Ellen, I'm grateful for your response. He has a feeding tube, which they inserted in his stomach, and a port in his chest before beginning any other treatments. Only the radiation doctor was able to instill in us a sense of confidence. He appears to be the only person who is willing to offer any sort of prognosis, even if it is 6 to 12 months (without treatment). The primary oncologist basically advised him to seize any opportunity that presented itself. It is 50/50, the surgeon told him in April. She referred him back to the oncologist in April after stating that it was beyond treatment, who then forwarded him to the radiation specialist. She is the only surgeon in the state who is qualified to conduct the surgery, making her the only option.
The fact that the doctor warned him about his left lymph node after radiation treatment and said that if it enlarged, the condition would become deadly without treatment, irritates and angers me. He predicted a terminal diagnosis of six to twelve months, and now that it has been eleven months, the surgeon will do a last-ditch operation. Knowing the predicament, she has been sending him for scans and biopsies nonstop for the past 11 months. He has to sit down if he attempts to do anything strenuous, such as carrying the trash can to the street because a huge vein in his right bicep appears like it has small stones rolling up it. She doesn't want to perform the surgery since one of the tumors in his lymph nodes has blocked the Carotid artery. She is really worried that he might suffer a severe heart attack or stroke while lying on the table. She is the best, that's all we're told, and I told them it's simple to be the best when you're the only one!