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Yesterday (Thursday), Zola did see the Oncologist. He also had a test to look at his liver and they said it looked like it had chicken pox. So that’s not a good thing. Today he had an appointment with some doctors about the “gamma knife” radiation treatment thing and tomorrow he will have a thin-slice brain CT to map everything out that might need treatment. Nothing is scheduled for Sunday.

Monday is the big day when they will put a tube in through his chest and examine the tumor directly. They will then run tests on the cells to know what they are up against. He expects that they will probably put him on chemo Monday evening as soon as they find out. That’s as far out as I know right now.

I had dinner with Zola yesterday and he seemed pretty normal, which was good to see. His spirits were up and he had about his usual sense of humor.

He did have a cough, though. This is caused by the tumor causing some pneumonia in his left lung. Besides that, he has no pain, but says he can feel it “clutching” at his left lung. He actually filmed portions of three TV episodes today! His voice is a bit off due to all the coughing.

Monday evening will be the time when we’ll know what he’s really up against.

Zola smoked for about 25 years but quit about 20 years ago. One theory is that the cancer was being kept at bay by his immune system. When he had this recent heart surgery, his immune system became distracted by other things and the cancer was able to take root. That’s one theory about the cause of this, anyway.

His mind is still clear and he’s still physically strong. He has no pain, but the coughing is becoming more and more of a problem. The prognosis is still unknown at this point. It’s taking its toll on his family, so your prayers are very much appreciated.