My dad's lung nodules have "fingers" or "tentacles". His heart still needs to be operated on.

[FaithManor]

Just wanted to give you an update. We are hoping that an oncology surgeon will pair with the heart surgeon and do both surgeries at once. The GP's best guess is 1/4th of the upper lobe of one lung will have to be removed. After that, we have no idea what we are facing. I'm in fix it, get it done mode, and somewhat numb so it hasn't really hit me yet, the C word.

 

I may be quitting my quilt store job, which I love, in order to free up more time for mom and dad. I can't give up homeschooling. Ds 1 is in his 2nd year of high school and ds 2 his first. They've earned 15 and 7 credits respectively and none of the area high schools will accept homeschooled credits no matter how much verification I supply. They won't even consider giving DS credit for US history last year despite earning a 5 on the AP exam. Ds 2, 14 years old, completed Algebra 2 yesterday with a 98% and is tutoring others. He would be relegated to pre-algebra (remedial math) because the school district policy is ALL homeschoolers have to take remedial math before enrolling in high school level classes. I wouldn't really want them in our local schools anyway. As much as I love mom and dad, I can't abandon them to the crappy, pathetic, paltry, daily babysitting that passes for an "education" around here. No more AP's, no honors classes, no advanced band, only one art class, two years of Spanish or one year of French, that's it for foreign language, etc. and schools that have dropped into the bottom 25% in Michigan and these aren't inner city schools either!!!!! So, some how I have to balance my parents needs and my kids needs. I have also had to inform my dear, dear friend whose husband has lukemia that I won't be able to help her anymore. She took it well...but that hurt so deep I can hardly express it in words. I'm hoping and praying for some people at their church to come on board and help. I am contacting their priest today. He's a lovely, Godly man, and I'm hoping he will have some ideas of how the parish can assist them. They've been somewhat tight lipped about M's situation up until now and I think it's time to allow their church family to be a real family to them.

 

That is the scoop. The only bright light, a small thing really, was that I was able to find a dress I like for dd's wedding and it was within my budget. Now, I just have to make sure my dad is alive and there for her that day because she and grandpa are very, very close. I don't know how I'm supposed to make sure that happens. I do know I'll be riding two surgeons behinds like rented mules today and they better just suck it up and take it because I'm in no mood to be trifled with.

 

Faith

[Tammyla]

:grouphug: I'll be praying for you her. :grouphug:

[Twigs]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[mumto2]

:grouphug:

[Spy Car]

Have they done a needle biopsy to confirm the nodules are cancer? I know they have not, so it is a rhetorical question. But before they remove part of your father's lung shouldn't they do some pathology to know what it is?

 

Having a tumor sample, and getting genetic testing that proved he had a mutation, lead to treatment of my father's non-small cell carcinoma (lung) with a very effective and well tolerated targeted-chemotherapathy. That was a "long shot" before we had the pathology and genetic testing, but the test gave us a great option we would not have had otherwise.

 

Are there any blood tests for cancer markers they have run (or could run)?

 

What about a PET scan? Did they do a PET/CT with "contrast" or just a CT?

 

Sorry to "play doctor" Faith, and maybe the doctors know exactly what they are saying is correct, but I would want more answers before opting for surgery. Is this just a "visual" diagnosis? Are there other reasonable steps that should be taken before resorting to the knife?

 

As you discovered with the outside CT, sometimes doctors get pressured not to run tests or procedures due to the cost. That is not always to a patients advantage.

 

All the best to you.

 

Your pal,

 

Bill

 

 

 

[*********]

Faith, I keep you in my prayers, dear one.

I know nothing about lung cancer or nodules, so Bill is the one to listen to there.

I *do* know about the panicky feeling you're having about losing your dad. Dear sister, I know. :grouphug: I also know all to well about the balancing act of taking care of your children and husband while taking care of your father. Keep communicating with your dh about your needs. Let him support you through this. Once I was open with my dh and TOLD him what I needed, he was able to help me. For example, he had no idea how draining it was/is for me to visit dad. It is SO emotional, especially when dad's not doing well. He didn't realize that perhaps once I got home, he should not expect much of me for the rest of the day, and that he should ask about my dad. He really didn't know that was what I needed. I just had to TELL him, and he's all over it now. :) So, keep that communication flowing.

 

And no one here will ever fault you for not putting your dc in school so as to have more time with your parents. Our first commitment is to our own husband and children, and THEN to our parents. That's the Lord's design. Don't let that bother you one more minute.

[FaithManor]

I'm on my way out to talk to the surgeons. I am pushing for a needle biopsy and full testing. The GP seems to be of a mind to just cut and burn without much thought prior. My dad really likes his GP and thinks he's the cat's meow. I think the guy is big, roving, ego who doesn't like to be questioned which means A. figuring out how to balance my dad's rights to do what he wants to do and follow the advice of someone he trusts with B. a daughter who has a "take no prisoners" attitude towards patient advocacy and can't stand "holier than thou" attitudes.

 

I want tests and I want them today. Move people! Dad, on the other hand, is very likely to just smile and go along with his GP. My hope is that the surgeons are of a different mind than the GP. However, I do understand that if dad needs lung surgery, it is the best possible solution to have it done while he's under the knife for the heart bypasses. One round of surgery with full anesthetic is better than two. But, the clock ticks and that one artery on the back side of the heart is 100% blocked and dad is showing very real symptoms of his heart not getting enough circulation. If he has a heart attack, we are in deep trouble getting treatment for whatever this thing is in the lungs and if he dies,....that part doesn't even bear thinking about. I haven't had time to prepare myself for that.

 

Out the door, I'll update sometime late tonight or sometime over the weekend.

 

Thank you ALL! Bill, I can't thank you enough for your medical advice. Bethany, you so wise and I cannot express to you how much your posts mean to me!

 

Faith

[itsheresomewhere]

Faith,

 

You want a good cardiac thoracic surgeon. That is the one for this job. Your dad should have a needle biopsy done before surgery.

[Spy Car]

The one downside of a needle biopsy is they could collapse (or partially collapse) the lung if they make a mistake (which is not unusual). A collapsed lung requires recovery, and would no doubt delay the heart surgery.

 

There are a lot of tricky decisions to be made.

 

When in doubt I ask doctors, "what would you do if this was your father?" Are there other (especially non-invasive) options we haven't considered? How sure are you that this is cancer? What proves it? And does the operation need to happen now?

 

Maybe they have good answers. Maybe doing the two procedures at the same time is the best course.

 

I wish you peace and mental clarity in this stressful time.

 

Bill

 

[Harriet Vane]

:grouphug: Thanks for the update. I wish it were better news. Praying. :grouphug:

[LinRTX]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Praying.

[J-rap]

I'm sorry, and I'll be praying for you and your family! We went through an upheaval that made me wonder how homeschooling would be possible. Somehow, we have slowly made our way through it. You learn to just focus on what is absolutely most important. Somehow, it works out. My daughter got married in the midst of it, too. In hindsight, you will wonder how you did it all. :) Take care.

[DB in NJ]

My soul....I went through this with my mom about 2 years ago. She needed heart surgery, and they found something on the pre-op chest xray.

 

I agree with Bill -- ask what they would do if he were their own father. I did this with the cardiologist, the oncologist, the cardiac surgeon, and the thoracic surgeon.

 

Praying for you all. :grouphug:

[East Coast Sue]

I hope you get the answers you need to move forward. My prayers are with you and your family.

[celticmom]

:grouphug: