Friday, March 13, 2009

Halftime score: Evan 2 Melanoma 1

The mother of the chief author of this blog has requested less medical speak and more plain English. Here goes. Midway through this challenge, the first surgeon, Dr. Olilla, has just spent a few minutes detailing how Evan is doing, what was found, what was done, what is going on now.

In order:

Evan has done well with this first part of the procedure and is tolerating things well.

Multiple lymph nodes in the left armpit were indicative of some tumor metastasis. The extent or current activity will be determined by pathologists.

The primary tumor was excised down to his rib cage taking all the muscles and tissue from the outside to that depth with wide margins in all directions. The entire left arm pit lymph network and lymph nodes was removed, and a drain to prevent lymphedema was placed.

Reconstruction will begin as soon as the plastic surgeon, Dr. Van Allst determines the plan of action upon looking at the defect (great big hole to be filled)

None of this is unexpected, none is easy to hear. Evan is in God’s hands via the hands of surgeons and nurses, and we reside at a place of personal peace not possible without the many prayers being offered on our behalf. As we say, “God is good, all the time; and All the time, God is good!”

More news in a couple of hours.

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