DOWNEY RANCH, Inc.
Registered & Commercial Angus Cattle in Wamego, KS
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Spot Be Gone

9/6/2016

18 Comments

 
He made it sound so simple. So straightforward. So easy. It's growing, he said. In fact, it's doubled in size, so we need to do something about it. I would recommend we surgically remove it. Pull the weed by the roots from the garden. We could irradiate it, or ablate it (with heat or cold), try more chemo, but none of those gives 100% control. With surgery, we get it all. We could go minimally invasive, but I'd have to remove lung by anatomic sections instead of by feel and you'll lose more. You're a runner, so we want to preserve as much lung tissue as possible. So, I'd recommend we do a wedge resection via thoracotomy. I'll cut under your arm up to your shoulder blade, through a rib and the muscles and move everything aside. From there, imagine a pea inside a basketball. I'll make a wedge shaped cut down to the tumor and remove it. Then, I'll feel the rest of your right lung. Even though the CT shows only the one nodule,I'll be able to assess the middle and lower lobes too and address any areas of concern. Any questions?

Nope. Seems pretty straight forward Doc. Questions? Questions I know the answer to, I don't really need to ask, right? I used to say that phrase in a very flip manner, mostly in regards to situations where I've heard it said it's better to ask forgiveness than permission, as in, "Are we allowed to do that?" "Questions I know the answer to, I don't really need to ask." Wink, wink. Well, I wasn't feeling quite so flip this time, but the principle still held. I knew the answers. Is it going to hurt, I wanted to ask? Yep. Will it show up again? Maybe. Maybe not. We don't know. Will everything be OK? Will anything ever be the same? Can I rewind 2 years and get a do-over?

I'm scheduled for surgery on Friday, Sept. 16 down at MD Anderson. My surgeon is Dr Wayne Hofstetter. He's Deputy Chair of the Dept. of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, so he has some pretty impressive credentials. He's about my age and wants to own a ranch someday. We'll have to invite him for a visit. Maybe I'll bring him a Downey Ranch hat. In any event, we sat there the other day together going over all of this and he took out a little purple marker and proceeded to graffiti me. On my ribs under my right arm, he wrote,
Picture
I've been tagged.
Those are his initials, and the "yes" indicates this is the correct location. Wouldn't want to start whacking at the wrong lung. He gave me the marker, because as I shower, or work up a good running sweat, I'll need to redraw it periodically. Hmmm. I have the marker. Maybe I should take this unique opportunity to write some other message. I've thought about drawing a zipper where they'll be cutting. I've thought about writing "Boston Marathon Runner." "Good luck!" crossed my mind, but didn't seem quite right. "Measure twice, cut once." sounds a little too Bob Vila. Actually, a treasure map just occurred to me. I may have to get some more markers.
Picture
Maybe we'll make this another contest. Although, after the "Save the Anus" debacle, I'm more than a little worried about what you all will come up with. But what the heck. Here goes nothing. Put your suggestions in the comments section below and we'll have a few laughs. Of course, I'll be already under by the time our artistic endeavors are revealed to the prep team, but if we're really creative, I should hear about it afterwards. Have fun with this, folks - nothing's sacred. We could all use the laughs!
18 Comments
Dean Hawkins
9/7/2016 01:15:44 am

"This side up"

Reply
Bill McDonald
9/7/2016 05:47:48 am

Spot Remover Goes Here!!!

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Chip Klumpp
9/7/2016 06:46:06 am

Barb, I remember you parading around football games in high school with you WIO sign. That is how I would mark the spot.

All our best and prayers,

The Klumpps

Reply
Tim link
9/7/2016 06:59:09 am

Three hour tour! Prayers Barb and family.

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Mark Gardiner
9/7/2016 07:37:04 am

Get the Hell out of Dodge!

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Richard Poland
9/7/2016 07:51:08 am

See Spot Run away!!! Praying for you all!

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Jason Hitch
9/7/2016 08:52:34 am

We will be praying that the spot remover works this time. Keep your chin up and enjoy each day with the family and cattle.

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Kerry Ninemire
9/7/2016 09:24:37 am

The great orator, Cicero, told his nemesis, Catoline:
Purga Urbem, profiscere. That is Latin which means:
Purify the city, LEAVE IT.
And so, Spot, purify the lung: LEAVE IT.

Reply
Nancy Newlin Cady
9/7/2016 12:10:47 pm

Do not open until Christmas!
Prayers and good humor wished upon you in abundance.

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Janette Halliday
9/7/2016 12:51:27 pm

Out Damn Spot!

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Joe LaBarbera
9/7/2016 01:43:31 pm

My contest entry is..."Barb Gets Wedgied"...or "It's Wedgie Time"
Disclaimer...no elastic was harmed in the demise of "Spot"

Reply
Magdalana
9/7/2016 02:59:53 pm

Yes, cancer free!
Look out Europe here I come. :0)

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Love,
The Heise Family

Reply
Randy Davis
9/8/2016 06:01:04 am

Barb, Hoffstetter has worked on me twice. The first time was in 2007 when he assisted Dr. Wood to do some tricky work on my vena cava, then This past December being the latest he removed the lower lobe of my right lung. You are in the hands of the best. I had the same picture on my rib cage! Good luck.

Reply
Barb
9/8/2016 07:39:46 am

Well, it's a small world! Glad you're doing well!

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Sandra Utter Levering
9/9/2016 01:34:11 am

Spot Removal Site. Git Spot, git!!

Reply
Linda Maclean
9/9/2016 08:12:11 am

Lady Macbeth Cleaners
"She guarantees to get the spot out"

Reply
Stephanie Manes
9/9/2016 09:45:46 am

Maybe one of those psycho-analysis ink spots ..... in an unambiguous shape. ;-)

Reply
Arnold link
4/15/2019 07:30:09 pm

Prayers to you Barb and Family!

Reply



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    Barb Downey

    On Dec. 5, 2014, I was diagnosed with rectal cancer. And that's where we start. If you're here for the first time, you'll have to read from the bottom (no pun intended!) up. Go to Dec 2014 and scroll to the bottom of the page...

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Downey Ranch, Inc.
Joe Carpenter & Barb Downey
37929 Wabaunsee Rd.
Wamego, KS  66547

(785) 456-8160 - Ranch
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(785) 556-8161 - Joe mobile


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