OK, Ladies & Gents...it's showtime!!

Review of Thursday
--longer than we thought, due to 2 different waits, plus unexpected bloodwork (2 different sticks! Yippee!)
Got out of MDA at...*drum roll*...5:05 p.m., which is an ideal time to be driving, so long as you're not doing so in/near Houston. But, we improvised after the "shortcut" we were told about led us to a dead end. And due to Lisa's superior map-improv skills, plus the grace of God, we made it directly to the excellent Tex-Mex restaurant down in Friendswood (about 22 miles) without much delay, and with less traffic than we face in Hattiesburg.
--met w/ surgeon, & was very impressed
He explained the procedure (see below) and said he'd likely keep me in the hospital until Sunday. Reiterated that I'd be a bit sore, but that I'd be fully "functional" by next week. Unfortunately, he said that I'd be able to drive so long as I've not taken my magic pain pill. I was planning on being an irritating right-seat driver for 7.5 hours.
--met w/ an anesthesiologist
He asked questions, ordered one more piece of bloodwork--the non-trivial "type & cross" for those of you who watch ER. Apparently, it's a fairly significant piece of the puzzle to have blood on hand that actually matches my own before I undergo surgery...*smile*
--ate a vast quantity of most excellent Tex-Mex tonight
(of course, not having had any lunch increased both the quantity and the excellence of tonight's meal)
--alas, no Indy Jones viewing, due to unexpected length of the day

Tomorrow's Procedure:
3 small incisions more or less under the left arm. (very similar to laproscopic surgery on gall stones, actually, for those who know about such things) Video & knife passed into left lung, using an instrument that actually cauterizes as it goes along (thus, nurse said I'd probably only lose a cup of blood; I've lost more than that in an afternoon on oyster shells back home as a kid...) The plan is to make my left lung disease free by removing 3 lesions--technically, removing wedges around & including the 3 lesions. He said he'd fairly instantly know what in the round world we're dealing with in terms of lung cancer, melanoma, or whatever (big prayer point there! That determines the next phase of Mike's medical adventure) There's a chance that he'll have to widen an incision to get his hand in there if he can't find the lesions w/ the video thingy. (prayer point there, for this not to be necessary) He'll leave a chest tube in to keep my lung from collapsing, which sounds like a fabulous plan to me.

This will not be my most restful weekend; every 30 min. while awake, and every 2 hours in the night time, I'll have to do breathing & coughing exercises. I'm really not eagerly anticipating being awakened every 2 hours Friday & Saturday night while recoving from surgery and forced to do deep breathing & mandatory coughing...

There's a small chance he'll have to leave the chest tube in when we head home, which means coming back & having it taken out next week. It'd be groovy with us for that not to happen. (prayer point there) We like Tex-Mex & all, but we'd like it more were it in Hattiesburg, MS & not 7.5 hours away...

No coffee for me in the a.m., which is a total bummer, and means that nobody better cut me off in traffic on the way up to MDA...I'll be packing a big truck with a V8 engine & a bad uncaffeinated 'tude...and I'm not afraid to use 'em! *grin*

Lisa will be staying with me in the room; all rooms are private, and there is a foldout couch of some sort. Regrettably for her, she will not have one of those cool pain-drug pumps like I'll have. (Of course, she won't be having the actual pain either...)

Assuming we do in fact get out Sunday (prayer point there), we'll likely come back down here to Friendswood (SE of downtown Houston) to spend the night and then come home Monday. If we were to get out early enough Sunday, we'd come back down here & pick up the non-MDA stuff of ours & then head on home Sunday.

So there it is, folks. We roll out of here about 6:20 a.m. tomorrow, heading up to MDA for a happening weekend...one that will be one of the more significant weekends of my entire 49 year life span.

Thanks so very much for holding us up in prayer. Were fine, all things considered, and are anxious to get on with this huge part of the process. Lisa, James, Anne, & I are so very honored and blessed by you. Thanks for being instruments of God's grace into our lives during these days. Consider yourself hugged. (especially since it may be a while before I'm doing any actual hugging...)

With much love and great hope,
Mike - 2 Cor. 4:7-8, 16-18

p.s. - got inked up out here today; a really cool (temporary) tattoo on the right side of my chest that says RYM. "Y" means "yes, cut on this side," and "RM" is my Dr.'s initials. I'm thinking of making it permament (note to Mom: not really...) *smile*