A week in a half after my procedure in Madrid, my doctors finally got together on the phone yesterday. The original surgeon, Dr. Miller from Dayton, who performed by “Lobectomy and sleeve resection” (lung surgery) passed on my complication from the surgery to Dr. Starnes in Cincinnati who has done three procedures to try to keep my bronchial tube open and my lungs functioning.
The third surgeon is Dr. Diaz. Other doctors in Spain tell us that he is the best thoracic surgeon in Spain. He did the bronchoscopy (stuck a camera in my lung to have a look) last week. When Starnes talked to Diaz she was pleasantly surprised that my bronchial tube was 6 mm (a normal tube is 12 mm) open four months after the last dilation (stretching of the bronchial tube). She expected that the tube would be completely closed off again by now. Not by scar tissue this time but by stenosis (kinking of the tube).
Where they disagree is that my surgeon is Spain thinks that I ought to have another surgery where they cut me open and fix that tube. He thinks further dilations won’t help. My surgeon in Cincinnati thinks that further dilations will help and that another surgery is unnecessary.
Where they DO agree is that for right now, if it stays at 6 mm then I am fine. Air is still flowing and the lungs are working. According to both doctor’s suggestion I will go back to Spain in four months and then we’ll see how open the tube is. If it’s still at 6 mm then we can thank God and hope that I never need another procedure again. We’ll see and thank God anyway whatever the outcome.
Hermano,
Que gusto tener buenas noticias de sus pulmones.
Tambien leo que la obra del Senor sigue hacia adelante y con mucha diligencia de parte de ustedes y del Espiritu Santo.
Es una gran bendicion tener noticias que el evangelio esta llegando a esta gente tan alejada.
Queria pedirle que ore por mi madre (Blanca Lopez) y su recuperacion.
Sufrio un derrame cerebral el fin de semana pasado y esta recuperandose.
Perdio movimiento en su lado derecho y el habla.
Gracias anticipadas. Sepa hermano que mis oraciones estan con los nacionales que con fervor esparcen la Semilla del poderoso plan del salvacion de Jesucristo.
Le cuento tambien que nos mudamos de Indiana a Maryland para un nuevo trabajo. Estoy cerca de Washington DC y encontramos una iglesia muy buena. Pensamos unirnos este domingo (manana). Tan pronto tenga un tiempo con ellos, le mencionare al Pastor de misiones sobre su obra y esperamos poder apoyarle financieramente en un futuro no lejano.
Que nuestro Senor le siga bendiciendo y le guarde en Sus manos.
En Cristo,
Juan Carlos