no answers lots of questions

big day today
T home from cedars at noon
quick run down
heart rate in better control but who knows for how long
little confidence in cardiologist

good meeting with surgeon at UCLA
still digesting info and will get back with details
surgery may be an option but we will not know until
mid February
they have to reanalyze some slides to see how voracious the cancer cells are,
then, we need to see if the left lung is inflammation and not cancer
as there continues
to be a question-- oncologist says cancer;
thoracic surgeons say it may be inflammation
pet/ct scan will give us more info--but can't do til feb 2
need to do more blood tests and some reexamination
no answers
lots of questions

if surgery is an option,, and we won't know til mid feb
then-- the surgery is to remove tumor around right lung and NOT the lung itself.
pleurectomy and decortification--
then recovery, then radiiation, then interferon ( not covered by insurance)
and disease is then treated as a chronic disorder to be managed
a la diabetes /high blood pressure-- (with a tired mr. tony and living a bit pared down financially--but I might be able to up my teaching)

this is new medical idea--not previously offered
this guy doesn't think chemo is an option-- only works 40% of time on this cancer

atrial fib is a big problem in the first week after surgery
and then of course we already have this problem but cameron
seems to think it is manageable.. but we would have to talk to
more cardiologists at UCLA

so we are still digesting
the place was all razors and tongs
rock walls and flourescent lights
kept us waiitng from 4:30- 7:30
grueling
took a break to a surreal indian restaurant with Indian MTV playing silently over my shoulder
and the ghost of lunchers swallowing all the oxygen
but then we got this possibility

surgery offers about 6 months of recovery and radiation
and then perhaps chemo or not depending on what they see when they go in
then an average of 18-36 months on average survival rate
as opposed to a 9 month survival rate with or without chemo
this from UCLA maven surgeon

we are digesting and gathering info
nothing is simple
nothing is decided
nothing is easy

i must prepare for school and work tomorrow and please understand if i am not in touch immediately
there is a great deal to manage
much love to you all
s