Drs. Are so ambivalent about giving definitive answers about anything! And when they do - being optimistic - is not something they do well for fear of hearing a patient say - but you said.... Generally they err on the side of caution and focus on the negative. So don't take their negativity personally Nate... This place and the world -in fact - is full of people who proved the nay sayers wrong! A dr with loads of experience can usually eyeball a situation and give a solid educated guesstimate but again that only comes with years of experience and practice - and even then they are sometimes surprised. Hugs dear boy - you will get through this!!!!