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more surgery


Mendy

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We have yet another hurdle to get through. Last week my husband met with the head of of thoracic surgery at Emory to get started with his new set of doctors now that we are in GA. He had my husband get a PET and CAT scan this past Monday. The scans show that he has a lymph node on his good lung lighting up big time. That is the only spot that shows any cancer. His left side is clear. He also has a bulla on his right lung that his surgeon in MD wanted to fix and so does this new surgeon. So in a couple of weeks he will have the bulla and all his lymph nodes on the right lung removed. He will be in the hospital 3 days post op day.

What confuses me is that the surgeon met with a review board and they all agree that he will not need any adjuvent chemo or radiation. How can they make that determination pre-surgery? If his lymph node is collecting cancer cells, couldn't there still be some stray cells?

I am also frustrated because he just started a new job this week and we don't know if he will have it when he is ready to go back. It feels like it will be impossible to get ahead.

The good news is that he should be breathing much easier with the bulla removed and he is staying positive with that in mind.

Anyone else had a bulla removed?

Mendy

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I would wonder about not having radiation, but maybe since they are removing all the lymph nodes there would be nothing to radiate. But, why not chemo if a lymph node is involved? Anyway, I hope your husband's surgery goes well and that he can resume his new job and breathe easy.

don M

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A bulla usually occurs when someone has emphasema. The damaged lung tissues traps air and it can become large enough to press on the good lung causing difficulty to breathe.

Hopefully I will have a chance to talk with the surgeon. I don't think my husband wants to ask why no chemo recommendation. He is thrilled at the prospect of no further treatment. It must have been a pretty bad experience that he doesn't want to have to repeat.

Mendy

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