Biopsy/Surgery

So yesterday we went to see the doctor to get a consult for John's biopsy. The doctor was out of town until yesterday and that's why we had to wait so long. This Doctor is a Cardiovascular Surgeon. He was an older man and he knew what he was doing. He was the kind of doctor that talks to you like a doctor, like you know what he is even talking about?
So I still have tons of questions but we had to hurry because after waiting for an hour to see him we had to rush back to get the girls from the sitter.

When we told him about the test that John wanted to do with the biopsy, he wanted to run a few more tests on John's tumor of his own. He had all these ideas and was naming them one by one to us, I have no idea what the heck he was even saying. John wants to do this, so I am supporting him.

The actual biopsy is going to be more like a surgery, he has to go in on Monday morning at 10:30 to Ogden Regional, and then he will be staying over for one night.
The procedure will include the Doctor making 3 different incisions on Johns life side to get the his biggest tumor in his lungs. He will be putting a camera and two things in to grab the tumor.
He is going to take a look inside John's breathing tube where the tumor is and check to see if the tumor is inside of it or just near it.

If the tumor is inside the doctor will want John to get a type of radiation down his throat, The radiation down his throat he would have to go to sleep and get this done every 3 months or so (they think). If the tumor is not inside then they can just do targeted radiation which is not as harsh and he would not have to go to sleep for it. I am almost certain that it is inside of the tube because John has a wheezing noise sometimes when he breathes.

So they will have to deflate his left lung to get the samples from it, and they will be putting a tube in to inflate his lung when they are done, they want to keep him over night so they can monitor his pain.

I am freaking out at this point about all this because when my Dad was sick the doctors wanted to get a sample of his tumors for study purposes which they told my Dad that it would be for him, but I really think was for them! My Dad had a hole in his back that never really healed, he had a tube to drain the fluid, he was in lot of pain. My Mom said if she could go back she would not have my Dad get that done. I know that John and my Dad are different situations but it's hard when I am remember seeing my Dad so sick. John keeps telling me "It's not the same as your Dad." I know this, but I am just nervous! John is the one who has to go through it and I just don't want to see him hurting and sick again. I can't forget how sick he was 3 years ago on the radiation treatments he had on his neck. He was throwing up tons and lost tons of weight! He was extremely dehydrated by the end of all of it!

After they can get the biopsy done he will be going into the radiation specialist to get his body scan and tattoo the spots where they will be radiating his pelvic bone with the TomoTherapy. Then they said it takes almost a week after that to get everything set and ready for him. He will be getting 15 treatments in a row (on business days). Then he will be starting back on the Avastin and they should have the results back from the chemo testing place in California by then.

By the time they can get all this done it will have been 3 weeks since his last scan! Holy cow! It seems like forever becasuse his tumors grew so fast in those 4 weeks before that. I don't want him have to get these treatments but for the peace of mind I do. Just so we know that he is trying. He is determinded and ready for it. He is staying really positive and doing very well in that way. I am so proud of him for his courage at a time when I am completely nervous.

(My cousin Naomi gave us her free photo session, isn't that wonderful?)

Thank you everyone for everything you have done for us and for all support! It's unreal how people have helped us throughout all this!! Love you ALL!!!