Brad's turn for some surgery!

Brad has had a hacking cough since March. Finally, I told him I wasn't going to kiss him until he went to the dr. So he came home from work and went and he was given some antibiotics. Then within a month, he was coughing again, but by this time we were busy getting ready for Trek, our family vacation and summer in general, so finally in September, he went back to the dr...more antibiotics. Then October came, coughing AGAIN- it was on the school 5K that we were all suppose to run, but I made Brad go back to the dr. and told him to make them do a chest x-ray, by this time I was nervous! They did the chest x-ray and then sent him for further test for asthma, they told him that he didn't have asthma and we thought we were in the clear. Then a week later we got a letter? That said, he didn't have asthma but there were spots that 'uncertain significance' and he needed to go back in and for further tests. HOLY CRAP! He happened to be off that day, so he called and went in that very day. The dr told him he needed to have a CT scan, he said if they can fit me in today, I will go. So they did. We went and met with the dr and he referred us to the pulmonary specialist. They believe he has sarcoidosis but they wanted to do a mediastenoscopy to rule out lymphoma, TB or a fungus. So Brad had the procedure 2 days after Christmas. They told him, it would be easy and he should have no problems and if he wasn't on vacation, he would have been able to go back to work the next day? Well they were wrong!! It has been painful and Brad is NOT a baby, he has walked around very sore and in a lot of pain. But when they rule out those other "diseases" we will have a great Christmas present but until then we still have a little bit of doubt. Sarcoidosis is a rare disease that is treated with long term steroid use. It can/will go into remission and Brad should feel pretty good. We should know the first week in January, after everyone gets back to work.