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All,
Last October, I was diagnosed with Appendix cancer after a cat scan. I had surgery (12.5 hours), in late January, was in the hospital for 17 days, and just returned to work full time last week. They took between 15 and 20 lbs of tumor out of my abdomen. This stuff grows in a jelly like substance resembling orange marmalade, and adheres to the outside of your organs and on your abdominal walls. It is not blood borne, and doesn't really spread beyond the abdominal cavity. Biggest danger is excessive growth in the small intestine. They took my spleen, gallbladder, omentum, and had previously taken my appendix during the diagnosis stage. They did not take part of my colon (I'm really happy about that!), so no issues with that, fortunately.
My surgeon, at MD Anderson in Houston, believes he got it all, and followed the surgery with a 90 minute chemo wash, which is designed to kill all remaining microscopic particles.
I had one setback during recovery, a follow up cat scan discovered a pulmonary embolism next to my right lung, and as a result, I've been giving myself daily injections of lovanox (blood thinner) and that is supposed to continue for six months total, or another three months. It is the only medication that I'm still taking other than a daily aspirin to keep the white cell count down. Since there is such a short duration remaining, and I've tolerated the injections well, they don't want to switch me to cumadin and would prefer to continue with the daily injections.
My AME told me to return after surgery, that he has "experience" with getting medicals back after cancer, and my surgeon says he's been through the process and has fighter pilots in the Air Force, and the Navy back flying, so I think I'm in good hands. But...
I'm not sure this AME has experience with this type of cancer. It's very rare. Only 300 to 1000 new cases per year in the US. I don't know if the type matters or not (do I need an expert in this type of cancer), and the biggest question is that I don't know when I can start the process?
I have a cat scan scheduled for May 2nd, but the surgeon tells me that it will establish a "baseline" going forward and we won't really know anything substantive until 3 months later, when they can compare both cat scans.
So, I'm looking for general advice as to when I can get back into the air, or at least when I can start getting there. I flew last week with my airplane partner (he was PIC), and my instrument instructor says I can fly with him (just can't log PIC). I was 10 hours from finishing my instrument rating when this happened. I'd like to get it done, plus I really miss flying now that I feel better.
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Last October, I was diagnosed with Appendix cancer after a cat scan. I had surgery (12.5 hours), in late January, was in the hospital for 17 days, and just returned to work full time last week. They took between 15 and 20 lbs of tumor out of my abdomen. This stuff grows in a jelly like substance resembling orange marmalade, and adheres to the outside of your organs and on your abdominal walls. It is not blood borne, and doesn't really spread beyond the abdominal cavity. Biggest danger is excessive growth in the small intestine. They took my spleen, gallbladder, omentum, and had previously taken my appendix during the diagnosis stage. They did not take part of my colon (I'm really happy about that!), so no issues with that, fortunately.
My surgeon, at MD Anderson in Houston, believes he got it all, and followed the surgery with a 90 minute chemo wash, which is designed to kill all remaining microscopic particles.
I had one setback during recovery, a follow up cat scan discovered a pulmonary embolism next to my right lung, and as a result, I've been giving myself daily injections of lovanox (blood thinner) and that is supposed to continue for six months total, or another three months. It is the only medication that I'm still taking other than a daily aspirin to keep the white cell count down. Since there is such a short duration remaining, and I've tolerated the injections well, they don't want to switch me to cumadin and would prefer to continue with the daily injections.
My AME told me to return after surgery, that he has "experience" with getting medicals back after cancer, and my surgeon says he's been through the process and has fighter pilots in the Air Force, and the Navy back flying, so I think I'm in good hands. But...
I'm not sure this AME has experience with this type of cancer. It's very rare. Only 300 to 1000 new cases per year in the US. I don't know if the type matters or not (do I need an expert in this type of cancer), and the biggest question is that I don't know when I can start the process?
I have a cat scan scheduled for May 2nd, but the surgeon tells me that it will establish a "baseline" going forward and we won't really know anything substantive until 3 months later, when they can compare both cat scans.
So, I'm looking for general advice as to when I can get back into the air, or at least when I can start getting there. I flew last week with my airplane partner (he was PIC), and my instrument instructor says I can fly with him (just can't log PIC). I was 10 hours from finishing my instrument rating when this happened. I'd like to get it done, plus I really miss flying now that I feel better.
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance!
