Can I Get a WOOT WOOT!

I love Rafat Ansari.


I am seriously contemplating having that prominently tattooed on my body.


Talking with him makes me feel like things are going to be just fine. I love that about him. Obviously things went very well with Johnny's doctor appointment today, or I wouldn't even consider an "I heart Rafat" tattoo.

Our first concern was the PET scan. Dr. Ansari explained that having three different radiologist reading each scan was the problem. Imagine three people standing in front of a Picasso painting. Each will see something and explain the painting completely different than the other. Same deal here. He feels that the lesions were all on the last scan, but that they appear to be more like scars from healed lesions so they weren't mentioned last time. This time the radiologist felt like it was comment-worthy, thus six lesions versus two lesions.

The MRI report was more accurate with lesion measurements and locations and goes along with what was reported on the previous MRIs. Dr. Ansari felt that this was a much more accurate description of what is actually going on in Johnny's liver.


Dr. Ansari was really pleased with the results from the colonoscopy as well. Even though there is only a small ulcer left, he said that without a doubt it has to come out. We figured as much and it actually makes us feel better to know that it is going to be removed. We still don't know what this means in relation to a temporary/permanent colostomy. I think it drastically improves our chances for avoiding a colostomy altogether.


As far as the lesions in the liver and how they will be handled is up to the surgeon in Indianapolis. Dr. Ansari believes that he will remove the biggest two lesions and possibly some of the other ones that appear to be scars. At the very least he will take tissue samples from the small lesions that will be checked by a pathologist while Johnny is still in surgery. Minimally, they will do radiofrequency ablation (basically burn them) on the small scar-like lesions just to make sure they don't decide to grow up to be big lesions.


Now we move on to the next step which is our visit to Indy next Tuesday. Hopefully, Dr. House will be as great as Dr. Ansari and when we leave his office we will be completely confident with the plan. I already feel pretty good about it, to tell you the truth.


Johnny and I talked a lot about the surgery. He just wants to hear Dr. House say that it is an operation that he can perform. He still feels like it is up in the air whether or not Dr. House will accept the challenge. I'm relatively confident that he is going to rub his hands together while salivating over the opportunity to get at Johnny's liver. I am also concerned about the operation itself and all the things that can go on during a surgery (this is another one of those situation where a little knowledge goes a long way). Johnny is more concerned about the recovery. Dr. Ansari said that it will be about 2-3 months before Johnny will be up and around on his own. I know that open abdominal surgeries are a tough recovery, but I think Johnny being young and in relatively good shape is to his advantage. Again, this is where that butt-smokin' hot thing with healing comes in to play.


Until next Tuesday I will be praying my socks off that Dr. House not only feels like this surgery is do-able, but is anxious to accept the challenge and can get the surgery scheduled as soon as possible. We are hoping within a week of the office visit that we will be able to get on the surgery schedule. I will definitely make sure that it is his first surgery of the day, on a day when Dr. House hasn't been on call the night before, that he hasn't had a recent fight with his wife, and that he has a nutritionally complete hot breakfast. I'll even provide the breakfast.

I'll just need you guys to continue providing the prayers.