Today my biggest accomplishment was walking around the 32-room hospital unit without an iv-pole to lean on. Of course I walked slowly, but several nurses said I was walking better than yesterday.
The surgery was actually very brief, 45 minutes instead of the 14 hours it might have taken. That's good news and bad news. It really was just exploratory surgery, and the surgeons found that it wasn't feasible to remove the cancer because it's scattered all around. So my next option is chemotherapy using 5 drugs intravenously, one of them experimental.
Surgery + 3 days
I started adding to to the blog, but got interrupted by a nurse or doctors, the staff here is huge and I see people all day long.
As for the operation, it was brief, but traumatic for my system because of a large incision and having organs moved around. My biggest problem now is that since the night before last, I can't have anything but sips of water and iv fluids. I have a distended belly, look like malnourished children that you see on the news. And after 5 days of nothing solid to eat, I don't look like I've lost an ounce, there is a possibility that I'll get solid food tonight, but I'll believe that when I see it.
I'm walking around but now I'm attached to the iv pole again. And I'm sitting in a chair more, they want me out of the bed more than I am in it. All things considered, I feel pretty good. Last night I had a good night's sleep, well, as good as can be when you're awakened at midnight, 4 a.m., and 5:30 a.m., to check vital signs, draw blood and given medication. This morning I had a big adventure, a trip 2 floors down, by chauffered wheelchair to radiology for a chest x-ray. It's not a pleasant experience, but the staff here is almost uniformly good. It's probably the best hospital I could be in to treat a rare cancer.
Now I have to get out of here, probably in another 3 days or so, then I have to recuperate for up to 2 weeks, so I can come back here and get sick again, with 4-day cycles of chemotherapy followed by 3 weeks off.
Thanks for all the messages of support, but this is not the kind of illness that will respond to get well soon messages, I may feel all right, but I know the cancer cells will multiply and spread, and the best I can hope for is a few more good years. But I appreciate all good thoughts and prayers.
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4 comments:
I'm watching you :) Recovering from the surgery is always hard. But remember, even though chemo can make you sick, over the last fifty years the doctors have found methods to make it less nauseating. It's tiring; you'll need to sleep. Some of the ancillary meds might make you achy. (And believe it or not, the aches respond to OTC Tylenol.) You'll have to take my word for it, the good wishes do help.
Keeping you in thought and prayer. -J
The fireworks were very good (I posted some pictures). I hope you've gotten to eat solid food by now!
Glad to see some things breaking your way as far as they have so far. May those "few extra years" be more than you're expecting.
And welcome to the New Year, while I'm at it!
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