Life as Art

Steve.Adam
Steve.Adam Member Posts: 463 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1

I'm 11 days out from surgery and feeling pretty calm about it, though of course I do have some background anxiety.

But I realise that part of me is looking forward to the experience.  It will be a bit like being the star of my own reality show.  I guess I don't have a very interesting life, eh?

If you view your life as a story then you might want to skip the dull parts and get to the interesting stuff.

I also have the sense of watching the action from a distance.  The story is about me but I don't have any real control of the plot.  I sit back (try to relax?) and watch the drama unfold.

Call me shallow, but I also like happy endings.

Steve.

Comments

  • Bay Area Guy
    Bay Area Guy Member Posts: 619 Member
    #2
    Interesting post Steve.  I

    Interesting post Steve.  I see your operation is laparoscopic.  Is it robotic assisted?  If so, part of your experience going into the OR is seeing the robotic device.  I remember a tiny bit.  I remember thinking.....this is f'ing cool,,,,,they have an octopus ready to operate on me.  Then the next thing I remember is my niece's voice telling me to wake up.  No octopus was to be found.

  • Kat23502
    Kat23502 Member Posts: 179 Member
    #3
    Bay Area Guy said:

    Interesting post Steve.  I

    Interesting post Steve.  I see your operation is laparoscopic.  Is it robotic assisted?  If so, part of your experience going into the OR is seeing the robotic device.  I remember a tiny bit.  I remember thinking.....this is f'ing cool,,,,,they have an octopus ready to operate on me.  Then the next thing I remember is my niece's voice telling me to wake up.  No octopus was to be found.

    My surgery happened to be

    My surgery happened to be timed when the hospital was doing a promotion about how many robotic assisted surgeries they had done. They had a couple of the systems set up and you could go see them and try them out. It was very cool!

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #4
    It is

    still surreal 6 years later. Thankfully i've added many chapters that weren't in the first drafts.

  • Steve.Adam
    Steve.Adam Member Posts: 463 Member
    edited January 2017 #5
    Authorship

    I guess you're back to writing your own story now.

    Cancer comes along and interrupts everything, control is lost, then we take over again later. Is this how it works?

    I was more or less on auto pilot before.  Now I am wondering if I will be different coming out the other side.  I really hope I can make the most of it, if you know what I mean.

    Steve.

  • Steve.Adam
    Steve.Adam Member Posts: 463 Member
    edited January 2017 #6
    Bay Area Guy said:

    Interesting post Steve.  I

    Interesting post Steve.  I see your operation is laparoscopic.  Is it robotic assisted?  If so, part of your experience going into the OR is seeing the robotic device.  I remember a tiny bit.  I remember thinking.....this is f'ing cool,,,,,they have an octopus ready to operate on me.  Then the next thing I remember is my niece's voice telling me to wake up.  No octopus was to be found.

    Dunno

    Nobody mentioned robots and I didn't think to ask.

    I assume they are remote controlled arms and not robotic devices.  'Robot' implies some built in automation.

    Thanks for your help with my spelling of 'laparoscopic'. :-)

    Steve.

  • Bay Area Guy
    Bay Area Guy Member Posts: 619 Member
    edited January 2017 #7
    Steve.Adam said:

    Dunno

    Nobody mentioned robots and I didn't think to ask.

    I assume they are remote controlled arms and not robotic devices.  'Robot' implies some built in automation.

    Thanks for your help with my spelling of 'laparoscopic'. :-)

    Steve.

    I had enough practice

    I had enough practice spelling it while I was trying to explain to family and friends what I was about to go through.

    Yeah.  It's robotic assisted.  The surgeon sits at a console and controls the movements of the various tentacles (keeping with the octopus theme) that slice and dice the patient.  It's both pretty awesome and pretty intimidating when that's the last thing you see while being wheeled into the OR.

  • hardo718
    hardo718 Member Posts: 853 Member
    #8
    Definitely life altering

    The console and "tentacles" are pretty surreal.  I didn't see it when they wheeled me into the OR so I asked where it was.  It was behind me in the corner, like a punished child.  I watched enough videos of it in action before my surgery, so I wanted to lay eyes on it.  Medicine is amazing!! 

    Your mindset will ensure that you make the most of it on the other side, as you say.  Cancer certainly can make one re-evaluate everything from the most important to the most insignificant things this life has to offer.

    God bless,

    Donna~

  • Jan4you
    Jan4you Member Posts: 1,330 Member
    #9
    foxhd said:

    It is

    still surreal 6 years later. Thankfully i've added many chapters that weren't in the first drafts.

    Yes, you have face the

    Yes, you have face the unfathomable...with dignity and grit! So glad you did..

    Only have more love and appreciation for what you offer us each and every day!

    Hugs, Jan

  • Jan4you
    Jan4you Member Posts: 1,330 Member
    #10
    Steve.Adam said:

    Authorship

    I guess you're back to writing your own story now.

    Cancer comes along and interrupts everything, control is lost, then we take over again later. Is this how it works?

    I was more or less on auto pilot before.  Now I am wondering if I will be different coming out the other side.  I really hope I can make the most of it, if you know what I mean.

    Steve.

    Steve.. awesome thoughts,

    Steve.. awesome thoughts, inspiring such a discussion.

    C teaches us not only about ourselves but each other.

    It forces us to face the truth and discover who we are!

    Hugs, Jan

  • Footstomper
    Footstomper Member Posts: 1,237 Member
    edited January 2017 #11
    hardo718 said:

    Definitely life altering

    The console and "tentacles" are pretty surreal.  I didn't see it when they wheeled me into the OR so I asked where it was.  It was behind me in the corner, like a punished child.  I watched enough videos of it in action before my surgery, so I wanted to lay eyes on it.  Medicine is amazing!! 

    Your mindset will ensure that you make the most of it on the other side, as you say.  Cancer certainly can make one re-evaluate everything from the most important to the most insignificant things this life has to offer.

    God bless,

    Donna~

    Star Trek

    I found the various scans and tubes really 60's sci fi (although I was never attacked by a man disguised as a carpet). At one oxygen deprived point I found myself thing in Homeric Greek. The world seemed somewhat sepia and I was thinking, "This is really Cthonic(sp)." And it was.

    Oh, watch out for those boring bits, it turns out they weren't so boring after all. They're usually set ups for a big climax

  • Steve.Adam
    Steve.Adam Member Posts: 463 Member
    edited January 2017 #12
    Footstomper said:

    Star Trek

    I found the various scans and tubes really 60's sci fi (although I was never attacked by a man disguised as a carpet). At one oxygen deprived point I found myself thing in Homeric Greek. The world seemed somewhat sepia and I was thinking, "This is really Cthonic(sp)." And it was.

    Oh, watch out for those boring bits, it turns out they weren't so boring after all. They're usually set ups for a big climax

    The big finish

    Good point...  I don't really want to skip to the end just to see how it turns out.

    Steve.

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