Tom's Update

My blog has been "google-ized" so it has taken me a few moments (days? weeks?) to get back on board. Tom has two aneurysms of the aorta in his abdomen, one above the other. The doctor, rather surgeon, has suggested Tom wait until they are larger and then determine the best procedure to follow. Abdominal surgery is risky and requires a difficult recovery. Dr. Cook hopes to have studied and perfected the new stent graft procedure currently being developed in England, and then he can perform that on Tom later this year. The next CT scan is scheduled for 7/17 to make sure the aneurysms are not getting too big or growing too quickly. The idea is that it took many years for them to reach their current size of 3.8 cm and 5 cm and they will stay dormant until the end of the year. Cross your fingers. More on this in July.

A new twist today is Tom's chronic bronchitis that has been coming on and being treated since January. Today he had several pulmonary tests on his lungs, what else? and was told his oxygen levels are good, lung capacity is diminished somewhat, and when albuterol is used, lung capacity increases 24%, which the technician says is "significant". He may have to begin using inhalers. The culprit is many things, diabetes, heart disease, bad arteries! More later....