Operation Holemaster – Post 1

Well on Tuesday of this week I got quite a shock. I had been for a number of tests in hospital as a result of a nasty chest infection I had in March of this year. Back then I had CT and PET scans and a Bronchoscopy. Everything was clear apart from washings (BAL) taken from my left lung. This appeared to indicate the presence of abnormal cells. Now that just means they don’t really know what they are.

 

So last week I came back for another CT and a bronchoscopy. This time they took biopsies from the lung and one of them had cells matching the original washing. So the Doc reckons I have a very very small growth with is malignant. He stressed that I’m very lucky. I won’t need any Chemo or Radiotherapy. That sounds pretty positive to me.

 

It didn’t show up on the CT at all and it is so small and early stage that he is confident that a removal of the left upper lobe will be successful and cure me completely. It sounds extreme and major and it is I suppose but it means I’ll recover and live a normal life. My lung capacity will be reduced by maybe 15% – 20% but as a I gave up smoking recently, I never used full capacity for the last 16 years. So regular exercise every day should maximize my lung function.

 

So there you have it, big scary news and major surgery probably happening early next week. I’m aiming to be having a pint for my birthday by the end of the month.

 

Oh and I have bronchitis which is delaying my surgery by a week I would imagine.

I won’t have more details until later today as to when and how things will proceed.

So I’ll post when I can. Once I have surgery, I’ll be out of action for a week at least.

 

Fingers crossed.