Mark your calendar! Save the date!

After many tests, several physician visits, and much breath holding (for real, there is a lot of that in all the tests I had)— WE HAVE A DATE!

Benedict’s Eviction Notice Part 2 (the first one was last August and was cancelled) is dated May 19.

We’re not cancelling this time. For realskies.

And you guessed it—YES, the waiting is definitely the hardest part.

How am I doing?

I’m somewhere between “Oh crap!” and “Let’s do this!”

So, you know, perfectly normal…

We met with Dr. Moore about 2 weeks ago for the “final” plan. I use quotes because they don’t really know the final plan until I’m out cold and they (Dr. Moore and Dr. Mackay, the plastic surgeon) get in there. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s what I call trust. But for now, the plan is to avoid the lateral thoracotomy (incision between my ribs in the side of my chest) and instead remove parts of the front of ribs 1-4 and perhaps part of my sternum (breastbone). Then remove Benedict and the right upper lobe of my lung. They’ll rebuild parts of my ribs with titanium struts, use some cool tissues whose names I can’t remember, and then harvest either my pectoralis major or my latissimus dorsi to close it all up and make it “pretty.”

Then 5 hours later, just like that, #Whambamthankyoumaam Benedict will be headed to be frozen, scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, chopped, sliced, diced, studied, and eventually thrown out like yesterday’s garbage. Don’t worry I’ll be asking for photos for anyone who may have a little separation anxiety.

Many of you all have asked what you can do and how you can help. Thank you thank you thank you! We will need it and welcome it for sure!

I probably won’t want a lot of visitors at the hospital and maybe not for a few days or weeks after. It’s a painful surgery and will be a bit of a tough recovery, so we will keep you all posted on when I’m up for visitors.

A few of my friends are setting up a meal train. If you’d like to join in on that, shoot me an email using the form below and I’ll add you to the list. If you just want my email address or contact info, please fill out the form too and I’ll write you back. The form keeps the spam out!

Some out-of-towners have also asked how they can help. Thank you! The good news is that on the Meal Train we are also going to include local grocery delivery and/or online order/deliveries/take out for food. The good news is you don’t have to be out of town to use that option. It’s like Amazon Prime for meals!

That’s really all I really have to share at the moment. I’ll write with some more specifics later. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and prayers. Keep ‘em coming—ESPECIALLY in and around May 19 and after for recovery!