We met with Dr. Krishnan early in the morning. His Nurse Practitioner, Kristin, met with us first to discuss with us the tumor, its location, and the three modalities of treatment: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. After a throrough explanation of each, Kristin explained to us the surgical course.
Surgery would likely be a two-pronged process. She explained that for our dad, the entire upper left lobe would be removed--a lobectomy, which would be a removal of approximately 40% of the left lung. Because of the concern for chest wall invasion, Dr. Krishnan would determine, during surgery, whether to conduct a traditional thoracotomy, where rib area would also be removed. She explained that our dad is a good candidate for this surgery because (1) the tumor appears localized, (2) he is in otherwise good health.
In order to prepare and be approved for surgery, our dad would have to (1) have a clear bone scan, (2) pass a stress test to ensure his heart would be strong enough for the surgery, and (3) pass a Pulmonary Function Test (PST) to ensure his lungs are capable of this type of procedure and life adaptation. Both Kristin and Dr. Krishnan suggested their confidence that we would be able to move forward with the surgery.
Dr. Krishnan explained that because of the suspected involvement of the chest wall, following approximately 4 weeks recovery from surgery, a course of chemotherapy would be likely for our dad.
We left this appointment with the surgery scheduled for Thursday, March 12th at 8am. Our dad really, really liked both Dr. Krishnan and Kristin, his nurse practitioner. Both had an amazing capacity to articulate our dad's treatment course, as well as an ability to empathize with our dad and us as we prepare to move forward. They were truly wonderful to meet.
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