So. I'm super lucky in that I am stage 2. I'm super lucky in that I have no lymph nodes involved. I'm super lucky in that there wasn't cross over to other areas.
What isn't lucky in that I don't have a definitive answer on if Chemo is warranted.
It's a crap shoot if it's worth it. There are no studies to tell me that 100% this IS the way to go. BUT on the flip side of that there is no studies showing 100% this isn't the way to go.
Soooo it's a judgement call. Basically the answer is "do it if you will regret having NOT done it if cancer comes back".
So basically it's up to me. That's a scary decision to make. 80% of the time i lean towards napalming this stuff. The other 20% of the time I want to just hold off for the three months and get the reversal done and walk away.
Yeah the 80% is winning.
Even the doc said with my young age (it's NICE to hear that all the time) he would lean towards chemo just to be sure.
So. I signed on for chemo. He did say I had time to change my mind after. Even if we only did a few sessions and things weren't going well and I wasn't tolerating things well, I could pull the plug on it all and walk away.
And so the adventure continues. Dr Sumrall will start the process to get me going on Chemo and we begin in a few weeks.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Mayo follow-up
Warning if you are grossed out do NOT scroll to the bottom!!
Liz and I drove to Mayo after she got done with work. Oh and speaking of work *I* went back to work for the first time Tuesday as well. Wow. I forgot how wearing it can be to use your brain. I was so worn that by noon I gave up and took a nap!! Really. The first nap since I had surgery. I was beat!!
I got up shortly before Liz got home so when she pulled in we packed and headed to Mayo for my appointments on Wednesday. Yay us!
We got into town around 7:30 and stopped for dinner at Millers Ale house. Liz had a steak. I had a bite of her steak along with baked potato and some green beans.
We then went out hotel and basically collapsed we were both so stinkin tired!!
Out view off our balcony.
Look In the far left. You CAN see the beach.... just a little ;)
I laughed. The hotel is a Hilton but the cups are Hampton. Funny!!
Ok the next picture will be graphic so scroll carefully!!
Funny story about our stoma Nurse.
Her name is Nurse Doctor. No really that is her name. AND she is going for her doctorate in nursing so she will become Doctor Nurse Doctor in the near future!!
I went to my fist appointment at 10:30 with the stoma nurse. As I had so many problems the week prior I was afraid to go. She said it looked really good. And to my little Audrey's defense she was looking MUCH less mad angry and swollen.
The skin had healed around the area and there was only one bad area directly around the stoma that was not looking great.
So here she is. Looking a bit more healthy.
That spot in the lower abdomen is glue residue. It's not anything horrible.
The surgical follow up with Nurse Christy and she crashed the stoma party and checked everything then. I got an all clear and some discussion about my diet had her talking to Tina the dietitian and I have a modified diet now!! Yay!!!
So it's now Week 10 and four days down 45lbs. I am happily moved to 3 shakes a day and one meal under 500 calories!! Whooohooo food without feeling like I'm cheating all the time!! Oh and a few high protein snacks during the day to get my output more solid and less like diarrhea. I had almost been doing this anyway since surgery... I couldn't take the liquid bags!! AND I have been told that my foamy output (gross eh?) could be a sign that I'm becoming lactose intolerant as well (common after surgery?).
So great news on all levels.
And with that we fought the traffic going north and now escaping Irma. Two gas stations with NO gas and two too crowded to get into and finally stuck with station 5 and they only had premium at $3.75 a gallon. Silly me didn't fill up. Figured I was going far enough to get gas. Nope. More closed stations between Jacksonville and Waycross. Wow. On the plus side I came home with 3/4 tank so I'm just going to stay home!!
Liz and I drove to Mayo after she got done with work. Oh and speaking of work *I* went back to work for the first time Tuesday as well. Wow. I forgot how wearing it can be to use your brain. I was so worn that by noon I gave up and took a nap!! Really. The first nap since I had surgery. I was beat!!
I got up shortly before Liz got home so when she pulled in we packed and headed to Mayo for my appointments on Wednesday. Yay us!
We got into town around 7:30 and stopped for dinner at Millers Ale house. Liz had a steak. I had a bite of her steak along with baked potato and some green beans.
We then went out hotel and basically collapsed we were both so stinkin tired!!
Out view off our balcony.
Look In the far left. You CAN see the beach.... just a little ;)
I laughed. The hotel is a Hilton but the cups are Hampton. Funny!!
Ok the next picture will be graphic so scroll carefully!!
Funny story about our stoma Nurse.
Her name is Nurse Doctor. No really that is her name. AND she is going for her doctorate in nursing so she will become Doctor Nurse Doctor in the near future!!
I went to my fist appointment at 10:30 with the stoma nurse. As I had so many problems the week prior I was afraid to go. She said it looked really good. And to my little Audrey's defense she was looking MUCH less mad angry and swollen.
The skin had healed around the area and there was only one bad area directly around the stoma that was not looking great.
So here she is. Looking a bit more healthy.
That spot in the lower abdomen is glue residue. It's not anything horrible.
The surgical follow up with Nurse Christy and she crashed the stoma party and checked everything then. I got an all clear and some discussion about my diet had her talking to Tina the dietitian and I have a modified diet now!! Yay!!!
So it's now Week 10 and four days down 45lbs. I am happily moved to 3 shakes a day and one meal under 500 calories!! Whooohooo food without feeling like I'm cheating all the time!! Oh and a few high protein snacks during the day to get my output more solid and less like diarrhea. I had almost been doing this anyway since surgery... I couldn't take the liquid bags!! AND I have been told that my foamy output (gross eh?) could be a sign that I'm becoming lactose intolerant as well (common after surgery?).
So great news on all levels.
And with that we fought the traffic going north and now escaping Irma. Two gas stations with NO gas and two too crowded to get into and finally stuck with station 5 and they only had premium at $3.75 a gallon. Silly me didn't fill up. Figured I was going far enough to get gas. Nope. More closed stations between Jacksonville and Waycross. Wow. On the plus side I came home with 3/4 tank so I'm just going to stay home!!
Monday, September 4, 2017
Stoma naming
It's official my stoma is named Audrey II (Twoey for short) because she was always talking that first week and still talking every once on a while still (Feed me Seymour).
Liz pointed out she came into existence about the time of the eclipse as well so her name is truly fitting.
Liz pointed out she came into existence about the time of the eclipse as well so her name is truly fitting.
Tummy updates
Belly update.
Day after surgery
Today.
A lost less swollen. Still chunky.
Yellow bruises. Healing.
Just took off the BIG bulky bandaid off the drain site. Not sure why it took me so long to do that. I guess because I have been showering every other day as I don't DO anything.
The drain was removed last Wednesday. The first few drain bandage changes there was some drainage. This last time nothing. Yay. So it graduated to a bandaid. Probably doesn't need that really bug because it's under clothing we shall keep one in for a bit.
Speaking of the drain you haven't met.
Meet
The drain hole in healing. Nope. No steri-strip no closure just pull then bandage. Uhm, OK. If it works, then do it I guess. (Yes, that's a bruise above and below it)
THIS is part of the stitch that was poking out at the narrow end of the injury. Just a smidge was sticking out when I pulled. This BIG hunk slid out easily. Yikes. Oh well. It's out now!!
This is what I feel about it all anymore.
Bwahahaha.
Day after surgery
Today.
A lost less swollen. Still chunky.
Yellow bruises. Healing.
Just took off the BIG bulky bandaid off the drain site. Not sure why it took me so long to do that. I guess because I have been showering every other day as I don't DO anything.
The drain was removed last Wednesday. The first few drain bandage changes there was some drainage. This last time nothing. Yay. So it graduated to a bandaid. Probably doesn't need that really bug because it's under clothing we shall keep one in for a bit.
Speaking of the drain you haven't met.
Meet
The drain hole in healing. Nope. No steri-strip no closure just pull then bandage. Uhm, OK. If it works, then do it I guess. (Yes, that's a bruise above and below it)
THIS is part of the stitch that was poking out at the narrow end of the injury. Just a smidge was sticking out when I pulled. This BIG hunk slid out easily. Yikes. Oh well. It's out now!!
This is what I feel about it all anymore.
Bwahahaha.
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