If This, Then That

We have the diagnosis.  We know the treatment.  We know what to do but this time it's different.  This time we will require surgery - major surgery.  Dr. S. wants to begin chemotherapy right away in an attempt to slow the progress down until surgery can be done.  We are given a recommendation of a surgeon at St. Joe's hospital who is one of the nation's top thoracic surgeons - the problem - we can't get an appointment to see him until October.  2 months.  An eternity.  BUT we can see his assistant who is also a top ranked thoracic surgeon - we say yes.  She thinks that she can remove all of the cancer with the removal of part of the lung - no promise but she thinks she can do it.  First tho, we need an entire body CTScan to make sure there are no cancer cells anywhere else.  He would also have to start chemo in an attempt to shrink what was there to make surgery more successful.

After Joe takes some time to breathe and think and pray and talk - he decided that he doesn't want to do treatment.  He is convinced that the cancer is back and this time he won't have the same results he did in 2006.  His body still has residual damages from the first battle and that was 6 years earlier.  He's six years older.  He is thinking that he will just enjoy what life he has with his family and not destroy his body in this war against a very sneaky enemy.  Julie, our youngest daughter asks him to get treatment.  She tells him she wants him there to see her graduate.  To walk her down the aisle.  To be there for her.  She wants her Daddy to live.  Without hesitation Joe tells her that he will do everything he can to be here for her.  

The next few weeks is like a flow chart - if this, then that.  If not, then this.  First thing is the CTScan and the results of that show several "hotspots" in his colon.  She simply says, if this is cancer, I will not put you through the trauma of having this surgery.  You need to find out what this is.  Next stop colonoscopy to remove several polyps (the hotspots) and the biopsy shows no cancer.  Next - she finds spots on his stomach.  Off to the gastroenerologist to have biopsies done and again, no cancer.  Several scans of the brain are done.  (Remember that statement for later - it is important.)  Convinced that all the active cancer is located in the lung, she agrees to do the surgery.  

October 15 and we arrive at the hospital at 4 am for a 9am surgery.  Several friends and family arrive to sit in the waiting room and just be there.  Even with all of those people there surrounding me, I never felt so alone in my life.  Waiting is horrible and waiting when knowing no matter what the results, the future does not look promising is worse.  Several hours later she comes out and shares that she had to remove the entire lung.  The cancer was too far spread and the actual tumor was wrapped around arteries and there was no safe way to remove it.  Not the best news to hear but she feels that she was successful in her surgery.  

Surgery was on Thursday and Joe came home on Sunday.  WHAT!!!! 3 days later after having an entire lung removed?  He was up walking around on Friday and they moved him off the surgical wing to the thoracic floor on Saturday.  They asked him Sunday morning if he wanted to come home.  Silly question.  Little did his doctors know that he had an ulterior motive.  He wanted to go on Tuesday evening to the 2013 Kickoff  for Relay for Life.  He knew a secret and he wanted to be there.