I'm Having Surgery This Week

CherylHutch said:

Lung Stuff
Lisa... I'll be interested in hearing Chip's response too because I think the three of us are in a similar situation.

I had 7 mets on my lungs. No such luck as having them all in the same area... they are spread out all over both lungs. As of January, the largest was 19mm which is 1.9cm. That one I had ablated and the procedure went very smoothly. The second largest was 7mm which is not quite a cm. He was going to ablate both of them but decided that it would be too risky to do both at the same time since one was on one lung and the other was on the other lung. Should both lungs collapse or partially collapse during the procedure, I would be in a bit of trouble

That means I'm left with 6 mets... one at 7mm and the rest under 5mm. Surgery is not an option at this point since the 6 are spread out on both lungs. Ablation will be an option if only 1 or 2 of them grow... but if they all grow, or they grow and other new ones show up, then ablation will not be an option... I would then have to go on chemo to try and shrink them.

I think the feeling with the doctors is that once you have multiple mets, then it's only a matter of time and more will grow. So cutting out a few here and there is doing nothing other than damaging your lungs and bringing down the quality of your life... with other mets showing up. But I wonder how true that really is? I guess I will find out on Friday when I have the CAT scan... the purpose is for a followup of the ablation, but it should also show if the existing mets have grown or if there are new ones.

Nerve-wracking, no?

Huggggggs,

Cheryl

That is my surgeons issue as
That is my surgeons issue as well. They will operate if you have no evidence of the initial disease somewhere else, are healthy and they can operate based on location. He told me that if there were multiple mets then based on location, RFA was an option but surgery was probably not possible unless chemo shrunk the mets. Good luck on the CT scan. I agree that some Dr's look at multiple mets as a reason to not operate but some seem to be more aggressive than others. I wish I could help more. God bless
Chip

SURGERY
Kim -

Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers this week.

(Sponge)Bob & USAKat(ie)

taraHK said:

see above
I just wrote to you "both" (undergoing surgery the same day!) above --

Will be thinking of you -- best wishes

I certainly respect the view of your doctor about not playing golf until the fall -- but I love proving my docs a little bit wrong and I bet you will too!!

The anticipation is BY FAR the hardest. Once you cross the threshhold into the hospital, you are in their loving hands -- they will take wonderful care of you (and the drugs help ha ha).

Love,
Tara

AHOY, TARA
How are you doing? How are things in HK? Hope you're doing well.

- SB

Prayers and hugs
Prayers and hugs to you Kim!!! The love and support of the people on this board and of God surround you while you are in surgery and during recovery. Heck, that support surrounds you ALL THE TIME!