Quick Update

It's late, and today has been crazy, so I'll make this quick.

Thoracic "wedge" biopsy was performed today.  Initial decision was to biopsy the right lung since there seemed to be a concentrated nodule located in a fairly easy spot to access.  Upon further review this morning the surgeon, Dr. P., decided to switch things over to the left lung.  Rather than go after one concentrated nodule he preferred to go after a section of lung which would contain three smaller nodules.  This way, he said, they would be sure to get something to biopsy.  No one argued with him and the surgery went well.

I had the opportunity to meet Dr. P. after Nan's surgery.  I have to say, attractive but not the "latin lover" I was hoping for.  He made up for his lack of pigment though with his kind and caring demeanor.  His said he had the "best" pathologist take a look at the nodules and the pathologist felt confident he was looking at an infection and not cancer.  It would take a day or two to get the documented, more final, reading and a week to get the cultures back, but this was the news we had been hoping for.  We are all staying positive and hopeful that the final reading will come back with the same results: Infection.

With a short leave from the hospital to attend kids' soccer games my sister and I headed back in the evening armed with Dairy Queen and one of the cheeriest kids you could ask for (Emma, my sister's eldest daughter).  We had ice cream and a nice chat with Nan, who was in good spirits and feeling much stronger and less groggy than earlier in the day.

Hopefully we'll get the good news that she is recovered enough to come home tomorrow.  We'll have a follow-up later in the week with her oncologist to review the biopsy results and determine if we are on for the Whipple surgery next week.

Thank you all for the kind thoughts and prayers that I know you have been passing our way.  Friends and family mean everything and we are certainly blessed to have you all.