cancelled lung surgery

Mary, I am sorry that you and your husband are having to go through all this. It is a lot to handle. And I admire your strength in not yet telling your husband about the canceled surgery. There is absolutely nothing he can do about it over the weekend except wonder and worry. Discretion at this time is a selfless act. 

You say that you saw on the Moffitt patient portal that your husband's surgery has been canceled. Therefore, you must have registered for this service. You can go on your patient portal and read your husband's reports– office visits, radiology reports, etc. Most Moffitt doctors do post the reports, some do not (which pisses me off royally). Once you have read the available reports, you may understand more about the surgeon's findings and why the lung surgery was canceled. Please advise us about what you find out.

However, remember that melanoma and its treament is hard on the body. Even treatments that work can have a lot of difficult side effects, nausea or loss of appetite, and extreme fatigue. Lung surgery is also hard on the body. Why make your husband more miserable and un comfortable and make it harder for his body to fight the melanoma if it's not absolutely necessary at this time?

Furthermore, if he has surgery, he will probably have to heal for at least 3 or 4 weeks before he can start any melanoma treatment. That's a scary thought, too. You will know for sure when you talk to your doctor on Monday. But my guess is not that the doctors are throwing up their hands and saying, "Why bother with the lung surgery? This guy is a goner." They're probably saying, "Since the lung cancer is only Stage 1, let's get this melanoma under control first and then turn our attention to the lung cancer." That would be my guess.

Mary, I am sorry that you and your husband are having to go through all this. It is a lot to handle. And I admire your strength in not yet telling your husband about the canceled surgery. There is absolutely nothing he can do about it over the weekend except wonder and worry. Discretion at this time is a selfless act. 

You say that you saw on the Moffitt patient portal that your husband's surgery has been canceled. Therefore, you must have registered for this service. You can go on your patient portal and read your husband's reports– office visits, radiology reports, etc. Most Moffitt doctors do post the reports, some do not (which pisses me off royally). Once you have read the available reports, you may understand more about the surgeon's findings and why the lung surgery was canceled. Please advise us about what you find out.

However, remember that melanoma and its treament is hard on the body. Even treatments that work can have a lot of difficult side effects, nausea or loss of appetite, and extreme fatigue. Lung surgery is also hard on the body. Why make your husband more miserable and un comfortable and make it harder for his body to fight the melanoma if it's not absolutely necessary at this time?

Furthermore, if he has surgery, he will probably have to heal for at least 3 or 4 weeks before he can start any melanoma treatment. That's a scary thought, too. You will know for sure when you talk to your doctor on Monday. But my guess is not that the doctors are throwing up their hands and saying, "Why bother with the lung surgery? This guy is a goner." They're probably saying, "Since the lung cancer is only Stage 1, let's get this melanoma under control first and then turn our attention to the lung cancer." That would be my guess.

Mary, I am sorry that you and your husband are having to go through all this. It is a lot to handle. And I admire your strength in not yet telling your husband about the canceled surgery. There is absolutely nothing he can do about it over the weekend except wonder and worry. Discretion at this time is a selfless act. 

You say that you saw on the Moffitt patient portal that your husband's surgery has been canceled. Therefore, you must have registered for this service. You can go on your patient portal and read your husband's reports– office visits, radiology reports, etc. Most Moffitt doctors do post the reports, some do not (which pisses me off royally). Once you have read the available reports, you may understand more about the surgeon's findings and why the lung surgery was canceled. Please advise us about what you find out.

However, remember that melanoma and its treament is hard on the body. Even treatments that work can have a lot of difficult side effects, nausea or loss of appetite, and extreme fatigue. Lung surgery is also hard on the body. Why make your husband more miserable and un comfortable and make it harder for his body to fight the melanoma if it's not absolutely necessary at this time?

Furthermore, if he has surgery, he will probably have to heal for at least 3 or 4 weeks before he can start any melanoma treatment. That's a scary thought, too. You will know for sure when you talk to your doctor on Monday. But my guess is not that the doctors are throwing up their hands and saying, "Why bother with the lung surgery? This guy is a goner." They're probably saying, "Since the lung cancer is only Stage 1, let's get this melanoma under control first and then turn our attention to the lung cancer." That would be my guess.

I agree with POW.  They are basically trying to take care of the most pressing medical issues first and stage IV melanoma trumps stage I lung cancer.  Get the melanoma under control and then deal with the lung cancer.  No reason to do a highly invasive surgery at this point in time.  My father had his stage I lung cancer radiated and basically had fatigue and a skin burn as the only side effects.  That was close to 4 years ago and the lung cancer has remained stable.  They monitor it, but concentrate more on my Dad's stage IV melanoma.  He has chosen no treatment at this time, however, at age 88.

I agree with POW.  They are basically trying to take care of the most pressing medical issues first and stage IV melanoma trumps stage I lung cancer.  Get the melanoma under control and then deal with the lung cancer.  No reason to do a highly invasive surgery at this point in time.  My father had his stage I lung cancer radiated and basically had fatigue and a skin burn as the only side effects.  That was close to 4 years ago and the lung cancer has remained stable.  They monitor it, but concentrate more on my Dad's stage IV melanoma.  He has chosen no treatment at this time, however, at age 88.

I agree with POW.  They are basically trying to take care of the most pressing medical issues first and stage IV melanoma trumps stage I lung cancer.  Get the melanoma under control and then deal with the lung cancer.  No reason to do a highly invasive surgery at this point in time.  My father had his stage I lung cancer radiated and basically had fatigue and a skin burn as the only side effects.  That was close to 4 years ago and the lung cancer has remained stable.  They monitor it, but concentrate more on my Dad's stage IV melanoma.  He has chosen no treatment at this time, however, at age 88.

They told me that I had too many fast growing/spreading tumors to operate on my lungs, that it would be better to start systemic treatment as soon as possible.    I jumped immediately for IL-2 (the only systemic available then).  I'm still here over 6 years later.  No holes in my chest due to melanoma yet.

They told me that I had too many fast growing/spreading tumors to operate on my lungs, that it would be better to start systemic treatment as soon as possible.    I jumped immediately for IL-2 (the only systemic available then).  I'm still here over 6 years later.  No holes in my chest due to melanoma yet.

They told me that I had too many fast growing/spreading tumors to operate on my lungs, that it would be better to start systemic treatment as soon as possible.    I jumped immediately for IL-2 (the only systemic available then).  I'm still here over 6 years later.  No holes in my chest due to melanoma yet.