Well the time has come for me to step up to the plate for the Big RC. I am of coarse hoping for a home run of success. I will have it done by the robotic Da-vinci machine / regular on the 21st of Dec. I am lucky to have one of the leading doctors in doing RC this way Dr. Menon for Robotics and Dr. Peabody that does the neo build. They are at Henry ford hospital in Detroit, Mi. He has been doing them for over 6 years that I know of, I know a man he did 5 years ago, I talked to him Friday. He can not say nothing but good about this Doctor. This guy is on the board of directors for this hospital. The hospital is only 40 min drive from my house.
The choice to have this done is easy because it is to do or as they say Die. If you read some of my past post I have been on this road for almost 2 years. I was offered chemo to save organs with 70 percent chance but it still could come back. As some may know my left ureter is blocked, This is a very tuff choice of ways to have this done. Due to several reasons all of this talked about on our forum . MY uro that has taking care of me up to now is Dr. Pontes of with Karmonas Cancer Center also in Detroit is an older guy about 65 he thinks robotics is a gimmick, his words. Is very well known and highly respected as is Dr, Menon and Dr. Pebody. Dr. Pontes said surgery would be only 4 to 6 hours 5 to 7 days in hospital; the robotic team says it will be 9 hours and 3 to 4 days in hospital. I am not sure why so much difference. Now I have been warned that there is a slight chance I will have an external pouch. I am ready for that also as I can handle it, I have talked to some here and they are doing just fine with this system. No reason why I can’t handle it. I am 58 years old , 180 and 5 foot 8 inches tall, some what muscular so all the doctors say I am in good shape for this surgery. Other than the BC I am in pretty good condition. So I will cancel with Dr. Pontes some time on Monday. By the way I work in concrete so it is important that I stay in as good of condition as possible, don’t want to work my crew to hard if the old man here can’t help. Some say it is time for me to slow down. So I might just do that this year.
The physician assistant said they will cath me and put one tube into each ureter then connect them together with Foley in inside the neo and then close neo around it, In two weeks if all is well they pull them out somehow. I know how cath comes out maybe they go in and grab the other tubes, I will ask about this. Has anyone heard of putting the tubes together like this? I am planning on keeping a journal as this goes along. So we will have another source of information for others after me to make there choice.
By the way I refuse to let this upcoming surgery, ruin the next 13 days. I am going to enjoy life as always, well at least in betwenn going to take a pea, I of coarse must give up my flying for as long as it takes to recover. That means no more Angle or Wings of Mercy flights for a long time. I am open for suggestions and comments from all of you in BC land.
Don Was a skypilot, now a he is road pilot
