Just got back from

Sandi1
Sandi1 Member Posts: 277
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Well, just got back from a 4 day vacation to Lake Placid with my husband. It was great, for a little while I had my old husband back. He was given the clear from the surgeon to resume his eating (was on a low residue diet from surgery for 2 weeks). It was nice to see him eating again, and enjoying his food and not feeling like he had to go to the bathroom every second. We walked, we hiked, we drove to the top of whiteface moutain - then took a long cold walk down a very small tunnel where we stood for at least 20 mins. waiting for the elevator to take us to the top. (Did i mention that i am clausterphobic (spelling?)), oh how I hated him for that, but once we got to the top it was beautiful, cold but beautiful. We then proceeded to go back down and then we went to see the ski jumping - they were jumping on some kind of synthetic grass - that was cool, my husband really enjoyed that. We went to see the bobsledding, the track was open and iced, but no one was practicing at least not in the time that we could stay there. Then we took a very nice, long leasurely drive home (7 hours), my husband did great. He didn't complain, he didn't get tired he was just my great husband that I love so much.

So, Wednesday he will be admitted back into the hospital to start his chemo and he will have to stay there for 48 hours (or so the oncologist says), he told me any longer and he is checking himself out. Friday morning he will have surgery to get his port in and then I guess he will be able to come home. He hates the hospital, and I don't blame him - I hate going to the hospital. Not only do they get our co-payments, I have to pay for parking every time I go there, and usually end up parking on the roof of the parking garage and having to walk to my car in the dark. Luckily my son will be there this time as he has been laid off of work for a while (he is a autobody techinician - fancy word for the guy who paints your car)so he will be with me. I am nervous about the whole thing, but I am trying to keep positive for my husband. I just keep thinking, without chemo there will be no future for us, with chemo, we will at least have a fighting chance at a future together.

So, please keep us in your prayers and thoughts that my husband makes it through this rough journey that we have embarked on. I will keep all of you in my prayers and thoughts.

Sandi

Comments

  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #2
    You are tough and will see this through
    Sandi, it was awesome to read of your great trip! I am sure you both will be able to conjure those memories in the days ahead. Be confident that you guys are doing the right thing and that you will soon be looking back on it and rejoicing that it is over. We can all sympathize with your hatred of the hospital... my blood pressure shoots way up just entering the doors of same day surgery. I am also sorry to hear of your son losing his job; I hope he finds meaningful work again soon. Know we are all here for you and your husband.
    Mary
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #3
    Port insertion and parking
    Sandi, the port insertion is simple and about 45 minutes in surgery and 1 hour in recovery, normally they will do a chest exray afterwards to assure that the lungs are ok and have not been damaged(strictly precaution, nothing to worry about). It will heal in about a week. It will float around which made me a little nausceous but it soon passed. The first time it is used it will be a little painful for a very short few seconds but they have cream that can help numb it before hand. I think it is a lot better than just using your veins in your arms. If he has a fanny pack for a 5fu drip then that too is easily manuevered around with. In sleeping I just take all the tubing out and place the fanny pack in the middle of the bed and go to sleep. Normally I wake up with it wrapped around me but it has never caused me any trouble that way at all. You simply don't worry about it.
    As far as parking they should validate your parking tickets and if they won't then talk to the head administrator on the hospital floor and they can take care of this for you. The hospital and Drs can do anything they want, its just a matter of talking to the right one. Good Luck with your journey....he will be fine ,just make sure you are fine also ......God Bless ya both.....
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #4
    Buzzard said:

    Port insertion and parking
    Sandi, the port insertion is simple and about 45 minutes in surgery and 1 hour in recovery, normally they will do a chest exray afterwards to assure that the lungs are ok and have not been damaged(strictly precaution, nothing to worry about). It will heal in about a week. It will float around which made me a little nausceous but it soon passed. The first time it is used it will be a little painful for a very short few seconds but they have cream that can help numb it before hand. I think it is a lot better than just using your veins in your arms. If he has a fanny pack for a 5fu drip then that too is easily manuevered around with. In sleeping I just take all the tubing out and place the fanny pack in the middle of the bed and go to sleep. Normally I wake up with it wrapped around me but it has never caused me any trouble that way at all. You simply don't worry about it.
    As far as parking they should validate your parking tickets and if they won't then talk to the head administrator on the hospital floor and they can take care of this for you. The hospital and Drs can do anything they want, its just a matter of talking to the right one. Good Luck with your journey....he will be fine ,just make sure you are fine also ......God Bless ya both.....

    I agree!
    My port was inserted, and then I was wisked off to my first chemo...I don't recommend THAT tho...but it was necessary for me. I had no bad troubles with my port, used it thru both cancers, AND I was fed thru it at one point when I had a small bowel obstruction. I had it removed 2 1/2 years after it was inserted.

    I agree about parking. Sigh. You caregivers don't get treated very well. AND it is UNSAFE (say that to the administrator) for a woman alone to go to the parking structure at night. I would say (now, remember, I am a hag...lol) "Would you like a molestation added to your hospitals records?" If nothing else, INSIST on an escort to your car, it's a bit tedious waiting for security, but YOU need to think about YOU!!!

    I can sympathized about hubby's desire to stay out of the hospital. At one point, I was in more than out. I remember thinking "If only I could feel the breeze on my face, I would KNOW that I was going to be alright". To this day, when that breeze crosses my face, I am reminded of that...

    Hugs to BOTH of you!!!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #5
    You both are going to be fine :)
    Hey Sandi... just take everything a day at a time and try not to look at the big picture of "How long is this going to go on for??". If you take it a day at a time, it is not quite so overwhelming.

    The port insertion really is not a big deal. Hehehe... when I had mine put in, the anesthetic or meds that they gave me, were suppose to knock me out for the duration of the surgery (about 45 mins.) I think it must be the same meds they give you for colonoscopies. But, whatever it is... I was wide awake for the whole thing, as I was for the colonoscopy. Mind you, they freeze the area they are doing the surgery so there was no pain involved. They also put up this tent-like screen so I couldn't actually see what the surgeon was doing.

    Then, it was off to recovery, although I was already wide awake... and hungry!! :) So they brought me a lunch tray. I was sitting up and had brought a book with me, so I guess they figured there was no point keeping me there... but they did insist on seeing the person who was going to be driving me home. It wasn't a matter of, "Oh, I told her I'd meet her out the front door"... no, my friend who was taking me home had to come in so the nurses actually saw that I was not going home alone.

    But I was fine, even after the freezing came out. For the next week or so, my right arm and shoulder were sore and stiff. But I found out the reason for that is the surgeon attached the port to a muscle to prevent the port from moving around. Once I knew what was causing that pain, I was fine... and it did go away in a week or so.

    So hang in there... and keep us posted how both of you are doing!

    Hugggggggs,

    Cheryl
  • pamness
    pamness Member Posts: 524 Member
    #6
    The hospital
    While it isn't the best place in the world. I was in the hospital for my colon resection, bowel problems, etc. Sometimes, I just felt safer there. Maybe you husband can look at his time there that way. I'm glad you had a great vacation.

    All, the best,

    Pam
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #7
    The vacation sounds like it
    The vacation sounds like it was wonderful! Just what the two of you needed before starting the next phase of your cancer journey. I hope everything goes very smoothly.

    *hugs*
    Gail

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