Post-Op Report

Jen and I just got back from Madison a little bit ago, and I wanted to give a quick update as to how the post-op meeting went. The appointment was scheduled for 12 (noon) and we were only running about 40 minutes late, so that was great.

The incision is healing extremely well. They removed the one stitch and tape that was left and are impressed with how well the recovery process is going so far.

We got the pathology reports back as well. Overall the news was positive. The tumor that they had found on my heart is called a Thymoma and it was totally encapsulated, which is very positive and means that it has not spread anywhere else.

When they removed the lobe of my lung they also removed a number of lymph nodes as well. Some of these had been infected with cancer, and some had not. Some of the ones infected were only partially infected. So the good news here is that not all of the nodes were infected and they cancer has not spread outside of that lung area. They also did some scrapings of the lower lobe of the lung and there was no cancer there either.

They grade the level of cancer with a number and a letter, depending on the size of the cancer and how many nodes were infected. When I left the hospital they thought I was a stage 3B, but after this meeting they said I am a stage 3A, which is better. I talked with a family friend who is a doctor and he said that this is better than he expected as well. The surgeons team also said that they got all the cancer out, and now the chemo and radiation will be done so that we can wipe out any little bit that remains so that it will not return.

On Monday I meet with the the oncologist and will get my chemo and radiation schedule. Now I am asking for prayers to make sure that this is gone and through treatments it will not return.