Woohoo! Another procedure!

Hello everyone, time for an update!

We found out yesterday that Karee will go in for another procedure next Thursday, May 24.  During this procedure, the E.N.T. will shave away the scar tissue from her trachea that was creating the stenosis/narrowing.  Also on the docket will be a check in with her lungs, to see how it's healing from the original bronchoscope.  The pulmonologist says he may do some more scar tissue removal down there, it depends on what he sees.

We're mostly hopeful at this juncture, although the E.N.T. seems to be pretty heavy handed in the medication department, telling Karee she'd be on steroids for months and months, and a proton pump inhibitor likely forever.  (His diagnosis was that she has 'silent reflux', reflux of the esophogus.)  This bit of the diagnosis was very upsetting.  Karee is having to rework her ideas about western medicine throughout this process, and until now she's received such a high level of respect and caring from her doctors, that this particular doctor came off looking not so good.  We've had conversations with other medical folks in the know who disagree considerably with the length of prescriptions involved, so the final chapter there has not been written.

As always, thanks so much for everyone's continued concern and support for Karee and all of us as we work through this, ahem, 'excitement'.  May is usually pretty crazy, but this May has been way over the top!

Thanks again,

Steve (and Karee and Miles and Ella)