While I would have liked to have better news for you, it did not work out that way. Sherry and Jane have probably let you know what happened yesterday. Mario is doing much better than most people in dealing with the news. Sherry arrives tomorrow to be with him, which will help his spirits. He likely will be well enough to travel home by early next week.
Our Miami doctor found that the tumor did not appear to be a benign schwannoma as we thought. Overwhelmingly, these schwannoma tumors are non-cancerous, but a few are cancerous. Apparently Mario has one of the bad kind. Since the tumor appeared to be malignant and in/on the sciatic nerve, our doctor opined that he could do more harm than good by removing it. A biopsy was taken to determine if it is malignant (cancerous) and the type of cancer that it is. This pathology will help the doctors determine cancer treatment options, such as chemotherapy or radiation. It takes about a week to get these results, which will help determine the best approach.
We do have some good news. This morning (Thursday) the catheter was removed and Mario walked down the hall. He looks strong, recovering from his surgery very well and most importantly in very good spirits. I am very proud how well he is handling this. I am not sure I could do as well… Recovering from the surgery and gaining this strength back is the short-term goal. He still has the same pain in his foot, plus now postoperative muscle pain in his thigh. He is getting pain medication, which is helping some with surgery pain.
We have to plan for the next stage to help Mario and Sherry get through this. I know that they are in your thoughts and prayers.
Ciao, Mario L.
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