8/1- Meeting Dr. Cameron - UCLA

We meet with Dr. Robert Cameron yesterday at his office near UCLA. We both were really impressed with him and his practice. He has had more experience with these kinds of tumors and didn't feel that this was anything unusual. With that and the fact that his surgery schedule can get me in next week we have decided to go ahead and have the surgery with Dr. Cameron at UCLA medical center. I am scheduled for Tuesday, August 8th. He indicated that it will 5 days in the hospital and up to 12 weeks for recovery. We are trusting God it will be less than that!

Dr. Cameron requested a PET scan to confirm all the other findings with the tumor to make sure this is the best treatment for me. We did the PET scan yesterday after the appointment and just need to hear the results. I did my pre-op stuff today at CMH. They will fax the results over to UCLA. This includes an EKG and blood work. Some of his observations were: it doesn't look like it is affecting the heart, not sure if the lung or part of lung will need to be removed, there seems to be "dead cells" within the core of the tumor (could this be the working of God in disolving & removing it?), and that he is not sure that it is really encroaching upon any structures. He is familar with this type of tumor and has done a number of these.

I appreciate all the prayers that you all have been putting out for me and my family. I really felt the peace of God yesterday. I have a renewed sense of assurance about all of this. I know God is in this with me and will remain close by my side through it all. I really looking forward to being on the other side of this. I know God will work out all the details that come along with being out of commission for awhile. Please pray with me that the doctors will in someway be amazed and confounded by something. I pray the hand of God can show up in some way in this surgery. I praying the Lord will use me in whatever way to encourage other patients or hospital staff or whatever. I feel like this is a mini-missionary opportunity and I don't want to miss whatever it is God has for me to do for Him.

Larry will be updating the blog as often as possible to keep all of you in the know and also knowing how to pray as things come up!! Blessing to all of you!!