Life After Total Gastrectomy for Stomach Cancer (My Journey to find a New Normal)

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Archive for December 17th, 2010

Now this is amusing…

Posted by docdude on December 17, 2010

There is a feature to this blog site that allows me to see what search phrases have led people to my blog.

I was looking at the recent search phrases and one of them struck me as amusing.  Do you think you can figure out which phrase it was?

total gastrectomy message board 1
total gastrectomy blog 1
life after stomach cancer 1
what is life like after gastrectomy? 1
life after gastrectomy 1
living after a gastrectomy 1
is there life after stomach cancer 1
running after total gastrectomy 1
my turds are white 1

 

Posted in Humor, Random Thoughts | Tagged: , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Another hospital visit…but luckily not mine!!

Posted by docdude on December 17, 2010

I was very pleased to return a very special favor to a good friend.  She needed a ride to the hospital for a routine colonoscopy.   Considering that I have already “been there/done that” I was able to keep her thinking positively.  Everything turned out okay and she tooted her way home in my car blissfully mellowed from the medications.

I will be planning another hospital visit myself…unfortunately.  I will be meeting with the surgeon on January 13th to discuss when to plan the 2nd surgical intervention.  My case was presented to the group of GI docs and surgeons last week.   It was a doctor group consensus that I have a partial blockage that needs to be resolved.  This will solve part of the problems I have been struggling with over the past year.  I am currently on a low starting dose of a  medication that might address the other problem – esophageal spasms.   The medication has a downside of lowering blood pressure and mine is already a little low.  Today, they upped the dose so if there are going to be problems they will probably be present soon enough.

They also bumped me from12-hour pump cycle back up to a 14-hour pump cycle because I was having some serious sugar crashes during the time off the pump.  So, I will be monitor both my blood sugars and my blood pressure a couple times a day.

I am plugging along on TPN/iv nutrition.  I’ve had problems with swollen joints, water weight gain, hair loss, bruises, cold feet and hands, sore muscles…..but I know it make take some time to tweaking my formula.  I am trying to start a very light exercise program right now to build up so much of the muscles lost during the last year. I do have a little more energy during the day – I only have short cat naps now and then instead of sleeping for hours at a time.

I’ve decided not to post anymore about the surgical issue until after I meet the surgeon on the 13th of January.  DON’T PANIC!  I will still be posting but not about the upcoming surgery.  I am not in a good place about the surgery and my chances for “complete recovery”.  I will chat about this more after I meet with the surgeon.  Right now, I just want to keep my mind focused on other things.  I need the mental strength about for the holidays.  They are going to be draining me as it is – emotionally, physically and financially.  Today is the last day of school for 2 weeks for the boys…oh joy…I wonder how many minutes it will take until I hear the all-to-familiar “I’m so bored”.

I will be posting daily – my goal!  These will be general postings about my observations of the world around me.  I think you will enjoy my twisted displays of humor.

Posted in Emotional, Food/Eating, Humor, Random Thoughts, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | 4 Comments »