velocity

The extrication of a brain tumor:

First comes the head shaving, then the heavy anaesthetic. Next a hole is drilled in the skull, just behind the ear. From the hole, the doctor is able to cut an inch and a half square in the bone and pop it out, exposing the brain and the tumor.

This is where the neurosurgeon takes over, and spends six hours scraping out the walnut-sized tumor, while trying not to touch the brain at all. He got all of the tumor, but apparently there was some damage done to the facial nerves in the process. They don't think it'll be permanent, so she'll just be a little droopy for a while.

Anyway, after the brain has been squidged back into place, then it's sewing up time. The first surgeon comes back, sucks some fat out of the belly and uses it to spackle the square of skull back in. He then puts two staples on each side of the square, and sews the scalp back up.

So she's unconscious and drooling a bit, but my sister is okay.