Most of you know I had Viral Pneumonia and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever last month and even though it was a difficult time, I am thinking that fiasco may have been a blessing. That illness called for an x-ray and while checking the x-ray, the Doctors found a nodule on my left lung. That finding suggested a CT Scan and the CT scan indicated the chance for lung cancer.  Dr. Matt Stein had me in for a visit to discuss the results of the CT scan and he said he thought the nodule looked like lung cancer in early stages, however, there was a slight chance it might be an infection caused by RMSF and viral pneumonia. He said that he was consulting with another doctor and if that doctor concurred, we would leave it alone for a couple of weeks and then do a PET scan to see if it lights up.  The PET scan was done and Dr. Stein said it was definitely a small spot of cancer or infection (both cancer and infection light up the same on a PET scan) but he felt there was little chance of it being an infection. They wouldn't know which without going in and getting a sample.  I was referred me to a Dr. Emmanuel Daon with MidAmerica Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgeons at KU Medical Center who I consulted with yesterday.  Dr. Daon advised that he thought it was lung cancer but said there was still an outside chance the nodule could be an infection. He suggested a left video assisted throacoscopy to find out what it is and what procedure they should use next based on the finding of the biopsy.  Dr. Daon said that if it is cancer, they would be prepared to, hopefully, do a lobectomy which is a minimally invasive surgery to remove the upper lobe of my left lung.  If the lobectomy proved to be a problem they would then have to open me up and go through my ribs to get to the upper lobe. The lobectomy would have a 3 to 4 week recovery and if they had to open me up it would be a 2 to 3 month recovery period. You don't have to guess what I am praying for.

My preference would be the slim chance of them finding the nodule to be an infection and that is what my prayers will be for. The date set for the surgery is September 25. If it is lung cancer, we will just have to deal with it and hope they get it early enough.

Cheers and God Bless,

Reagan