The Struggle Has Ended

Greg Hewlett passed away on January 17th after nearly eight years of battling colon cancer. While we grieve his loss, we are comforted to know that he is with his Lord.

If you would like to leave your thoughts on Greg, please see this thread.

If you would like to make a charitable donation in Greg's honor, please see this thread.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Atelectasis

Turns out the reason I feel like I'm not getting any air is that, indeed, one of my lungs is not getting any air. The pulmonoligist called me yesterday afternoon after I got a chest x-ray and told me I have "atelectasis" of the left lung. My left lung is not functioning. He suspects the lymph node tumor has completed pinched off the left airway. The picture on the right is from wikipedia (it's not me), but shows atelectasis. The xray report reads "total opacification of the left hemithorax."

My CT scan 6/24/2010 showed that at the time, my left airway was beginning to get squeezed. That was one of the big reasons for the radiation - to kill that tumor and give me breathing space. The one ray of hopeful news is that radiation has delayed effectiveness. I still have a couple weeks for the radiation to beat down that tumor and reopen the airway. But the bad news is that if it does not open up in a week or two, he thinks it never will. In that case, we find out that the cancer had too much of a head start on the radiation.

I am not without hope that the airway could indeed open. There have been a few other small signs that the radiation is indeed working. And the doctors at MD Anderson did say that we needed to wait about a month after the radiation before scanning to see how it did. It has been two weeks.

It's like yesterday I was a manager looking in on an employee (the radiation) before a deadline to see how the job is coming along. Not well at all. "But," he replies, "its not yet the deadline." Well he better get working.

So, my praying friends, I have a specific and urgent request to you for prayer. That the Lord might open my airway here in the next week. For "in his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind." (Job 12:10)

23 comments:

Gary Waldecker said...

I will pray that the Lord will open the way for you to breathe freely!

Unknown said...

Will be praying for that.

Ryan Tompkins said...

Greg,

Praying for you airways to open and the radiation to prove effective.

Shalom,
Ryan

DWMC said...

Absolutely! Praying in Kentucky that the radiation will be effective on that particular tumor and that the airway will open very soon. Praying that the LORD will eliminate all the tumors and airway blockages.

Anonymous said...

Greg,

I just lifted you up in earnest prayer for healing of this lung and your whole body as well. We met you years ago at Mission Burrito when my son with special needs was intrigued by your C-leg. We continue to pray for you and Christina.

Blessings,
Tracy Morris

p.s. I am not sure how to choose an identity below. I am an "id" when it comes to all the social networking software.

Justin said...

Greg,
Praying that the God of life, breath and everything will open your lungs and that you will breathe easy.

Justin

Greg Hagerman said...

I'm praying for you, Greg.

fran said...

prayers are coming your way.

Robert said...

Will be praying, Greg.

-Robert Radke

David said...

We will continue to pray!

Madeleine Rosemond said...

Am praying for you, Greg. I know that lung difficulties can be very painful. Am praying for the Lord's mercies to be multiplied to you and for opening of your left lung. Thanks for keeping us informed.

Anonymous said...

We have been praying for you and will be praying that the Lord would open up your left lung.

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD." Psalm 150:6. May God grant you breath to praise Him for a long time to come.

God bless,
Miriam Patterson & family

Anonymous said...

Praying here in NorCal.

Looking forward to seeing you next month.

We're going to swim, hang with my dad, and go to a Ranger's game.

I wish I could take some of the suffering from you to me,

Mike

murrayfamily said...

Greg,
Trust your instincts. You are such a brave soldier. We will pray that all of the radiation will open up the airways.
love and care from the murrays

Henry Chu said...

Having been thinking about you and Christine everyday. Glad to receive this update to focus our prayer.

Not only we pray that the Lord will raidate the light of His truth into our heart and soul, we pray that He ordains the radiation treatment to kill off the cancerous cells and reopen the
left air channel

Psalm 42 and 43 come to mind: It has ideas to the extent: Why feel so down cast all my soul..... No, I should, praise the Lord, for He shines His smile on me, and He is my helper, and I will priase His name.

Come, quickly come Lord to help us.
In Christ Name...Amen, Amen

Cynthia Andrews and family said...

Prays being sent up from TX for you and Christine.

Anonymous said...

You hand in there Greg. As always, you are in my prayers.

Annette, RN

Mike said...

greg, your missives from the front lines, so to speak, really do focus and galvanize me. i read your latest update and then bowed my head to pray that God would open your lung. But before actually forming words i paused to take a deep breath and realized what a gift that seemingly simple act is, the ability to fill up two lungs all the way and then exhale completely. i'm so grateful for your persistent trust in God and that dry but irrepressible humor that comes through in so many of your postings. at the risk of sounding corny i want to say that compared to you i have better lung function but you take in and breathe out the Spirit as if you were some sort of spiritual olympian. anyway, i am praying that the LORD would return your lung to its former usefulness, that He would heal your entire body and that He would continue to guard your heart and christine's heart, too.

mike,
brooklyn

Anonymous said...

Greg,

I know you will keep on fighting. I am also persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, hor depth, nor any other created thing, nor Atlectasis, shall be able to separate you from the love of God, which is Christ Jesus our Lord!

Jim Williams, Baltimore MD

Anonymous said...

We do pray for the Lord to open the airway......Love, Steve & Jan H

Unknown said...

Wow, Greg. Thanks for this specific request. We will pray!
Jennifer

John & Ruth said...

We're praying for an open airway and complete healing. Love you, Greg.

Anonymous said...

Miss our times here in St. Louis! Our family will be praying big prayers for that to happen!!

Dan Song