Rush University Hospital

We yesterday Buddy, Mom, Daddy and I went to Rush for my appointment. We were hopeful that we would get some kind of new information and hopefully surgery.
We saw quite a few doctors the first was Dr. Mohamed Farhat. We think he was a physician's assistant but he was a MD. He took looked at my medical history and asked me when all my symptoms started. Fortunately I had things all written down, Buddy suggested this which I thank him for, so I wouldn't need to talk so much.
We then saw Dr. Warren who we discovered was the surgeon. Up till this point we had never met with a surgeon. He told us that we had some options but surgery wasn't possible. But....there are some options. He told us that he could go in with a bronchoscope and burn the tumor down in the windpipe. This will not get rid of the cancer but, it would get airflow back into the right lung. They are afraid that if we don't get movement back into the right lung, secretions could build up. The right lung could get infected. I could develop pneumonia and possibly die.
He also said he may do some other things maybe not this time but another time. He doesn't know exactly what he'll find. He said the scans, CT and Pet are like an aerial view of the area.
So next Thursday,the 18th, we will be going to Rush and I'll be having my tumor burned off.
He did say that with my voice that the tumor or something was pinching the nerve to the vocal cords. He said there were things they could do to strengthen it. I won't be able to sing in the choir and it may never be the same tone. But it would help it a lot. But who knows, with God all things are possible. :-)
He was very nice, very informative and we really liked him.
We then saw Dr. Bonomi the medical oncologist. He agreed with burning the tumor. He talked of a C Kit mutation and a drug called cleevec to control the windpipe, nodules. I'm not certain about all that. I'll have to research that more.
Oh, and we saw a Dr. Kazi the psychologist. She was very nice. Asked about how I was feeling and doing with all of this. She was happy that I had a strong faith and such a strong network of support. She said not many people were as upbeat and positive as I have been at this stage of the process. She told us if we needed any help to contact her.
All 4 doctors were very nice, informative and gave very positive encouragement.
They said since I was so young being diagnosed that my prognosis is very good and that I could live a long a healthy life. The surgeon asked me what grade I taught and I said 1st and he said God bless you. Then Mom said that I was an assistant with special needs child and then he said that we need to get you back to work.
Also they all said I didn't look my age and that I couldn't have kids 28 and 24. So that helped my ego a lot. But Mom and Daddy have never looked their age either.
Please e-mail me if you would like. I love getting e-mails. I always did love getting mail. :-)
God is such a good God. He has sent us so many wonderful doctors and staff. He really is with us and he really does love all of us. This is all for his glory!