I'm sorry I've been out of touch for some time, no posts, no holiday cards, etc., but beginning in mid-October I've been on a strange and difficult
medical odyssey.
My GP found a black spot on my left lung on an x-ray during a regular check-up. That led to a CT scan and accompanying blood tests. The blood tests said there was not a thing wrong; the CT scan said I was quite ill. So, after month of steroid therapy, they repeated the process: blood still says healthy, but CT scan reveals that this rare "syndrome" I have--tree-in-bud--has tripled in size. This is a normal indicator of cancer, TB, or something as serious.
So, now they do a broncoscopy to look into the lung and take some samples. They went a touch too deeply on one and slightly punctured the lung. Two days later I'm in the hospital with a collapsed lung. I don't recommend them. So, while I'm in the hospital (don't forget: they still have NO idea what's wrong with me), they do a biopsy of the lung, then another broncoscopy. I was in the hospital until just after Christmas. They sent me home on new meds. I go see my pulmonary doctor for a follow-up visit; I am the color of wax. Back into the hospital. It seems that the chest tube they'd put in for my collapsed lung allowed a serious infection in when they removed it.
I've just gotten out of the hospital. I have a nurse coming daily. They say I will be recuperating for two more months at home.
Please understand that because you all mean so much to me, I've written this long note. I won't be able to reply to a great many emails and such. This would be the best place to reply and I'll check it when I'm feeling up to it.
I hope you all had wonderful holidays and I wish you a happy, healthy and rewarding new year.
As always,
David
My GP found a black spot on my left lung on an x-ray during a regular check-up. That led to a CT scan and accompanying blood tests. The blood tests said there was not a thing wrong; the CT scan said I was quite ill. So, after month of steroid therapy, they repeated the process: blood still says healthy, but CT scan reveals that this rare "syndrome" I have--tree-in-bud--has tripled in size. This is a normal indicator of cancer, TB, or something as serious.
So, now they do a broncoscopy to look into the lung and take some samples. They went a touch too deeply on one and slightly punctured the lung. Two days later I'm in the hospital with a collapsed lung. I don't recommend them. So, while I'm in the hospital (don't forget: they still have NO idea what's wrong with me), they do a biopsy of the lung, then another broncoscopy. I was in the hospital until just after Christmas. They sent me home on new meds. I go see my pulmonary doctor for a follow-up visit; I am the color of wax. Back into the hospital. It seems that the chest tube they'd put in for my collapsed lung allowed a serious infection in when they removed it.
I've just gotten out of the hospital. I have a nurse coming daily. They say I will be recuperating for two more months at home.
Please understand that because you all mean so much to me, I've written this long note. I won't be able to reply to a great many emails and such. This would be the best place to reply and I'll check it when I'm feeling up to it.
I hope you all had wonderful holidays and I wish you a happy, healthy and rewarding new year.
As always,
David
