Thanks. He has a fairly rare kind of brain cancer (oligodendroglioma), slow-growing up to now; we hope it will continue to be so. It turns out that this tumor was likely 12-15 years old. Most of tumor was removed during his awake craniotomy, but only in rare cases can they remove all of any brain tumor. He has bounced back for the immediate time, up and out of the hospital in 3 days, out shopping on 4th day. No more seizures. He's trying to put things back together and resurrect his career. But it will be a watch and wait, with MRI's every 3 months.
He's looking at radiation and chemo at some point in the future, possibly a few years from now. He also may face another awake craniotomy in a few years. His tumor is the type that lacks certain chromosomes ("1p/19q codeletions"), making the tumor more easily treatable with chemo and radiation than otherwise.
So-called "Obamacare" paid entirely for this surgery at one of the nation's leading hospitals, New York University Langone Medical Center, and by one the the nation's most well-known brain surgeons, John Golfinos. I know many ex-Mo's on this site are very conservative, but his "Obamacare" has been very good to him. Our biggest fear, and that of my son, is the current administration's desire to get rid of the ACA, and let the public twist in the wind again as in the past. We're doing what we can to get him back to Italy and once more under their rather good national health system.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2017 09:00AM by cludgie.
"I know many ex-Mo's on this site are very conservative, but his "Obamacare" has been very good to him. Our biggest fear, and that of my son, is the current administration's desire to get rid of the ACA, and let the public twist in the wind again as in the past."
Whether the current administration wants to get rid of Obamacare or not, it is about to go defunct on its own:
Thanks for the update. Can you set up a go fund me page for people to help him get back to Italy? So sad that so many people escape to other countries for healthcare.
An Italian art magazine (CURA) did a major funding effort for him that raised almost 100,000 euros. He's been using this money for things like an out of state 2nd opinion at Mayo Clinic, and just generally helping himself to get back on his feet. I intend to approach the magazine editor (now a FB friend) to see if she can think up something to help him get back to Italy on some sort of permanent resident visa. There is also the possibility of getting him to Germany on their available artist visa; although he has a network in Germany, it's not built out like the one in Italy.
It turns out he has a world-wide cadre of friends that I was unprepared for. I just had no idea.
Wow the health report and the help from friends and associates is wonderful. I sure needed a break from all the political news lately. Thanks for the update!
I'm so glad to hear about the artist network in Europe. I hope that somehow, any way at all, he will be able to go somewhere that will give him freedom to re-establish his life without the misery of going through the American healthcare system. Whatever the American healthcare system may end up being like.
Being able to get coverage in a country that makes it easier would be a great advantage!