Sam came home this afternoon.  His stay was a little longer than we expected due to more extensive surgery.  Instead of a wedge being taken out, the whole upper left lobe was removed.  The primary cancer was too close to scar tissue from the radiation and residual scar tissue from smoking in order to have a margin of safety.  This was a good thing because the pathology report found another cancer shadowed by the primary one and several other tumors when the lobe was dissected. Continue reading →

Sam is doing just great. He should be coming home Sunday or Monday. His hair is starting to grow out now and Jim Brown took a picture with his cell phone.

More good news!  Sam’s surgery went well.  He came out of Recovery alert and able to talk to us.  We were standing by the doors when they moved him to CCU.  We all got to talk to him and pat his hand or arm and he smiled and talked a little to us.  When we were able to visit him in his room, he was more alert and joking with the nurses.  Later that night, after 8:30, he was even more alert and acting as if he were visiting instead of being the patient.  He was eating sherbert, and complaining that they didn’t have any vanilla ice cream (he was joking of course)!  We are on the way to visit him right now and will send out more info later.  Thanks much for all your prayers and good wishes.  Prayers do work!

Good news!  Sam’s latest PET scan  showed that the three cancers outside the lung were gone.  After giving us the results, Dr. Just recommended the remaining spot in the lung be removed by surgery.  While we were there he called Dr. Reichmann, the surgeon, and set up an appointment for Sam.  Dr. Reichmann scheduled surgery for August 22 at 2:00 at Palomar Hospital.  Sam will be in ICU for 1-3 days and in the hospital for about 1 week.   Dr. Reichmann was very encouraging  that the surgery would be successful with no problems.

We will keep you updated as things happen.  Your prayers and good thoughts are comforting to us.

Keep them coming our way.

At Sam’s appointment with Dr. Volpp on July 18 he was told that radiation is finished and that he (Dr. Volpp) would not order a PET or CTscan until 8-12 weeks after radiation was completed in order for all the radiation to be out of his body, but that Dr. Just could order one earlier if he wanted. Sam is scheduled for another appointment in 3 months. Continue reading →