He's out! Dan emerged from the O.R. four and a half hours after going in. Though he was still sedated and will be until tomorrow, his primary surgeon gave us the good news. He considers the surgery a success, finding the kidney and cancerous tumor easy to remove from the IVC and renal gland, with no apparent travelling through hepatic veins (meaning it looks like the liver is safe). Dan needed a lot of blood, which is pretty normal in this circumstance. The IVC did not need replacement, his left kidney wasn't tied off for too long, and all in all ... I am SO relieved I could cry. Again. The doctors also decided to NOT go through Dan's sternum, which he will be very happy to learn about upon waking. They opted for the incision along his side, from the armpit to belly button. It might hurt a bit more in the end we're told, due to the ribs being moved out of the way, but it's the way Dan would have preferred. We got a chance to briefly visit him in the Card...