Neil IS Actually Dead.

December 22, 2021 - Good-bye Neil Hospital Log - Day 8

I’ve been sitting with some news since yesterday and didn’t want to post until I had a second confirmation from my pulmonologist. He came in earlier than normal this morning to tell me. So … 

NEIL IS DEAD!!! 

And the lymph nodes the surgeon removed around the tumor are all cancer free!!! 

Confused? I was. 

Here’s what happened…

During surgery, the surgeon took out a jawbreaker sized mass that he thought was the tumor, but it was hard to tell because of all the scar tissue. Everything was gnarled, entertwined, and nasty. Pathology inspected it on the spot and said “no it was just fibrous scar tissue.” 

The surgeon couldn’t find anything else except the huge golf-ball sized mass of scar tissue. Everyone then was assuming the tumor was encased in that.  He couldn’t remove that without removing the lobe of my lung. He tried. The scar tissue was just too thick. So, he closed up, feeling like he failed me.

 

He’s been depressed and sad because he felt horrible for cutting me open and having to put a tube in me - all for nothing. And that my future steps would be the dreaded radiation and chemo and I’ve already been through so much.  

 

Before coming to see me yesterday, he wanted to see what the real pathology tests showed. After further inspection and real testing, It turns out that the tumor WAS in the mass he removed AND that the lymph nodes he took out, came back negative for cancer. 

So, he got the tumor. I’ll need a PET scan to confirm. But 99.9% NEIL IS EVICTED AND DEAD. 

Read that again, if you need to. 

 

We cried. We hugged. He said he was celebrating with some wine last night. 

BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!

Good-bye Neil, your free-loading days are over. You will not be missed. 

Today, I had an echo to see how my heart is holding up after surgery. 

The chest tube is scheduled to come out today and I should go home to my friend’s tomorrow for a few days before returning to my own home. 

*picture is my Cooper while playing at daycare today. I say he’s howling with joy.