For all who are interested, this is the most recent update. I arrived home fine Tuesday at 6:00pm in Cleveland and my parents picked me up. (side note: if you ever fly, avoid Dulles in DC if at all possible, worst major airport ever made) I chilled out at home and ate some "traditional American food" compliments of my mom. The next morning we saw a doctor in Akron. He had performed a couple of minor surgeries for me before and knew my mom so he offered to help us through the process. After a roller coaster day at the hospital and nearly 2 hours of MRI scanning, the current diagnosis is some word that is way to big for me to remember. Basically, there is one primary tumor on the end of my spinal cord and a bigger chunk of tumor in my lower back. The one on the spinal cord is the most dangerous, but the one in my lower back is causing most of the pain. The game plan is to have surgery to remove the main tumor on the end of my spinal cord because it's in the most dangerous location, and then I will have about 6 weeks of daily radiation treatment to shrink the one in my lower back so that it is no longer painful. Fortunately, they believe the tumor is benign so there shouldn't be a need for any chemotherapy treatments. After this process we will have to monitor my back with regular MRI scans because the main tumor "burst" at some point and spread small pieces of the tumor up my spinal cord. As long as we watch them they should not be dangerous, but if any grew rapidly we would have to go get them as well.
This is my understanding of what the doctor said and this is all preliminary diagnosis. After the surgery, they will analyze to tumor to see what type it is. All in All, the doctor believes this to be very treatable and he has done this same surgery before. The only bummer is that we will more than likely be chasing these tumors indefinitely. Surgery is scheduled for Monday at 11:00am (or Tuesday at midnight on Korean Time). There are some big dangers with this surgery, so pray for some good hands for the doctor as he's doing his thing! After surgery I will have a couple days of recovery in the hospital then a few weeks of chill time. Thanks for all your prayers and support, I really have felt the encouragement of everyone in a huge way!
- Patrick
4 comments:
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10)
patrick~!
you will be better~! i believe that! :)
and my friend and family pray for you
don't forget people who live in korea also pray for you
and after you go home, we never played star-craft.
hahaha =D
Hey, after all thing finish well, come to battlenet ! kk
hi patrick^^ this is dayoung.
oh.. after you have gone, i have felf very anxious about your conditions.
but that's a relief now.
first, because that tumor is not malignant but benign,
i think the prognosis of surgery will be better.
second, your disease is curable, treatable and expectable in the field of low back pain.
as you might be aware, most of the cause of back pain(espeacially lumbar part) still has been elusive.
so there are many patients who suffer from serious low back pain.
also even though they experience extreme pain, the results of their x-ray, MRI, CT scan image are normal!
u know it's so ironic.
all things considered, i think your conditions are extremely fortunate.
there are sunny days ahead. so don't worry about that :)
moreover, whenever possible before going to bed at night,
i would pray to god for a cure for your disease.
and every GV students also hope that your health would improve in leaps and bounds.
when i visit your blog next time, i trust to hear better news ^^
bye my "pretty" son!
GOD BLESS YOU!
from your 2nd mother (hahahahahahaha lol)
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