5 weeks in FL did me a world of good. While I was in NYC, it was me and my father pent up in the apartment and going for walks on icy sidewalks in bitter cold, then, all of the sudden, it was summer and there were a gazillion places to go and tons of people to see. Once I got down there, I got a membership at the local Y where I frequently used the various aerobic torture devices. It was difficult at first because it was so hard to breathe - somehow the operation had left my chest very tight and it was a struggle to expand it but I improved over time and I think going to the gym regularly helped tremendously with my initial recovery. I also did a lot of walking on the beach; initially I could only walk part of the Siesta Key beach but, by the end, I was able to walk the entire way w/o any problems which was a real boost.
Pain, of course, was a problem and continues to be an issue. By the time I'd gotten down there, I was down to 2 pain pills a day (one in the morning, one at night), down from the initial 2 pain pills every 6 hours. Over the course of the visit, I went to 1 pain pill a day and then to 'as necessary' supplementing w/ibuprofen when possible. The pain is still there and I take ibuprofen once or twice a day but overall it's bearable.
Eating has improved but also continues to be a struggle. It's really about making sure I don't eat too much and that I eat small portions throughout the day but that's really contrary to my previous lifestyle. I have had a couple of more incidences of eating too much and it's rather unpleasant; all I can do is just ride it out. After most meals, I need to relax for a half hour or so and I still find going out to eat to be an ordeal - I push myself to go but I can't say I enjoy it. Another problem that I've had w/eating is that swallowing has gotten difficult - after this particular operation, it is not uncommon for striations to form in the esophagus which narrows it - there's a fairly simple out-patient procedure for dealing w/this which I'll discuss later but the upshot is that I currently have to make sure that I chew my food pretty thoroughly otherwise I choke on it. Struggles w/eating coupled w/my overall lack of appetite, makes it a lot easier for me to just not eat at all (which I've done a couple of times for a break) but overall I've managed to eat pretty well and my weight has stabilized.
One of the reasons I bring up the above issues is so that you can be aware of it if I'm hanging out w/you. One of the challenges I've had is that I look and act pretty normal at this point so everyone kinda forgets I'm still not fully recovered.
On Wednesday, I had an appointment w/Dr I for a checkup and the start of the post-operative avastin treatments. My vitals were really good; my weight is down about 20 lbs since the operation but it's stabilized there (versus the usual 30+ lbs weight loss). Dr I says I am way ahead of the curve vis-a-vis recovery and I have to start referring to myself as a cancer survivor rather than a cancer patient :). When I told him about the swallowing problems, he told me about the out-patient procedure (which is a lot like an endoscopy wherein they use a balloon to expand your esophagus) and said that it is not uncommon for people to have it done a couple of times and that I can have it done at my convenience - I haven't set it up yet but intend to call on Monday to get it done asap. Dr I also reiterated that this operation takes a year to fully recover from so not to be concerned about the pain and eating discomfort I'm experiencing as this is normal.
For me, the next great challenge is starting to live my life again while continuing to push myself in recovery. I'd initially intended to return to work this Monday but have decided to give it an extra week - at this point, every week still makes a big difference and there are a number of things I'd like to get done before returning.
hope to hear from you all soon,
--Dr D
PS - here is the birthday card I got from my nephew while I was down, one of my all-time favorites:
6 comments:
I'm glad that I checked your blog and that you had posted. B will be happy to know that the Birthday card made such a great impressions and continues to give a good laugh!!! Also glad to hear all the positive news from Dr.I Hope you are adjusting to being back in NYC, (Sarasota is always available for long weekends!). Happy Easter - talk to you soon.
M
SO HAPPY YOU HAD SUCH A GOOD REPORT FROM DR.I....MISS NOT HAVING YOU HERE IN SARASOTA...KNOW EACH WEEK YOU WILL BE FEELING BETTER AND BETTER...GLAD YOU PLAN TO TAKE ANOTHER WEEK OFF FROM WORK..TAKE IT EASY AND ENJOY THE REST...MOM
Welcome home, D. Glad to see your recovery is, as you say, ahead of the curve. How's your beer-consuming ability? ;-)
Looking forward to seeing you in M'wood one of these days. Maybe you can come out for setup for The Violet Hour, if not before (final Saturday in April, I think).
Later soon...
All good news. I liked the b-day card. Glad you are taking an extra week off. Hope the Chili turns out well. Good to hear you are now a survivor and not a patient any more :-). A whole new mindset. Hopefully your swallowing will improve after the procedure. I'll call this week. GOC
Good news all around except for the pain issue. Did the doctor have any idea how long that will continue?
Great birthday card - how old is your nephew?
curmudgeon - well, that's what Dr I says anyway (but I'll take it). I have no restrictions on diet, including alcohol, but I impose a restriction of 1 drink per evening. Going to setup for violet hour seems like a great idea - can you confirm the date?
bets - getting over the pain is different on a case-by-case basis so he can't really tell me. My nephew is 9 :)
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