Support Heywood's Lung Cancer Recovery

Well, this certainly needs quite an update.

First, thank you to everyone who has helped out so far! It means the world to me.

That being said, as I originally wrote, I had a right lower lung lobectomy on Jan. 13, 2025. The surgery was to remove the lung lobe and a cancer mass in it. It was done robotically and at the time it was done, we thought it would be a recovery period -- but it turned out to be a medical nightmare.

10 days after the original surgery, the "stump" -- where my lobe had been but was not a surgically closed off area -- failed in a rare complication called a fistula. As result, my lung collapsed and tore from the base up along the inner side of the lung -- a "rend" it was called -- that went to the entrance of the lung for the bronchus.

Eary in the morning of Jan. 24, an emergency thoracotomy was performed. There's a scar from my shoulder blade to my arm pit now -- plus several more from the chest tubes and the original robotic surgery. The surgeon was able to repair the lung and I survived (barely). I had several infections both before and the thoracotomy and following.

I also developed a second complication -- a piece of suture had been left in the airway during the Jan. 24 surgery (understandable because the goal was getting the lung inflated and working, not necessarily making pretty stitches.) That piece of suture fluttered about in my airway until April 2, when it was removed by U of M interventional pulmonology in Ann Arbor. It has collected so much debris it was nearly blocking the airway completely. It was also holding back and allowing to grow 5 more types of bacteria in my lungs and a fungus. We could not begin chemotherapy while treating those.

And I was certainly not able to perform at full strength -- or for a full time hours -- during this recovery period.

But finally -- June 25 we had the port installed (and we prepared for a potential infection, adding additional antibiotics just in case). And on July 8, I had my first chemo infusion.

I began a Family Medical Leave Act on July 10. I had already chewed up all my accrued vacation and leave time well before this (a total of about 30 days in the two different hospitals will do that to you).

So, what I had planned to be a 6 month slow down in my life from Jan. 13 to about June 13, will end up being at least another 6 months. I anticipate the chemo infusions to end on Sept. 9, but will be on leave until Oct. 1 so I can recover some strength.

That leaves with virtually no income. Now I am applying for some short-term disability from my work, and I pay for the coverage, but it could take weeks for that to get approved and start arriving. It also is only paid as a paper check. No direct deposit. I have been quite frugal with the donations thus far and have socked away enough to cover about a month of expenses. But anything you can contribute would be very helpful. Thank you all.

And let's get this chemo outta here and get on with the living!

If you want a bit more on the journey so far, I had the extraordinary opportunity to meet one of the people who saved my life on Jan. 23, when my oxygen was just 30%. Our team took the opportunity to tell that story -- and mine -- here is the link: https://www.wlns.com/top-stories/ambulance-rides-save-lives/