Another step closer

BobHaze
BobHaze Member Posts: 161 Member
in Esophageal Cancer #1
My wife and I spent the afternoon yesterday at Mass General in Pre-Admission testing. I was surprised to realize going in how anxious I was, because any problems might mean my surgery would be postponed for whatever reason. Just to be conservative I've stopped riding my motorcycle, using the chain saw, going up ladders...anything I could think of that might cause an injury and delay the surgery. But all went well yesterday and I've been cleared by my PCP and the hospital for my MIE next Friday, the 23rd at 8:00 AM. And like some folks posted the other day, how weird it is to be relieved that I'm going to have major abdominal cancer surgery with a partial amputation!

Since I'm so close to the next phase in this disease, I've read with interest the posts over the past couple of days by the care givers of the Junior Class members about post-surgery diet issues. Yikes - what a variety of experiences! Between the UMPC's recommendations and the recent posts it's clear that everyone has different experiences and can tolerate different foods, so my wife is looking forward to a lot of trial and error in trying to help me figure out what and how much I'm going to be able to eat.

I fully appreciate how fortunate I am to be able to have the surgery at all, so I'm definitely NOT complaining. My only anxiety right now is the post-surgery path reports and having to wait for a week to know for sure, one way or the other.

And so the saga continues...

Bob

Comments

  • chemosmoker
    chemosmoker Member Posts: 501
    #2
    GO BOB!!
    Bob,
    We are praying for you to make it to that surgery, I am very happy for you to be a candidate and I hope that it does all go as scheduled for sure!!
    Good idea taking it easy. The JINX factor has got to be high!

    We are all rooting for you and I think you will do fine.
    All I have learned is to not eat sugar, raw sugar or high-sugar foods for the dumping issues.
    As a non-candidate, I don't have much advice except that I am proud of you and think it takes GREAT courage to tackle this surgery and make it to the Junior class!!

    Best of luck and wishes,

    -Eric
  • adube
    adube Member Posts: 63
    #3
    chemosmoker said:

    GO BOB!!
    Bob,
    We are praying for you to make it to that surgery, I am very happy for you to be a candidate and I hope that it does all go as scheduled for sure!!
    Good idea taking it easy. The JINX factor has got to be high!

    We are all rooting for you and I think you will do fine.
    All I have learned is to not eat sugar, raw sugar or high-sugar foods for the dumping issues.
    As a non-candidate, I don't have much advice except that I am proud of you and think it takes GREAT courage to tackle this surgery and make it to the Junior class!!

    Best of luck and wishes,

    -Eric

    :D
    Ditto that! Keeping my thoughts with ya, Bob! I'm working on gathering some extensive dietary info for my dad too (for pre, post, and during chemo treatments, so I'm sure post surgery will be in there too), I'd be happy to share my spreadsheet with the group when I'm finished. (yeah I'm an ocd spreadsheet kinda gal! ha)

    Anyway, best of luck- I'm sure you're going to be a model candidate!

    Jazz hands,
    Alissa
    (daughter of Mike, IV)
  • TerryV
    TerryV Member Posts: 887
    #4
    Best of luck to you, Bob!
    Hoorah for another joining the "Juniors". The week prior to surgery was pretty anxiety filled. I understand where you are coming from.

    Don't fret too much about the post-surgery diet. It's new to all of us, and thankfully it seems only takes a week or two to sort out.

    Please keep up posted on how things go for you. You've got an entire forum pulling for you!

    Terry
    Wife to Nick, age 48
    dx T3N2M0, May 19, 2011
    THE surgery, Sept 8, 2011
  • flmo
    flmo Member Posts: 65
    #5
    Best of luck as your surgery approaches.
    Bob,

    Don't worry too much about eating post surgery. My husband and I tried the suggestions from UPMC which worked out pretty good. One thing we tried to avoid was too much sugar. Seven months post-op, my husband eats most anything,but it took awhile, so don't be too impatient.

    Maureen

    Wife of Santo
    MIE at UPMC with Dr. Luketich- Feb. 23, 2011
    T1/NO/MO
  • Ericalynn
    Ericalynn Member Posts: 200
    #6
    New Junior Class Member
    Bob-you are about to become a member of the junior class. The week before surgery is tough, just normal I guess trying to figure out what will happen and how you will feel. Try to enjoy this week eat as much as you can, John put on 4 or 5 lbs in the weeks before surgery, his surgeon was pleased that he had gained some weight. The MIE is amazing John was wheeled in to ICU on Friday (9-9-11) @ 5 PM & on Sat. morning around 10 AM he was walking around the ICU with a nurse walking with him. He walked everyday and did his breathing machine (not sure what they call it). Make sure you speak up about your pain if you have pain or the meds they are giving you do not work speak up. They want your pain to be under control so you can walk and breath and cough. John was told he could eat anything he wanted except steak (for now) eat smaller quantities more frequently & STOP when you feel full. He over did it his first night home & felt bad for about 20 minutes. They told him that he would figure it out very quickly and he would not over eat again. John is very skinny so he needs to eat so I am trying to make high calorie foods. Much different mind set for me I am always watching my weight and he was always watching his cholesterol. I was worried about path report too but I figure we have come this far what is a little post-op chemo, I believe Niki husband Jeff is having post-op chemo (his nodes are negative) for an "insurance policy". Remember eat this week put on weight and we will see you in our junior class next week!
    Erica
  • NikiMo
    NikiMo Member Posts: 342
    #7
    You will do great!
    Hi Bob,

    I know what the week before surgery feels like having just been there about two weeks ago. My husband and I took a week off from work and had a stay-cation to take our minds off of the impending surgery. I know it helped both of us get over our anxiety. We went the opposite route of you and went to two amusement parks, probably should have thought about not getting hurt before surgery, but honestly that never crossed my mind. After recovering from 6 weeks of radiation and chemo I guess we were feeling a little invincible. We had a blast and surgery was the furthest thing from our minds, I didn't even think about cancer that much. I would suggest if you can that you and your wife get away for a few days, go out to dinner every night (my husband had lobster 5 nights in a row..haha), and give each other many hugs and kisses. I know your journey has been a little different without the chemo and radiation, but we were feeling a little vacation was well deserved after that whole process!

    Everything will be fine, recovery isn't fun but it is doable, we are examples of that. The way I got through the actual day of the surgery was by telling myself over and over again that this was the day my Jeff was being cured of cancer. Always try to look at the positive, that is a lesson that cancer is slowly but surely teaching me. I pray that your path report comes back clean, and it most likely will! But, even if it doesn't chemo isn't THAT terrible, it is doable. Its all doable!!

    Niki
    Wife of Jeff T2N1M0
    Ivor Lewis 9/6/11
  • BobHaze
    BobHaze Member Posts: 161 Member
    #8
    NikiMo said:

    You will do great!
    Hi Bob,

    I know what the week before surgery feels like having just been there about two weeks ago. My husband and I took a week off from work and had a stay-cation to take our minds off of the impending surgery. I know it helped both of us get over our anxiety. We went the opposite route of you and went to two amusement parks, probably should have thought about not getting hurt before surgery, but honestly that never crossed my mind. After recovering from 6 weeks of radiation and chemo I guess we were feeling a little invincible. We had a blast and surgery was the furthest thing from our minds, I didn't even think about cancer that much. I would suggest if you can that you and your wife get away for a few days, go out to dinner every night (my husband had lobster 5 nights in a row..haha), and give each other many hugs and kisses. I know your journey has been a little different without the chemo and radiation, but we were feeling a little vacation was well deserved after that whole process!

    Everything will be fine, recovery isn't fun but it is doable, we are examples of that. The way I got through the actual day of the surgery was by telling myself over and over again that this was the day my Jeff was being cured of cancer. Always try to look at the positive, that is a lesson that cancer is slowly but surely teaching me. I pray that your path report comes back clean, and it most likely will! But, even if it doesn't chemo isn't THAT terrible, it is doable. Its all doable!!

    Niki
    Wife of Jeff T2N1M0
    Ivor Lewis 9/6/11

    Counting down the days
    Thank you all for your support and encouragement. I know the food thing will work itself out - I guess my only real anxiety is that pesky path report, but I also know that it'll be what it'll be, and we'll deal with whatever it is just like we've dealt with this thing so far. I find comfort in the strength of Eric and Lee et al, who have a heck of a lot more to deal with than I do!

    I'm taking Erica's, Maureen's and others' advice about eating, and I'll be surprised if when I get to the hospital I haven't put on at least 5 lbs. My Carol knows me well enough that she's been teasing me some about how much I've been eating, but then last night she made me a chocolate cake and served it with a nice big bowl of ice cream! So just what the heck was it that I was complaining about anyway? lol

    Carol and Niki seem to think alike, because last week she set up a long weekend trip to Maine (we live in Mass). I rode up on the bike and she drove the car, and the next day we spent a whole day riding around the back roads of Maine on a beautiful weekend, thinking about just about anything BUT cancer. She really doesn't like riding on the back of the bike for more than an hour or so, so I know she was making yet another sacrifice for me. We ate well, loved well, and it was the best thing we could have done. The reason I'm not riding the bike anymore is that on my way home I had a very close call and almost had my first ever accident in 40+ years of riding. In the end, I recovered from a skid and just bounced over a curb, but it scared the hell out of me and even while it was happening I was thinking that it could postpone my surgery, which at this point is the absolute last thing I want to happen.

    So Thanks again to everyone for your kind and helpful words. 4 days from now I'll be in the Recovery room with the MIE behind me and on to whatever is next!

    Bob

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