Posted by Leah:
had to reamputate again above knee. will be in UW hospital recuperating for a few
more days.
so far, so good.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Back in hospital
City Councilor Geoff Masci is back in hospital
By Barney Burke
Port Townsend City Councilor Geoff Masci, whose lower left leg was amputated on Sept. 27 due to cancer, is back in the hospital.
Masci was admitted to Jefferson Healthcare Hospital on Saturday, Oct. 13, for treatment of a staph infection.
Sunday evening, Masci was his usual humorous self, but said his immediate prognosis is unclear. He said he would be taken by ambulance to the University of Washington hospital on Tuesday to meet with the doctors who performed his surgery. Depending on test results, he may need to have his left knee amputated as well.
Masci and his partner, Sue Wahlgren, said they appreciate the outpouring of support and good wishes they've received.
Although Masci has insurance, his deductible payment is in the thousands, not including the current hospital stay and a pending heart surgery once he recovers from the amputation. Donations can be made at American Marine Bank, Frontier Bank, and at a number of donation jars at local businesses.
By Barney Burke
Port Townsend City Councilor Geoff Masci, whose lower left leg was amputated on Sept. 27 due to cancer, is back in the hospital.
Masci was admitted to Jefferson Healthcare Hospital on Saturday, Oct. 13, for treatment of a staph infection.
Sunday evening, Masci was his usual humorous self, but said his immediate prognosis is unclear. He said he would be taken by ambulance to the University of Washington hospital on Tuesday to meet with the doctors who performed his surgery. Depending on test results, he may need to have his left knee amputated as well.
Masci and his partner, Sue Wahlgren, said they appreciate the outpouring of support and good wishes they've received.
Although Masci has insurance, his deductible payment is in the thousands, not including the current hospital stay and a pending heart surgery once he recovers from the amputation. Donations can be made at American Marine Bank, Frontier Bank, and at a number of donation jars at local businesses.
coming home from leg operation
City Councilor Masci coming home after lower leg amputation
By Scott Wilson
Geoff Masci, the longtime Port Townsend chiropractor, former mayor and the city's longest-serving council member, is recovering in the University of Washington Hospital this week after his lower left leg was removed to battle the recurrence of a form of cancer.
Masci told The Leader from his hospital bed that the procedure appears to have been successful and he is confident about his recovery. That will include a prosthetic calf and foot for his left leg, which doctors amputated below the knee.
"I'm legless in Seattle," he joked. He expected to come home Wednesday or Thursday this week.
"I appreciate everyone wishing me well," he said. "I've received a spontaneous outpouring of good wishes and affection. It's overwhelming. The only time I'm overwhelmed with emotion is not over the loss of a leg but how wonderful everyone has been to me."
Masci, known statewide for his political leadership on chiropractic issues and locally for his quick humor, sharp insights and leadership on the council, faces yet another serious medical procedure. He will soon undergo a heart operation designed to repair a malfunctioning aortic valve in a couple of months at Harrison Hospital in Bremerton. This problem is genetic and unrelated to his mixed cell sarcoma cancer.
The heart problem was discovered after Masci was suffering arm and chest pain, and thought he was having a heart attack. Doctors discovered that one of his heart valves was leaking, and immediately scheduled surgery. His father had a similar condition. That operation will wait for him to recover sufficiently from his leg operation, he said, and is expected by early December.
Masci, 59, first encountered his leg cancer in 2001 in the form of a lump on his leg that turned out to be a malignant leg tumor. It was removed, and the operation was followed with radiation therapy. Masci freely talked about the procedure to promote awareness of cancer and the need for early intervention. He said, at the time, that he waited too long: "Here I am a doctor, and I waited until a Ping Pong ball was sticking out of the side of my leg," he said at the time.
Mixed cell sarcoma can invade bone and muscle fiber; early detection and surgery can minimize amputation risks.
But when he discovered the cancer had returned recently, Masci quickly entered the UW hospital but was told that a below-the-knee amputation was his best option. The surgery took place on Thursday, Sept. 27.
Masci is Port Townsend's longest-serving elected city official. He was elected as part of the council overhaul attributed to Make Our City and County Affordable and Accountable (MOCCAA) in 1998 and took his seat in February 1999. He was a leader in the effort to reform town government with a hired city manager and has defended that government structure through its challenges. Throughout his tenure, he has spoken out in favor of health awareness and handicap-accessible city sidewalks and streets.
Masci has credited friends and associates with looking out for him during his illness. Local friends in the medical community like Dr. David Whitney and Dr. Jay Lawrence have given advice and counsel. Fellow City Councilmember Laurie Medlicott has been supplying meals to his home, as has Mary Rome and Anne Lipton. Several others, including Don Fristoe and Christian Elbert have been helping around the house and running errands, he said.
Former City Councilmember Sid Lipton has been a consistent friend and helper, he said.
At the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce meeting Monday, Executive Director Tim Caldwell asked everyone to sign a quilt that will go to Masci and bid him a speedy recovery.
Masci is working with local insurance providers to learn how much of his special equipment is covered by insurance.
Early detection cancer is crucial to treatment and survival. Examples of symptoms include a new mole or a change in the shape, size or color of a mole; cuts that won't heal; sudden weight loss; lumps that appear suddenly; loss of appetite; sudden hair loss; change in skin appearance; and changes in urinary or bowel habits.
Medlicott has set up an account for Masci, for anyone wishing to donate, under his name at Frontier Bank in Port Townsend.
By Scott Wilson
Geoff Masci, the longtime Port Townsend chiropractor, former mayor and the city's longest-serving council member, is recovering in the University of Washington Hospital this week after his lower left leg was removed to battle the recurrence of a form of cancer.
Masci told The Leader from his hospital bed that the procedure appears to have been successful and he is confident about his recovery. That will include a prosthetic calf and foot for his left leg, which doctors amputated below the knee.
"I'm legless in Seattle," he joked. He expected to come home Wednesday or Thursday this week.
"I appreciate everyone wishing me well," he said. "I've received a spontaneous outpouring of good wishes and affection. It's overwhelming. The only time I'm overwhelmed with emotion is not over the loss of a leg but how wonderful everyone has been to me."
Masci, known statewide for his political leadership on chiropractic issues and locally for his quick humor, sharp insights and leadership on the council, faces yet another serious medical procedure. He will soon undergo a heart operation designed to repair a malfunctioning aortic valve in a couple of months at Harrison Hospital in Bremerton. This problem is genetic and unrelated to his mixed cell sarcoma cancer.
The heart problem was discovered after Masci was suffering arm and chest pain, and thought he was having a heart attack. Doctors discovered that one of his heart valves was leaking, and immediately scheduled surgery. His father had a similar condition. That operation will wait for him to recover sufficiently from his leg operation, he said, and is expected by early December.
Masci, 59, first encountered his leg cancer in 2001 in the form of a lump on his leg that turned out to be a malignant leg tumor. It was removed, and the operation was followed with radiation therapy. Masci freely talked about the procedure to promote awareness of cancer and the need for early intervention. He said, at the time, that he waited too long: "Here I am a doctor, and I waited until a Ping Pong ball was sticking out of the side of my leg," he said at the time.
Mixed cell sarcoma can invade bone and muscle fiber; early detection and surgery can minimize amputation risks.
But when he discovered the cancer had returned recently, Masci quickly entered the UW hospital but was told that a below-the-knee amputation was his best option. The surgery took place on Thursday, Sept. 27.
Masci is Port Townsend's longest-serving elected city official. He was elected as part of the council overhaul attributed to Make Our City and County Affordable and Accountable (MOCCAA) in 1998 and took his seat in February 1999. He was a leader in the effort to reform town government with a hired city manager and has defended that government structure through its challenges. Throughout his tenure, he has spoken out in favor of health awareness and handicap-accessible city sidewalks and streets.
Masci has credited friends and associates with looking out for him during his illness. Local friends in the medical community like Dr. David Whitney and Dr. Jay Lawrence have given advice and counsel. Fellow City Councilmember Laurie Medlicott has been supplying meals to his home, as has Mary Rome and Anne Lipton. Several others, including Don Fristoe and Christian Elbert have been helping around the house and running errands, he said.
Former City Councilmember Sid Lipton has been a consistent friend and helper, he said.
At the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce meeting Monday, Executive Director Tim Caldwell asked everyone to sign a quilt that will go to Masci and bid him a speedy recovery.
Masci is working with local insurance providers to learn how much of his special equipment is covered by insurance.
Early detection cancer is crucial to treatment and survival. Examples of symptoms include a new mole or a change in the shape, size or color of a mole; cuts that won't heal; sudden weight loss; lumps that appear suddenly; loss of appetite; sudden hair loss; change in skin appearance; and changes in urinary or bowel habits.
Medlicott has set up an account for Masci, for anyone wishing to donate, under his name at Frontier Bank in Port Townsend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
