Wednesday, August 23, 2006

It's Good News

The thoracic surgeon does not think the spot in V's lung is cancer. He said this spot has become smaller and more consolidated from the June CT scan to the August CT scan. He showed V a side-by-side comparison on his computer screen. In June it was a large diffuse area of "something." In August, it was a smaller, dense area of something.

He's not certain what the something is, but he suspects we are watching the formation of dense scar tissue from the infection/inflammation that V had this June (the fever that put her in the hospital).

A lung cancer tumor, in his experience, grows larger over time (rather than shriking and consolidating as this something has), and lung cancer does not change size as quickly as this something has. The surgeon said a malignant mass this size would take several years to develop, while V's something has shown up with remarkable speed. (He also confirmed what Dr. Chemo had said that it wasn't metastatic breast cancer.)

The surgeon wants to do an extensive pulmonary function test and another CT scan a couple days before September 8 (the scheduled date of the mastectomy/reconstruction). Depending on the findings then (such as the rate and nature of the change in the mass), he might preempt Dr. Cutter and Dr. Boob and take the operating room time that already is booked for V to do a procedure (maybe a needle aspiration). He doesn't want to piggyback on the mastectomy because he said V shouldn't be under anesthesia as long as it would take for all three procedures. He did agree that diagnostics on the lung do take precedence, but that the mast/reconstruction won't impede what he has to do because he goes in through the back or the side.

V asked whether someone was going to call Dr. Cutter to let her know what was going on and that she might get pre-empted in the OR. (Those following the blog know that Dr. Cutter is a ball-busting bitch). The thoracic surgeon smiled and made a comment that showed that he had no love lost for Dr. Cutter and that he would take care of her. I guess his livelihood does not depend on referals from Dr. Cutter.

Jim wasn't able to make the appointment. He's very weak and wobbly and almost disoriented. His eyes look jaundiced. V tried to get his GP to see him tomorrow, but no openings. V will keep him at her house for a few days with intent to take him to the ER if he doesn't do some snapping out of it.

3 comments:

{Steve Rapaport} said...

Thanks, this is the best news I've heard all year!

Yay Venita!

I will wake up Sabina to tell her.

Venita said...

thank you and love you all!!

~~V

Venita said...

Thanks, Gix, I can take all the pawpats I can get, except maybe those on my nose at 4AM.

Lily isn't doing well with Lesson 1. Last night Max ambushed her behind the couch, and it was Lily fast up the stairs with Max nipping at her heels. She didn't come back down to the family room all night.

I will read her Lesson 1 again, but she is a slow learner.