumor went up over her shoulder and some muscles had to be totally removed.  Her left arm has no function now.  She also had a skin graft where the tumor was about to protrude from the skin on her neck.  The lymph nodes in her neck were positive for cancer so they know the lung lesions are cancerous, too.  Deana is in ICU and will be there a couple of days.  She will spend quite a few days in the hospital before she can come home.  John said that she will start radiation in about 6 weeks.  I guess that's hopeful.  All I could think about today was Deana.  I think I was in constant prayer for her safety.  I've never seen anyone as ill as this and it's so hard....she is my sister.  We don't want our siblings to die.  Even though I lost Amy, this is still very hard for me.  I will probably go up to Seattle on Friday.  I need to see her.