KarHart

It's wonderful to read your good news. I really hope he continues to feel good. It's easy to see how much better you feel. Really happy for you both. Karen H

I am sorry your news isn't good, will continue praying for you both. Karen H

You must be so glad the time is finally here. Definately will be saying a prayer tonight. Hope you have an easy recovery and we hear from you soon.

So sorry your brother is having such a hard time, I know it is scary and discouraging. You said he lost his job. Has he looked into applying for social security disability? As far as Cobra goes, I agree that his insurance should be the same as when he was working, he should be able to get a second opinion. I hope he starts to feel better soon.

Beth, sorry you had such a rough week, but you got through it. Hopefully, the next one will be better, and then better. You are a tough gal and an inspiration to many. Please keep updating us.

Congratulations on your first year. I hope you have many more to come.

What a milestone! Congratulations and have a wonderfull time tonight.

Hi Maryanne, They have a Hope Lodge at Moffitt in Tampa. I went over to check it out after hearing some people in a group meeting talking about it. It was very nice. Downstairs there was a large dining room and 6 individual full kitchens, a large TV room, a library, and billiards room. I think there was a minimum requirement of a 3 day stay. It was not available to inpatients, but if you need to stay in the area for continuous treatment you can apparently stay as long as needed. I hope we never have to use it, but it is nice to know it is availabe. Karen H

My deepest condolances to you and your family. What a fighter your Mike was. I was so touched by the picture of him dancing at the wedding. What a gift to your daughter. I hope you can all find peace in the difficult days ahead. Karen H

Karen, How nice that Dave was able to smooth the way into your new house and help you connect with your neighbors. It feels like he is still there looking out for you and Faith (as you looked out for him). Please keep updating us as to how you and faith are doing. Karen H

Peggy I am really glad Don is still able to fight. Hoping all the prayers and good thoughts will boost the "burning" and get rid of them completely! Will be praying. July 11, my husband is going for a follow up with the onc. so that is an important date for both of us. Karen H

My deepest condolences to all who loved David.

Beth, So sorry to hear your news. It's tough, but you have so many people pulling for you. Will say extra prayers. Karen H

Happy Birthday to the big guy! A hard day to get through, but hang on to all those loving memories today, it is a very special day. Karen H

I am sorry to hear about your dad. My father died 11 years ago from a brain tumor. The terrible, aching grief that just knocks you down does get better in time, but it takes that time. I think it hit me the worst a few months after he died, when one day I thought to myself even if I wait 10 years I am never going to see my father again, like maybe I was hanging onto some kind of hope it was all a terrible mistake. All I can say is the first year and anniversary is really rough. But time and life does go on and the sadness will always be there but it just becomes part of you and not the all of you. You will get to that place too. Peace. Karen H

Thank you everyone. Our whole perspective has changed, feel like we can make plans for the future. Our daughter (lives in WY) is coming tonight for the weekend. She is having our first grandchild in Sept. Having a baby shower tomorrow. We have a lot to celebrate now!

Cindi, This just stinks! Hoping and praying they just go away by next month. Karen H

We went to Moffitt yesterday for Ken's post op check up. They said that all the pathology had come back negative (except the tumor) and they were staging him at 1A. They feel that the liver tumors were not from the lung. I am still just stunned. It is crazy to be thrilled to have 2 primary cancers at once, but that is what we are. Both have been surgically removed and in the ideal world he would be cured. We go back in a month to see the onc. Ken wants to check into getting more chemo to be on the safe side. I guess he will get a scan scheduled then. So now we are in the wait and watch mode that everyone is familiar with. But I tell you I feel like a tremendous weight has been lifted. Like I told him, the only better news we could have gotten is if they said it was a mistake and wasn't cancer after all. I am grateful for what we did get.

Hi Ann, I am glad your doctor is looking out for you. Surely, he is just being cautious. I am sure this brings back a lot of memories and anxieties. I really hope you get good news soon. Karen H

Thank you for keeping us updated, you are such an inspiration to all of us. It's sad that we have to push our doctors for every possible option. It seems it should be the other way around, they should be the ones pushing, that's their job! Have you looked into cyberknife at all? Sometimes they can target tumors that are otherwise impossible. Hope you get some good results soon, will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Well, after 17 days in the hospital Ken was finally discharged. The leak just stopped one day. They pulled the chest tube and sent him home (to the RV) the next day. He is on oxy. now all the time. I had to scramble to make sure we had enough portable tanks to last till we got home. He needed oxy. last Nov. became very SOB. Then all of a sudden, after a couple of months he really did not need it for everyday use. My ? is, is constant use of oxy. usual after a lobectomy? He also has emphysema (not super bad). The dr. said he would check his level when we go back for follow up. I rented a saturation measuring machine and he is staying at 91-92 at 2 liters. Plummets to 85 or less when he walks or exerts. I am hoping that as he heals and becomes more active he will improve and not need to be on the oxy. all the time. I would appreciate hearing about others experience with recovery from a lobectomy. Thanks. Karen H

Thanks everyone, just a quick update. He had surgery last Friday to repair the leaks (2), they had to sew, staple and glue them. Said his lungs were like tissue paper. Well, they closed him up and lo and behold, another leak!!! We are agsin in the wait and see stage. He is still on suction with the chest tube. We just have no idea what is next. He has been in the hospital for over 2 weeks now. I do not have access to a computer over there so haven't been able to keep up. I hope everyone is doing OK, I still keep everyone in my prayers. Karen

Ken had his lobectomy last Monday. The initial surgery was fine. However, he only got out of ICU for about 12 hrs. On Weds. they put him back because his oxy. sat. rate was so poor. Did a spiral ct scan that showed some pneumonia. Good news was he did not have a PE like they thought he did. He was on forced oxy. for several days which was really awful. They finally transfered him out of ICU yesterday. He is now on nose oxy and doing well. The only problem now is that he has a hole in his lung that is leaking. He still has a chest tube and they are waiting to decide whether to go in and surgically repair it. They were supposed to decide today, but then the PA this morning said maybe they would wait till Monday to decide. I came home to go to work today, but will go back to Tampa tonight. Has anyone had a "hole" like this after a lobectomy? What did your doctors do? All this waiting aroung is driving us crazy, he would just like them to fix it and get it over with. I don't know if this is something to worry about or not. Not like we don't have enough to worry about already. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks. Karen H

Thanks Barb. It is so great to be able to get answers so quickly!

Hi Barb, Did you have your surgery at Moffitt? Dr. Sommers will be doing Ken's. At first he talked about doing VAT to remove a section of the lung with the tumor, but we felt he would have a better chance if the whole lobe was removed. He agreed. When did you find out about the lymph node? Were they able to tell during the surgery? Thanks for the info. Karen H