a change of strategy

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
The surgery yesterday began a lot later than planned. It was probably well after 7:30 before it ended.
Candy and Jenja were there to talk to the surgeon, who explained why they decided not to remove part or all of Randy's left lung.
The tumors had grown in a way that made it a bit more difficult to remove them, and decided that a combination of radiation + chemo would be more effective at this juncture, and they closed him up without removing anything just yet.
The good news is that his right lung is totally clear of cancer - which had been their biggest concern - and also, they know now that Randy responds well to chemo because the three original rounds of chemo shrank the tumors significantly.

Even drugged with painkillers, Randy's first questions were about how much they had removed. He was naturally disappointed when he learned that they hadn't scooped out what was left of the cancer yet.
Still, they now have a much better understanding of where exactly the cancer is located and will be able to target the radiation very effectively. The best understanding they get is when they are able to look directly at the tumors, etc..

I'm in Tully's on Dickerson - my favorite Seattle-side Tully's because of all the space - for a few hours, then I will visit Randy. Brad said he'd be there for the later shift.

I don't know visiting hours yet, but it seems like it is ok to drop by. If anyone would like to visit and would like to call, feel free to call me or Brad:
Liam: 425-985-4464
Brad: 206-650-0480

More in a bit...

Liam