I got this update from my sister yesterday:
We got the pathology results today. Absolutely NO cancer. It was most likely a "fungus" I picked up on my trip. It was only going to get worse if left alone. It had the potential to be life threatening for me. A portion of the lung the doc removed was dead. The "nodes" that were biopsied showed carbon in them, as if I had "black lung". If it could have been biopsied, I might have been able to take care of it with a few weeks in the hospital. However, it was not in a place that could have been biopsied. So it is good to have had the surgery. I do not understand all I know about all of this. I just know I am very grateful NOT to have had cancer. So, the news is good. I do not know if there is further treatment required but I don't think so. I go back for follow up on Feb.16. I am sure if there was more to this, the doc would have let me know.
I am doing very well, but still in a lot of pain. I should be back to "normal" in 5 to 10 more weeks. What an eye opener this whole thing has been.
and this today:
It seems as if it is not over yet. My doctor called this afternoon to set me up with an appointment with an infectious disease pulmonary specialist. I will try to find a local doctor, but will have to be referred by Dr. XXXXX. This fungus is called histomplasmosis and needs to be treated or it will not go away. It could cause more granulomas or worse. It takes a very strong anti fungal called Amphoteracin B for a few days, to two weeks, in the hospital, and then an oral anti fungal for a TOTAL of 12 weeks of treatment. I do not know how involved the treatment will be. My appointment is on the 21st @ 4:00 pm in Raleigh. If we can find a "local" doctor, we might do that instead. At this point I am kind of disheartened not to have this be over and done with. Not a thing I can do, but to do what the doctor says.
so, my sister is not quite finished with this thing yet. Her doctor is still saying this is probably something she picked up on her drive from North Carolina to Las Vegas a few months ago. I have no idea of how you can either get something like this or how you can avoid this.
I just talked to my sis and we had a few laughs, we can almost always find something to laugh about and it's just a little more work lately. I could tell she was crying and then trying not to cry. It's hard to not be physically there but that is just not possible right now. At least she does have her quilt and she knows she has my love.
Does anyone here have any idea of how to go about trying to find a more local doctor for her to see for this treatment? She needs to find an infectious disease pulmonary specialist in the area that's near or fairly close to Harkers Island. Jeanne, do you have any idea of how to do an internet search for this specialist in a certain area? Or anyone else, please let me know.
Judie