Hello Friends,
Saturday afternoon found me lying on the dock in 26 C sunshine air drying from a swim in the lake. What a wonderful feeling given where I've been the past little while.
Things have been slowly improving over the past 7 days. Still have stomach/abdomen issues but toned down. Have started to get a acid reflux in the evenings so have taken Zantac a few times but over all am much better. Did light workouts most days this week including a few 200 meter runs at slow speed, glacial speed, on the track near my house. No change in my weight despite my daily calorie intake exceeding 2600 calories. 133 seems to be my number at the moment.
The improvement has brought psychological as well as physical relief. When I was experiencing stomach pain consciously and even subconsciously my mind wondered if there was something else not right, some damage, from the peritonitis and that mental program ran beneath the surface much of the time.
Came to the cottage on Friday and have been 'putting' around getting the place ready for the Fall and coming winter...yes winter. Had the pontoon boat and ski boat taken out for storage yesterday as I don't know when we'll get back up here. Didn't burn a tank of gas in either this year.
Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful end of summer weather.
Warm Regards,
Peter
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Baby steps...but steps none the less
Hello all,
Monday kids left and I spent the next few days with very little energy and sleeping a great deal. Met with my GP and she feels it takes close to 6 weeks to recover from the peritonitis. I have been taking probiotics to try and help the abdomen recover. After a few days of little progress and my weight falling to 133 there has been a marked improvement in the last few days.
I am trying to get an appointment to have a GI specialist look at the area on my left side that still can act up and give me some pain.
All and all I feel more hopeful and have a bit more energy. Sandra had a long talk, 2 hours plus, with a friend of mine who is a California based MD and very open to all possibilities. That was very helpful. I have been focused on 3 things: get 2600+ calories in each day, walk around the block 3-4 times a day, rest every time I get tired. Simple but necessary.
Did a very light weight circuit this morning and 10 minutes on my bike trainer at the lowest level. Am I out of shape! Psychologically however it was a big boost just to do what would normally be laughable. I am hopeful that a corner has been turned and although I have much further to come back now I am at least moving in the right direction.
Went out to try and buy some pants that don't wrap around me like a sari as my current ones do....that was fruitless. Not many 30 inch waist 34 inch leg pants out there...none where I was looking. Got some nice shirts so I'll look moderately good from the waist up should I ever leave my cocoon and venture out.
Thanks once more for all the support this passed week. Energy is so vital to will and recovery.
Warm regards,
Peter
Monday kids left and I spent the next few days with very little energy and sleeping a great deal. Met with my GP and she feels it takes close to 6 weeks to recover from the peritonitis. I have been taking probiotics to try and help the abdomen recover. After a few days of little progress and my weight falling to 133 there has been a marked improvement in the last few days.
I am trying to get an appointment to have a GI specialist look at the area on my left side that still can act up and give me some pain.
All and all I feel more hopeful and have a bit more energy. Sandra had a long talk, 2 hours plus, with a friend of mine who is a California based MD and very open to all possibilities. That was very helpful. I have been focused on 3 things: get 2600+ calories in each day, walk around the block 3-4 times a day, rest every time I get tired. Simple but necessary.
Did a very light weight circuit this morning and 10 minutes on my bike trainer at the lowest level. Am I out of shape! Psychologically however it was a big boost just to do what would normally be laughable. I am hopeful that a corner has been turned and although I have much further to come back now I am at least moving in the right direction.
Went out to try and buy some pants that don't wrap around me like a sari as my current ones do....that was fruitless. Not many 30 inch waist 34 inch leg pants out there...none where I was looking. Got some nice shirts so I'll look moderately good from the waist up should I ever leave my cocoon and venture out.
Thanks once more for all the support this passed week. Energy is so vital to will and recovery.
Warm regards,
Peter
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Level
A week of no gains or apparent losses. Stomach still uncomfortable and minor pain in my side. Dietician and daughter Dr. have focused on a fluid diet until thing settle down. Off the antibiotics as of today so that should help in the nether regions.
Have been at cottage since Wednesday night with 5 grand children and their parents. Quite a fun zoo. I am hoping to get this stomach setback under control this week so I can get on with the cancer recovery and gain some weight.
Thanks for all the support through this most difficult of periods. Calls, notes, emails, messages, and comments were all so helpful. I truly hope the next blog has more onward and upward in it!
Warm wishes to all,
Peter
Have been at cottage since Wednesday night with 5 grand children and their parents. Quite a fun zoo. I am hoping to get this stomach setback under control this week so I can get on with the cancer recovery and gain some weight.
Thanks for all the support through this most difficult of periods. Calls, notes, emails, messages, and comments were all so helpful. I truly hope the next blog has more onward and upward in it!
Warm wishes to all,
Peter
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Good news....Dark days
My friends this is a very hard blog to write. I will therefore rely on a stream of consciousness to try and convey what happened this week. I am just home from a stay in hospital. Let's start with the good news. I was told that there is a 90% chance my cancer will not return. Dr GG, my Oncology surgeon who heads my case gave Sandra and I the news on Tuesday in our review meeting for the CT scan I took a week prior. Great news! Better still...he agreed to remove my tube and did so in no time, effortlessly, at 10:40 AM Tuesday. We were surprised at the length of the tube and I of all the 'gunk' on it that got on my Armani pants I wore for the occasion.
Sandra and I left the upbeat gathering at 11 and headed for a meeting with a dietician we have hired to bring back my body. On the way out of the building I started to develop stomach/abdominal pain. I asked Sandra to get the car. Things got worse... I'll spare you the details but after a very painful day and 2 very painful car rides I ended up at emergency at TGH which is across the street from PMH. After waits, moving to a room in emerg we ended up seeing both Drs. from the ENT group and General surgery. I had x-rays, a CT scan, etc and stayed overnight in the room in emerg. I was then transfer to a room on 6 West in the ENT section. Dr GG gave up a bed but had general surgery take over the case.
Here is what probably happened. Some gastric fluid/bile/stomach acid slipped into the body cavity when the tube was removed creating a condition called peritonitis. Some gas and fluid showed up on the CT scan by my liver. it greatly irritates the body and leaves scar tissue. They were talking stomach surgery and a clean up Tuesday night but on Wednesday decided to see if I improved with no food or water in case the leak was from a hole in my stomach. I was 4 days without food and water. I have dropped a weight division from fly weight...bantamweight I believe it is called. All and all a painful major setback.
I did improve slowly and today after clear fluids caused no increase in pain came home with Sandra and my grand daughter who were visiting when the doctors came in. They also did a barium x-ray test on Thursday to ensure there was no hole.
I have given so much blood my right arm resembles a pin cushion and had many tests, Intravenous, etc. I am on 2 antibiotics to ensure this doesn't lead to any issues.
I am home. I am weak but I am home. I still have some pain and control it with 2 extra strength Tylenol every 4 hours. They gave me morphine intravenously until I 'found out' and said...not that stuff...I've done that battle...find something else.
Enough, enough, dear reader...I need to collect myself these next few days, find some inner resources, and move forward. my brain/mind feels like my body...beaten up and tired but I know in a very short time I'll find a path and move back on the recover curve. I am sorry to burden you with all of this but I can't tell you how good it is to get it out. I feel lighter, psychologically already. Thank You.
With warmth and kindness,
Peter
Sandra and I left the upbeat gathering at 11 and headed for a meeting with a dietician we have hired to bring back my body. On the way out of the building I started to develop stomach/abdominal pain. I asked Sandra to get the car. Things got worse... I'll spare you the details but after a very painful day and 2 very painful car rides I ended up at emergency at TGH which is across the street from PMH. After waits, moving to a room in emerg we ended up seeing both Drs. from the ENT group and General surgery. I had x-rays, a CT scan, etc and stayed overnight in the room in emerg. I was then transfer to a room on 6 West in the ENT section. Dr GG gave up a bed but had general surgery take over the case.
Here is what probably happened. Some gastric fluid/bile/stomach acid slipped into the body cavity when the tube was removed creating a condition called peritonitis. Some gas and fluid showed up on the CT scan by my liver. it greatly irritates the body and leaves scar tissue. They were talking stomach surgery and a clean up Tuesday night but on Wednesday decided to see if I improved with no food or water in case the leak was from a hole in my stomach. I was 4 days without food and water. I have dropped a weight division from fly weight...bantamweight I believe it is called. All and all a painful major setback.
I did improve slowly and today after clear fluids caused no increase in pain came home with Sandra and my grand daughter who were visiting when the doctors came in. They also did a barium x-ray test on Thursday to ensure there was no hole.
I have given so much blood my right arm resembles a pin cushion and had many tests, Intravenous, etc. I am on 2 antibiotics to ensure this doesn't lead to any issues.
I am home. I am weak but I am home. I still have some pain and control it with 2 extra strength Tylenol every 4 hours. They gave me morphine intravenously until I 'found out' and said...not that stuff...I've done that battle...find something else.
Enough, enough, dear reader...I need to collect myself these next few days, find some inner resources, and move forward. my brain/mind feels like my body...beaten up and tired but I know in a very short time I'll find a path and move back on the recover curve. I am sorry to burden you with all of this but I can't tell you how good it is to get it out. I feel lighter, psychologically already. Thank You.
With warmth and kindness,
Peter
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