Mark Bandurchin

Mark was diagnosed and hospitalized with pneumonia on February 1st, and was sent home with antibiotics, but after a month or so he was still coughing.  His physician ordered a follow up x-ray, which showed no change in his lungs from the February x-ray, so the next step was a C.T. scan. Unfortunately, the doctor was unhappy with that and sent Mark immediately to a local pulmonologist who wanted him to immediately have a biopsy.  The biopsy needed to be delayed because Mark was taking a baby aspirin daily and bleeding is a complication of the procedure.  In the meantime we decided that Roswell cancer center in Buffalo would be where we would go for diagnoses and treatment.  On Tuesday, March 28 we went to Buffalo for consultation and pre-op testing/clearance.  We returned on Thursday for an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS).  He was prepped and all set to go into the operating room when the anesthesiologist stopped everything because Mark was in A/Fib and had a rapid heart rate.  He was taken by ambulance to Buffalo General, where he was admitted, spent the night and on Friday they performed a transesophageal echocardiography and cardioversion.  His heart is now in rhythm and he is rescheduled for the EBUS next Thursday.