Eric Update...

We arrived at the James on Monday, June 1st, around 7am. By 7:30 we were called to the 4th floor where Eric's surgery would take place. Went to the pre-op room where they started doing vitals and tried to start the iv. He was extremely dehydrated and they ended up blowing his vein. They finally drew a couple of vials of blood and the anaesthesiologist gave him some relaxation medicine in his other arm. He then started the iv where the anaesthesia would be going in, which they sewed to his arm. Very weird. I have had anaesthesia several times and not once have they ever sewed the iv to my arm. Anyway, at about 8:30, they wheeled him into surgery. If any of you, or someone you know have ever had any surgery at OSU, they have a waiting atrium. Very nice, it's on the 5th floor. Access to Internet, tables, vending machines...pretty much anything you need. There is also a TV screen that updates anytime the patient goes into surgery, out of surgery, recovery room, etc. The Dr. also calls to update the patients family of when things are being done as well. So every time that phone rang, I jumped. The waiting is horrible!!! Fifteen mins., half an hour, forty-five mins., they finally called and said that they had started about 9:10. We had been told that the surgery could last 15 mins. to an hour and a half. I sat and tried to read...yea, that wasn't happening. I read the same line 30 times. I looked at the monitor about 20 times...it said the same thing every time I looked, patient in operating room. Finally an hour went by and two surgeons came into the atrium area. Dr. Ross, who is the head Thoracic Surgeon and his assistant, Dr. Patsy, who had performed the surgery on him. They had just finished up and Eric was heading to recovery. He did fine. They went down through the throat and took needle biopsies of the lymph nodes on the right side of the chest. Dr. Ross said that it "looked" to be benign, but he wanted to run more tests on the bio's to make sure. He said that someone would be coming to get me to take me to him. An hour went by and I finally was able to see him. He had a horrible look on his face and was white as a ghost. See, Dr. Ross had told us that if he got a good reading with the needle biopsies and it showed cancer, that he would stop the surgery and not cut him open. So Eric layed there for over an hour thinking that he had cancer because he had not been cut open. I told him that Dr. Ross had said that it "looked" benign. His throat was really sore from the vent tube down it. Dr. Ross came out and talked to us both and said he wanted to do a CT Scan on him. That is now scheduled for Monday. If the mass in his lung has shrunk, he wants to go a different route than having to take the lung. If it has stayed the same or grown, he will proceed to take the lung. We are waiting to hear back from the bio's, said it would take 5 to 7 days. More waiting... Dr. Ross also said that just because the right side may not be cancer, that doesn't mean that the left side isn't. It still doesn't explain why the mass is in his lung...that is not normal. So there you have it. Our day was quite long and emotional. We just can't get our hopes up yet, just to be knocked down again. So we will wait to hear and I will let you all know as soon as I can. Thank you all for caring and praying for us. We really appreciate it.

Update...

This past Friday, which was Eric's 38th birthday, we headed back over to The James for some pre-op testing. Our first one, they called an OPAC Test, really wasn't a test, we just met with the anaesthesiologist. She checked his throat, listened to his lungs and drew more blood. I swear he has been stuck more in the past 2 months than I can even count. Answered some questions that we had and filled out more paperwork. The second test was the PFT test. Breathing tests before being put under. They both went fine and we were home fairly early. Next trip will be surgery number one and we will hopefully know what we are dealing with at that time. Thank you all for the prayers!!!

Update...

Thought I would update you all on what is happening.

On May 5th, we went to the James Cancer Center in Columbus at Ohio State. We met with an oncologist and a thoracic surgeon. I have to tell you that this place is an amazing hospital. Everyone was so wonderful! The first dr. we saw was Dr. Villalona, he is the head of the lung cancer facility. He told us that the mass in Eric's lung was a higher number and that he was recommending us to see Dr. Ross, who is the second dr. we saw. He is the head of the Cardiothoracic Surgery. To make a long story short...we are headed over to Columbus tomorrow for 2 tests, a PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) and an OPAC test, which I can't remember what it actually stands for. Both tests are pre-op tests for the surgeries that we have planned.

On June 1st, we will be having the first surgery, Auto Fluoroscopic Bronchoscope, Endeobronchial Ultrasound Biopsy and possible Mediastinoscopy. Yeah, I know, I about crapped. They will put him to sleep, go down his throat and take a needle biopsy of the lymph nodes in his chest. There will be 3 pathologists in the surgery room reading these biopsies. If they cannot get a good reading, they will make a small incision in his throat and remove 2-3 lymph nodes to study. If the needle biopsy shows that it is cancer, they will stop and proceed to the next surgery. They will not cut his throat. We hopefully, will know something that day. We also will not know if they will have to cut him that day going into the surgery. Depending on the outcome of the 1st, will determine the next surgery, which is scheduled 7 days later.

On June 8th, we will go back for Left video assisted thoroscopic surgery, possible thoractomy, possible wedge, possible left lower lobe. What that means is that if what we find on the 1st is cancer, they will take out half of his left lung. If it is NOT cancer, they will take only the part of the lung that the mass is in. Either way, he will have some of his left lung taken out.

Cancer, as you know, is determined in stages. We were told that if it is cancer, we are hoping for Stage 1 - Stage 3a. That means that it is still operable and treatable. Stage 3b or stage 4, well, we just will have to wait to see what the best treatment will be from there. Chemo and radiation will probably be in the future no matter what the outcome.

I hope that you all followed that. Believe me, I have learned more things in the past month than I ever thought I would.

The railroad called last week and have denied our appeal. So going back there is out.

Please keep us in your thoughts. Eric gets tired quickly and is having some pain, nothing he can't handle right now though. I think our mental and emotional status is a little crazy right now, but we are doing ok. Jackson keeps us going. Thank God.

I will keep you all posted.