Coach McCaffery Statement on Pat's Surgery

[thejumper5]

Via Twitter:

"Today’s surgery for my son Patrick went as planned. Doctors will continue tests in the coming days to determine further treatment. Patrick was in good spirits after the operation. Our family would like to thank all the doctors & nurses at UIHC who have helped treat Patrick during this process. The outpouring of support and encouragement Patrick and our family have received this past week has been overwhelming. Words cannot express how genuinely thankful we are to everyone who has offered their thoughts and prayers."

 

[Skeets77]

Very nice. Huge emotions for the family. Really does put life into perspective.

 

[sportstalent]

Great news!

 

[meaning]

AWESOME.

Great news for Coach and family. They can take a deep breath as they await the (favorable, please) results.

Proud moment for Hawkeyes, knowing our university's hospital can do such amazing things.

On to new business -- i'm pretty sure a certain brave young man is expecting a great team effort tonight. He damn sure deserves it.

 

[NEIChawk]

 

[JonnyGuido]

I was hoping for a little more information, but it is not as if he should or would provide it. Did they have to remove his entire thyroid or just part/half of it? I sure hope he got as good of news as he could have and that the pathology reports come back benign.

 

[RushTogether]

Awesome news.

It was pretty humbling to see fans from across the nation post on Patrick and Fran's behalf...

 

[RushTogether]

I was hoping for a little more information, but it is not as if he should or would provide it. Did they have to remove his entire thyroid or just part/half of it? I sure hope he got as good of news as he could have and that the pathology reports come back benign.

Why is that information you need to know??

 

[kicker22]

I was hoping for a little more information, but it is not as if he should or would provide it. Did they have to remove his entire thyroid or just part/half of it? I sure hope he got as good of news as he could have and that the pathology reports come back benign.

I agree with this. Oddly I wanted to know how much of the thyroid was removed, not because it personally affects me, but because I feel for the family and as a parent can't imagine what they're going through. For the sake of closure I want to know what they find out from the pathology reports and will continue to wish the family the best of luck through such a tough time.

 

[JonnyGuido]

Why is that information you need to know??

I like how you bolded part of my post. And it is not information I "need" to know. It is information I would "want" to know yet I understand no one should be obligated to provide it to me. The reason I would like to know it is because of these things called curiosity and concern. I will not apologize for wanting information.

 

[ThunderHawk]

"Surgery went as planned" means they (apparently) didn't encounter unforseen complications, removed the offending mass and possibly adjacent tissue and lymph nodes and sent it off to the path lab.

IOW it's still a high stress situation.

 

[ThunderHawk]

Although not as common as leukemias and brain tumors, thyroid cancer is the third most common solid tumor cancer type in children (Solid tumor cancers are those that produce a tumor mass, rather than leukemias that produce cancerous cells that circulate in the bloodstream). Thyroid cancer is the most common cancer of hormone glands (endocrine) in children. Still, thyroid cancer represents only 1% to 1.5% of all pediatric cancers. Of all cases of thyroid cancer, about 5% occur in children and teens.As in adults, a thyroid nodule (localized lump or mass) is a common symptom of thyroid cancer. Thyroid nodules that develop in children andadolescents are even more likely to be cancerous than thyroid masses in adults. In adults with thyroid nodules, only about 5% turn out to be cancer. In children and teens, that percentage increases to over 26%. All children or teens who develop a lump in the thyroid or neck should be evaluated by a physician in order to ensure early diagnosis and treatment if cancer is indeed present. The prognosis is usually excellent for children who have cancer that has not spread outside of the thyroid gland.
In adults, thyroid cancer is 2 to 3 times more common in women than in men, but this distinction is less relevant for children. Girls under age 15 are somewhat more likely than boys to develop thyroid cancer and have 1.5 times the risk of boys. In adolescents over 15 years old, girls are 3 times more likely to get thyroid cancer than boys.
As mentioned, a neck lump or mass is the most common symptom of thyroid cancer in children. The mass is typically not painful. Enlargement of the lymph nodes in the neck may also occur. Children with thyroid cancer are not as likely as adults to have symptoms that are sometimes associated with thyroid cancers like vocal cord paralysis, hoarseness, breathing problems, or problems with swallowing. Still, affected children can occasionally develop these types of symptoms.

Many children with thyroid cancer have a family history of the condition. Thyroid cancer can be associated with certain inherited syndromes, like the multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes. Up to 25% of a particular form of thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, are hereditary.
As with adults, surgery is the mainstay of treatment for thyroid cancer in children. Fortunately, the prognosis is usually very good for children with thyroid cancer. Depending upon the type of cancer and extent of spread,radioactive iodine treatments, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy may be given after surgery. Replacement thyroid hormone in pill form may be required for life after treatment.

http://www.medicinenet.com/******/main/art.asp?articlekey=170215