For those friends that don't know...Klaus was taken to the emergency room a week ago (Monday 15th) by ambulance from out of work...
Battery of tests were done and he was diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma of the right Kidney.
The tumor had grown through the wall of the kidney and into the main vein and uo toward the heart and into many lymph nodes around it. He has stage 3 cancer. Without surgey, possibly 8 months to live.
With surgery, he has a 25% chance to still be here in 5 years.
We were lucky enough to find a local urologist that would do the surgery.
They perfomed a 7 hour surgery yesterday and have gotten the tumor out also removed his right kidney, along with the infected nodes. He is in intensive care now...still has breathing tube in, but that may come out today. As of 5:45 this a.m when I spoke to the night nurse...he did not sleep well, but sometimes that happens after surgery. He is alert and writing messages to the nurse for his needs, and stable so far....
It is still touch and go for the next few days as with any major surgery....
His spirits are high and he gave me a thumbs up and indicated he loved me last night when I told him he did super through the surgery. He will probably be in ICU for a few more days..

I have heard there are friends "pissed" cause he did not let them know....

Please don't be angry...he was in shock as we all were,and it was his way of dealing...and we only found out on Thursday about the cancer and spent all day Friday having preadmission testing...there wasn't time to notify everyone
this was totally out of the blue...no warnings at all...they thought he might have a bleeding ulcer and when tests were run found the cancer instead...

I will try to update more here as soon as I can...
if you are friends on his Facebook page or on mine, I am updating there also

I thank you all for the well wishes and prayers

Pit Observer/ Pat

Pat ,I wish you and Klaus well .Prayers coming your way.If friends are pissed,let them be.Not real friends. Thats why all this social Facebook, Twitter is a joke. Its your lifes being affected.

Private matters are private matters.

Love and Prayers Bob Meader & Meader Family Racing 1031

Pat,
Please give Klaus our well wishes. We hope his recovery is much faster than the Elkie! (He'll get a kick out of that one)

Jeff & Lisa

Get well Klaus!

get well soon klaus , our prayers go out to you for a speedy recovery.

Klaus get well soon and get back to the business of racing..you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Dick Aversa and family

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Klaus. Get back to wrenching on the camino!

Bud & Travis Brown

Wishing him a full recovery. Thoughts and prayers

Both you and Klause are in my thoughts,Pat.You're both such good people.
Paul

get well klaus hoping for a speedy recovery for you!

Thanks for letting us know. I hope everything works out ok and I'll say some prayers for him. Tell him we are thinking of him.
Pete

Wishing you A complete recovery Klaus, get well soon.

Thoughts and prayers to you and your family Klaus .. good thoughts headed your way!
Lee and Natalie

10:40 pm...I'm just home from hospital.....Klaus had a bit of a set back tonight... they had taken out the breathing tube this a.m around 9:00..he was sitting in a chair in ICU when I went in to see him...very tired (as expected) his blood pressure had been extremely low all day...they tried to have him walk but he was too weak and could not, and because of his low BP they let him just sit. When I got there his BP was 75/40....about 20 min. later his BP started to elevate so they put him back into bed. A short time later his BP spiked severely....his heart was racing and he couldn't seem to breath. They were thinking he threw a clot or had a heart attack....ran some more tests, right in his room . Did an EKG and Chest x-ray...he is ok...for now...they put the breathing tube back in...they sedated him to calm him and his BP came back to normal range. He did NOT have a clot, or heart attack. They believe he just needed hydration, being so large a man, his body absorbed all his intake fluids quickly. When he was unable to breath he may have had a slight panic attack (not sure on that)
But as of now, he was resting again comfortably...Still in ICU probably a couple more days at least.
I have let him know all his friends are sending well wishes for a speedy recovery,
He is still not out of the woods yet...but he's strong and Stubborn...and each day is one step closer to getting there...
I will continue to ask you all for your prayers and support...and love
Thank you all Pat

Get well soon, Klaus!

Adam