The Diagnosis Unfolds...

May 23, 2024

At 11:00am, we met with the thoracic surgeon, who spent about five minutes examining Dylan before excusing himself to make a call. When he returned, he told us he'd arranged for a pulmonologist to meet us at the ER to remove the pleural effusion from Dylan's left chest cavity. We were whisked away to the ER. By 11:32am, Dylan was admitted, and the ER doctor began assessing him. Blood work and a chest X-ray were ordered. 15 minutes later, the pulmonologist came in and introduced himself and examined Dylan.

The plan was to send the pleural effusion specimen to pathology to determine a diagnosis. If that didn't work, they'd perform a soft-tissue biopsy of a swollen lymph node.

As they prepped for the thoracentesis, an ENT doctor examined the swollen lymph node near Dylan's collarbone, suggesting it might be easier to remove than the thoracic surgeon's approach.

The pulmonologist returned at 12:30 pm to set up for the procedure. He used ultrasound to guide the needle and catheter into Dylan's left side to drain the fluid. The procedure was over by 1:30 pm, and they removed 1500cc (about 50 oz) of straw-colored fluid. A post-procedure chest X-ray showed minimal pleural effusion remaining.

After the thoracentesis, Dylan was in high spirits, but his stomach was growling. We ordered Italian food through Grubhub from one of our favorite restaurants, Il Fornaio. Rigatoni all Vodka for me and Dylan and a salad for Brian.
The doctors decided it was best to admit Dylan to the hospital in case a soft-tissue biopsy was needed. I planned to stay the night, so I dashed out to buy some clothes and shoes, as I was wearing a summer dress and flip-flops. I grabbed dinner too, savory crepes and a strawberry crepe for dessert! Yum!

The wait for Dylan's room was long, and the ER beds were thin and uncomfortable and Dylan’s left shoulder was starting to ache. At 10:30pm, we were relieved to finally get transferred to a room with a thicker more comfortable mattress. With some pain relief in his system, he fell asleep pretty quickly. I settled in for the night, trying to get some rest in a reclining chair that wasn't exactly comfortable. The nurses were kind and didn't disturb us too much, except for a 5 am blood draw. Luckily, we're both early risers!

The next morning, I went down to the cafeteria to grab some breakfast, not wanting to torture Dylan with food while he was fasting for his pending surgery. When I returned, we took a walk around the hospital and explored the gift shop. We decided to pass the time with Legos and picked out a few sets for Brian to bring later.

By 2:00 pm, the pathology results were in, but they were inconclusive, so the ENT doctor came in to perform the biopsy. Just as we were about to head down to surgery, our pastor called to pray with us for a successful procedure and complete healing. Dylan was strong and inspiring, telling me not to worry because Jesus had him – hard to argue with that!

The surgery took a bit longer than expected, Brian and I sat in the surgery waiting room watching the board which told us that he was being prepped, to in the surgery room, to surgery started, to closing up, to finished and finally in recovery. The doctor came out to update us. The lymph node was about the size of a golf ball, and the doctor suspected lymphoma. Dylan recovered well from the anesthesia and was soon wheeled back to his room, a bit groggy but hungry. We ordered him two entrees, which arrived quickly Within an hour, he was up and walking. He was still hungry, so the first stop was the cafeteria where he got a little more food. We returned to his room, where he rested and built a Tie Fighter with Legos – a small victory in a long day.

After a while, the pulmonologist and ENT doctors came to visit, bearing good news: we could finally go home. They assured us that the pathology results would arrive by Tuesday, considering it was Memorial Day weekend. Dylan was thrilled to leave the hospital behind, and we quickly got him ready to depart. The IV came out, and he dressed in comfortable clothes, carefully covering his incision site to avoid irritation from his shirts.

With a sense of relief, we left the hospital and headed home. The break from the hospital routine was a welcome respite, and we cherished the time together as a family.

But then, on Memorial Day afternoon, our general doctor surprised us with an unexpected call. We braced ourselves for the news, and then it came: "Dylan has Hodgkin's lymphoma." The diagnosis hung in the air with none of us saying a word, a mix of emotions swirling around us. We took a deep breath, preparing for the journey ahead.

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