Probably, Maybe, Possibly, Depends

We heard those words a lot today at Eric's appointment with the tumor specialist, who happens to be the surgeon as well. Here's what we do know for sure:

Eric's CT scan came back negative meaning that the tumor hasn't spread elsewhere. The surgeon has decided that since the tumor will need to come out no matter what, he'll skip the biopsy and go straight to surgery. During surgery he'll remove all of the tumor and send some of it to pathology so they can determine exactly what kind of tumor it is. The surgeon will also install a screw and plate to provide structural support for Eric's pelvic bone as he recovers from the surgery. One of Eric's first comments after the appointment was, "Now I'll set off metal detectors!"

The surgery will be done first thing Friday morning and will last about two hours. Eric will stay overnight and should be released on Saturday afternoon. He'll be out of work for about a week and on crutches for six weeks. He is NOT happy about that. About a week after surgery we should get a response from pathology and then we'll go from there. Dr. W still thinks the tumor is most likely benign since it has distinct borders and Eric seems to be in good health otherwise.

I'll probably update again sometime this weekend and you can always check Eric's blog for his view on this and other things. Thanks for the prayers, and keep them coming!