Today is the Laser Bronchoscopy. We are to arrive at the hospital at 8am for check in, and the surgery is at approximately 9:30. To make sure there is no movement by Lisa during the process, she'll be put under general anesthesia rather than just sedation, and of course that means she'll be in recovery longer before they let her go home.
The goal of this "palliative" surgical procedure is to burn out the part of the tumor that is blocking a portion of the airway in her right lung, which is causing partial lung collapse and gives more risk of potential infection and pneumonia. The procedure should also help with Lisa's cough. Because the "laser on a stick" is only slightly flexible, it can't make the sharper turns in the airways like the more common broncoscopy tools used for taking images and biopsies do, so we're praying that the tumor is in the "right spot" for the laser to be able to do what the cardio-thorcic surgeon intends. We're also praying that Lisa's discomfort afterwards is minimal, especially considering that she has her next chemo treatment on the following day.
Of course, a miracle where the doctor looks into Lisa's airway at the beginning of the procedure and then looks up and and says, "No need for a laser... there's no tumor there now!" would be quite welcome.
Update from the hospital waiting room, 11am: The surgeon came out and told us everything went very well. The tumor was indeed in a "good spot" in the airway branches for lasering. He said they cleared out "a lot of crud" which includes parts of the tumor as well as fluid which had started to build up behind it in the collapsed area. He said he expects that Lisa should feel quite a bit better and her cough lessen significantly. He said it's unlikely she'll have any post-op pain associated with the lasering (but gave us a prescription just in case). Today's procedure shouldn't have any effect on Lisa being able to take the chemo tomorrow. This surgeon wants to see her in three weeks for a follow up office visit. This is the same surgeon who would be the person who removes part of Lisa's affected lung if that is deemed a beneficial future treatment.
Lisa will be in the O.R. Recovery for at least an hour... we hope to have her home in her own bed by around 1pm.
Update 5:30pm: Lisa had some post-surgery nausea, but the nurses gave her some extra stuff via the I.V. before it was was taken out, and also a scopalomine patch like we've used before when on cruises, and the nausea has now gone away. After getting home, Lisa slept until mid-afternoon, then got up and puttered around the kitchen, read and responded to emails, and had some jello :-) She has a slightly sore throat from being "tubed", but otherwise is doing very well.
Michael
