Ian's Progress

Today we had the pre-op appointment with the doctor that will be doing Ian's biopsy. He's a cardiothoracic surgeon and will be performing a mediastinoscopy in order to retrieve some lymph tissue for pathology. Both he and the nurse were very nice and explained everything, including the risks involved. They also suggested Ian fill out an Advance Health Care Directive "just because," which really brought it home for me how serious everything is. I mean, he has to have surgery in order to figure out what's wrong with him.

We also got the results of his abdomen CTscan yesterday:

*History*

Extensive mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy

*Findings*

...Subcentimeter short axis diameter lymph nodes in the epigastrium, para-aortic areas, inguinal areas and mesentery. Given the lymphadenopathy in the chest followup surveillance is recommended.

Liver, adrenal glands pancreas and kidneys are unremarkable. Nonspecific 7mm low attenuation lesion in the posterior spleen.

Minimal spina bifida occulta L5 posteriorly.

*Impression*

Posterior inferior mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Subcentimeter short axis diameter lymph nodes in the abdomen or pelvis. Given the number of these and the lymphadenopathy in the chest, followup surveillance of the abdomen and pelvis is recommended when followup chest CTscan is obtained.

Nonspecific 7mm low attenuation lesion in the posterior spleen.

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The doctor also tried to say that we shouldn't jump to conclusions that it's lymphoma, though the other possibilities (infection, lung cancer, sarcoidosis) really don't match what we've seen. And like Ian said, I think I'll go with what Dr.Reed said since she's an internal medicine doc and former oncologist. But it's true, we really won't know what we're dealing with until we get a chunk of lymph out of Ian's chest.

Hopefully everything will be much clearer then. It's all quite scary and grey right now.

In other, happier, news we now have a niece! I got a message from my dad saying that Jim and Beki's daughter, Lucy Bleaux, was delivered by C-section today and everyone is doing great. More on that for sure! :)