surgery went well

I am sitting in ICU in some pain and discomfort but that was to be expected. I guess I lucked out... I only got two chest tubes. Rhonda and I are just watch TV, I think I might try to walk tonight.

Delayed

The surgery has been delayed for a little bit, there was a complication with the surgery before mine. I am hungry, I need food soon. I wonder if the hospital will require me to where a hair net, (i.e I have no hair on my head). 0837 CST

Let try again, attempt number two. 0947 CST

They let me sleep (Not really)

It is amazing what 4hours and 26 minutes of sleep will do for you I feel like I have just finished hibernating. The needles have persuaded me to get on up out of the bed, and I also need to reload my IPod so that I can have something to listen to in the ICU (instead of the machines). Finishing up a Sudoku, sending e-mail, and of course paying bills and finalizing some additional tax information (brought some tax law info to read up on..... lots of medical deductions).
Shower time, looks like the operation will access my lungs through my right side and spread the ribs (that hurts your back BTW) and I still anticipate 3 chest tubes. Are scars still fashionable???

Got gummy bears for the girls, and some coloring pictures and homework (math / sitewords) for Raegan to work on when they visit. I guess we will have to do a better job explaining my illness as Raegan is asking more and more questions about why daddy always goes to the hospital.

It my anniversary

It my anniversary; well actually the next today and Friday make two years since that fateful night and day at Stanford University Medical Center (the transplant night). I was hoping I could say I am cancer free but maybe I can, more pathology will be done on the tissue cut out in the morning.

AWOL (one flew over the cuckoo's nest)

Random post

one flew over the cuckoo's nest

It is nice outside I think I will possibly be going AWOL (I have a reputation to keep up), Short Bust (Ravyn) and I had a date scheduled for Friday (we were going to the zoo and ride the train and merry-go-round); guess we will reschedule.

I have been poked, x-rayed, and I think I just signed the stimulus bill; I am burned out from watching the NEGATIVE news; fallen in love again with the hospital food emmm home cooking; and am disappointed in the Cowboys decision about TO his dismissal won't fix the problem.

I expect to set a new chest tube record for one lung, I anticipate 3 chest tubes in my right lung and hopefully they won't be breaking any ribs just using a spreader to separate them which is going to really make my back hurt.

My schedule is taking shape

my surgical schedule for Friday and the events leading up to it are taking shape. I will check in on Thursday at the hospital to have all my pre-work done. I am not nervous at all it (the trips to the hospital / Spa are routine).

It is going down on Friday 3/6/09

On Friday I am scheduled to have a wedge resection on my right lower lobe at UT Southwestern in Dallas, TX. I expect to be in the hospital for a least a week. It is ironic that I am having a piece of my new lungs removed on the same day two years later of getting the call about a transplant match and the actual transplant.

Got my news

Well it seems that Jack the spot is Jackass the cancer nodule. The initial biopsy results are in now more lab test are needed to determine what kind of carcinoma we are dealing with this time. Jackass will be dealt with as we have dealt with the previous cancer, in the most aggressive way possible, so I am having the surgeons go ahead and start the process of scheduling a wedge resection.

By the way I like this surgeon, he delivered the info to me by phone after I called and left the message that I was canceling my appointment this coming Thursday if there weren't any results in yet. To drive 100+ miles round trip to just sit in an office, have my vitals taken and talk about possible scenarios would be an inefficient use of all our time. He knows that I have been in this rodeo before and cancer and pending surgeries won't buck me. BTW elephant taste best with ketchup.

The Holding pattern cont....

The holding pattern continues, I am not worried or stress if Jack (the spot) turnout to be Jackass that is cancer it will be dealt with. A recurrence would not scare me as it was a known possibility going into this process, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. After dealing with .....OLOGIST and ....IALIST out the Yazoo you learn how to sit through anything you learn how to wait.

First Soccer Practice

Still I wait no news about Jack (the spot).

On a brighter spot today was Ravyn's first soccer practice, I think she is the youngest one on the field and the only one who hasn't played yet. She did pretty well, when she wasn't calling for mommy, and running over to us thinking she needed more Gatorade (it was her first practice she will get better, she will have to gain more independence and know we support her even if we aren't standing right beside her.).

Give me some news Already

No news yet on JACK.

Back to work today.

My IV site looks bad, like I took a line drive off my arm (note: a bruise like this on my arm means I kept the ball in front of me).

My Neck, My Back

STAYING HOME TODAY, feeling bad and don't want to be renarcotized (a new word I learned from one of the radiology nurses he explained that being renarcotized is simply getting remedicated after a procedure by medication that has been absorbed in the bodies fatty tissue thus not being used during the procedure but released into the body later AT THE WRONG TIME).

OoohhWee, my neck hurts, my back hurts, my arm looks bad at from the IV site.



My neck hurts probably from the way I had to hold my head during the procedure; it kind or reminds me of how your neck bothers you at the beginning of any football season regardless of what level you are playing on. For the first two weeks of contact your neck along with other body parts are going to be sore.


The biopsy site is a little sore, my neck and arm bother me more.



The IV was only in my arm for 5 hours, it was sugar water and only ran for about an hour during the biopsy.

2009 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Having fun at the Stock Show this year since the weather was nice.

biopsy Today

I had my biopsy today, a large needle was inserted into my back to extract a sample from JACK the Spot on my right lung. The procedure was complicated due to the size of JACK the Radiologist that performed the procedure was aided by a CT machine, I was awake during the whole procedure as I had to control my breathing so the doc. could access JACK (a spot on the lungs is a moving target).

I hope to get some sort of feedback in a week, I am not too sore right now, but I think my back will be hurting more in the morn. Judging by where the needle was inserted to do a wedge resection they are going to have to break some ribs in the middle of my rib cage; entering from the back.

Lazy Sunday

Lazy today, as I get ready for my needle biopsy on Monday at the SPA. I am going to pack a bag and leave it in the car just in case those performing the biopsy enjoy my company so much that they decide to accidentally puncture my lung and cause me to stay in the hospital for a few days.

Monday (no news yet)

No news yet, or at least I have not heard anything from my medical team. I think I will give the SPOT a name since it is big enough for that now (7mm) I think I will name him Jack. Jack the SPOT

PET scan

PET scan today, haven't had one of these in awhile. This will give us an idea about what the SPOT is and where it originated (possibly) .... oh yea also if there are any more SPOTS anywhere else that haven't been observed by a CT scan.

It's all good

I will do anything to be able to watch March madness

I am not worried about this spot at all, what ever it is (we won't truly know until extensive pathology is run on it). This spot was always a possibility (whatever it is) I was just hoping to get the news I got from the oncologist a couple of more years down the line.

I appreciate the prayers and well wishers thoughts and comments, but I will be alright I haven't forgotten how to eat elephant (one bite at a time). You should really pray for my family (R³); and the medical staff particularly the nurses as I will probably work their last nerves I am gona give 'em hell. (remember my history of going AWOL Stanford '07)

I am disappointed that I might not be able to work on defensive drills with Raegan "Da Glove" she is a defensive nightmare on the basketball court. Last week she played her man so hard she guarded him to his moms minivan after the game was over.

I am further disappointed that I won't be able to be as active with Ravyn "No Sports Nickname Yet" as she starts soccer soon; I think she will be more advanced than "Da Glove" was at 3 only because she has been watch her big sister and all the practice we have been getting in. I was also hoping to start running sprints by starting Ravyn on a two wheel bike this spring.

I am still undecided about school, I am in the program and with a cohort, the engineer department is aware of this latest hurdle, so I just have to make a decision.

PET scan on Friday

Thorasic surgeon meeting on 2/19/09 (next Thursday)

BAD news from the CT scan results

The CT results revealed a 7mm spot of interest in the bottom right lower lobe of my lung (at this point we don't know what the spot is); it is too small to wand, and would not be seen by doing a bronch; so keeping with the aggressive treatment plan that I have set for myself since my diagnosis the logical course of action is to surgically remove it then get the pathology report on it to help determine follow on treatments.

The news really didn't surprise me, I wish I could have heard it three or four years down the line but its all good I will just have to increase my exercise regiment over the next 3 weeks I am thinking about (75 minutes on the treadmill, 100 push ups, and 100 reps with my ab will each day until....)

I am glad that my sidekick for the day wasn't really aware of the news I was receiving in the doctors office, I had here playing games, and drawing pictures on the computer.

Doctors Visit today

Today I will be going to get the results of my CT scan which took place in January of this year. I try to get my CT scans at the same place on the same machine for consistency so there won't be much variance in the photo as the latest CTs are compared with the older CTs. I also have to stop by the Heart / Lung Clinic to pick-up my prescriptions (a side note about prescriptions use the mail order, get a 90 day supply, and compare the prices with one of your local super store pharmacy's to get the best price, my first set of transplant meds cost me $410.00 and that was just for 1 month.).

Oh well heading to the hospital with my Raegan as a sidekick I am keeping her out of school today as she was sick all last night. I try to shelter the girls from as many of the medical hurdles I must stumble through as possible but today she will get to hang with me as we go to this routine oncology visit, pick up prescriptions, and pick up my oral device from my dentist office (to help with the sleep apnea due to the prednisone swelling the neck 20 inches and growing back to my football days eh???)

What a week

Another week has come to pass, I am glad to have every other Friday off. My classmates at SMU have their first exam on tomorrow (GOOD LUCK). Made it through another week, I am still extremely tired at work all the time, I am still avoiding large crowds (when possible) during cold and flu season (the streak continues.... no hospitalization the ER trip last month was a just a tune up and oil change that ran a couple of hours).

Blood work in the morn. I might even let them draw blood from the elbow bend in my left arm, it was used last month during my CT scan(s) without out any problems or multiple needle sticks. My oral device did not come in they (my dentists office is hoping it will be in by Monday).

Anniversary

Yesterday marked the 3 year anniversary since I was OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED with Lung Cancer (LC) stage 4 BAC. I am cancer free at this point since my lung transplant at Stanford 3/5/2007.

The news was shocking then but the bad times passed everything was going great (job, family, school). We just had our second daughter, Ravyn was 3 weeks old and Raegan was proud of her little baby doll.

The Steelers were in the Superbowl then, and some of the guys from work came to watch it w/ me as I was still in the hospital, due to a collapsed lung suffered during the bronch to get some lung tissue for the pathologist to determine what was going on with my lungs; we soon found out.

Uh it is Saturday

Was at SMU yesterday just hanging out in Dallas. Yep I am back in school again; studying Security Engineering (MS Sec. Eng.). Didn't realize how close to Rhonda's office the campus is (3minutes).

I was hot yesterday, rolling w/ the windows down it was 82 degrees.

I hope Raegan has a better game today (basketball) she is playing alot better than last year.
Did I mention it is cold as heck today 33 degrees.

no news is good news on the CT scans

ER

I broke down and went to the ER on yesterday; a SPA visit that resulted from all the vomiting that I did on Tuesday (Tuesday was also CT w/ contrast day at UT Southwestern). I was also complaining to the ER docs about the headache that had been bothering me for two days, and the ill regular heartbeats I was experiencing.

A funny note when I was signing into the ER a lady brought her son in who was coughing alot and the nurse I asked her to have him (the son 11 or 12 years old) to put on a mask, she resisted he kept coughing and ignoring the signs that asked sick patients to put on mask; everyone around the lady and boy got up and moved still he did not put on a mask; so being the good Samaritan I am I removed my mask for about 5 seconds which was just long enough for me to politely say PUT ON A DAM MASK!!!! PLEASE!!!! I said please

She's Bossssy

Ravyn turned 3 on yesterday, my how time fly's.

Was at the doctors office today looking at my tonsils, my cough, and having blood work done.

Saturday will be busy, it is jammed packed with activities (Basketball, Birthday party, FOOTBALL on TV, oh yea and I supposed to be in class 4th MS degree can folk stop talking to me about sports now) BTW with the economy as bad as it is another skill can't hurt in such a competitive job market.