reality t.v.

[paul]

I have just seen on discovery health TV (in the UK) a pneumonectomy operation of a lung cancer patient. WOW, the doctor who did the operation is a magician and I think his name is dr gopal who works in Toronto, Canada. I was so amazed with the operation as it followed me to a tee, my prognosis was exactly the same as the Lung Cancer patient. ( I didn’t get his name) he had the same squamous lung cancer, which was very close to the arteries and veins as in my left lung, and where, in the lung the cancer is most dr,s won’t operate on you with this, but will just leave it till you die as they assume they will kill you on the table if they operate

Which really doesn’t matter as you will die any way with out the operation. But as in the TV operation dr gopal went ahead and did a fabulous job of removing the lung with the cancer in it, saving the mans life, not until now, did I realise what a major operation it is and seeing it in front of me brought it all back. And made me feel privileged to be alive.

[Tiny]

Paul,

My favorite part of your message is that you feel privileged to be alive...ain't it the gospel truth??

The operation sounds fascinating, but I am one of those who can read a description, but I would be very squeamish about viewing it...glad I was "under the influence" when my lobe was removed.

So happy you are still breathing and enjoying!

[Guest DaveG]

I was in the Army Medical Branch through most of my Army career. I was stationed at an evacuation hospital in Japan from 69-72, during the height of the Vietnam War. Our primary mission was to provide medical support for the seriously wounded and injured from Vietnam. I saw many things that are too much to describe and the patients were mostly in their early 20's. I never had a problem with working in that hospital and what I saw, not until 10 years later. All the stuff I saw never caused mee to feel faint or sick. It was my job. While I was stationed at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Denver, CO, in the mid-late 70's, one day my daughter fell coming up the steps to our house. She hit her chin on the edge of one of the steps and ended up with about a 3 inch gash. It was a Saturday, and I was off training our dog in obedience class. A neighbor arrived on the scene and told me what had happened. I rushed to Fitzsimons, got the Emergency Room, and went into where they had my daughter. She wasn't crying, she was screaming, and still bleeding profusely from her chin. I saw all the blood, my daughter's blood, and, you guessed it, I passed out. I passed out right in front of two of my buddies I served with in Japan. By the time I reported for duty on Monday morning, it was all over the hospital.

I guess what I am saying, I doubt if I could watch a video of the same operation I went through.

By the way, the docs finally sedated my daughter, stitched up her chin. She is now 30 years old, still has a small scar on her chin, but that didn't stop her. She has a Masters Degree in Audiology, and will have her Doctorate in Audiology this coming August.

[Connie B]

Hi Paul,

Some how I missed this message you wrote and I just now got to reading it. HOW INTERESTING!! WOW!! I don't know if I could watch it being done either, only because I have a weak tummy for major surgery things. But, I think I might have given this a shot being I had my Left lung removed.

Thanks for sharing this, and like you, I to am privileged to be alive! Like our buddy David P puts it, our Badge of Honor!! Oh how true!!

Warm and Gentle Hugs,

[Donna G]

Last week I was at a conference of the twin cities thoracic onocology consortium. One of the speaker was a doctor from the U of M, a thoracic surgeon, who has learned to take out a lung by using just a scope. He says you DON'T touch the tumor for you don't won't any cells to break off !!!! He puts the tumor in a "plastic bag" then pulls it out the small slit he has made. NO BIG SMILEY INCISION . He can only do it if the tumor is in a place that is not complicated ( as not wrapped around something) and only if no scars as from chemo prior to surgery. But this is an alternative for some. and some don't have to have their ribs broken, have nerve damage from the incision etc. THEN HE SHOWED US A VIDEO OF HOW HE DID IT. fACINATING I would not have qualified for I had chemo and radiation before they would operate. Only a few doctors have the skills to do this so far. But some lucky people will have it and hopefully more in the future as more doctors are trained how to do it.