19th Anniversary

 19 Years and I'm still here.

Been a long time since I posted but, just in case anyone is out there reading this still, I wanted to let you know that there is life after diagnoses.

Keep fighting and post a response if you need some help

All Regards,

Dino (aka Dr. D)

8 Years and I'm still here

Just wanted to post a quick update. Today is the 8th Anniversary of my diagnosis and I'm still here and feeling well. I'll be heading to NYC in the fall for my now annual check-up.

Same time next year!

Regards,

--Dr. D

Another Test Down

I had an endoscopy as part of my quarterly checks. They knocked me out for the procedure (which, as I've mentioned in the past, is much preferable to staying awake for it) and I woke up with sore calf muscles - go figure. The doctor called me yesterday to confirm that the biopsies came out clean so I'm still cancer free. And she doesn't think that the sore calf muscles are much to worry about :).

Today, I had a follow-up visit with Dr. I to discuss the results of the tests. He says cancer free is good. I agree. He also mentioned that recurrence rates after 1.75 years of treatment are pretty low so things are looking good. I will get a cat scan in 3 months - sometime around mid-september - which will mark 2 years since the beginning of treatment - that's supposed to be a pretty significant milestone.

Overall, I have to say that I'm doing pretty well - my weight's stable at a good level and my hair is long - but my energy levels do still seem a bit low these days, particularly if I don't get enough sleep. Dr I says I should try to add some aerobic exercise back into my routine - I'm not convinced that that will help but I'll give it a try. If anyone has any energizing tips, feel free to post them.

Tonight, I am taking Min to see Fish at BB King's - he's my favorite singer/songwriter and it should be an excellent show. On Friday, Min's taking me to see the Cure, another one of my favorite bands, in Madison Square Garden, which should also be an excellent show tho I may need some anti-depressents afterwards :). And Saturday is the company summer picnic - not sure what the weather's going to be like but they always have great food and drink; anything else is pure bonus.

Until September,

--Dr D

P.S. - I had originally thought I'd be down to semi-annual check ups at this point but, according to Dr I, that will happen after my December check up later this year. So it goes.

One Year Ago Today ...

I had the surgery that saved my life. I can hardly believe it - in some ways it feels like it's been forever and in someways it seems like it was yesterday. At this moment, one year ago, I was in intensive care - they were supposed to knock me out again after the surgery but, since I was doing so well, they decided they against it so I got to spend an evening I very well could have done without.

I don't have anything particular profound to say on this day so I thought I'd post some recent pictures - figure they'll speak better than I will (you can click on any photo to see the entire album).

In preparation for 'moustache day' at work,


at Rockefeller Center,


at Lincoln Center,


and as the Lone Ranger

Latest Test Results

As part of my ongoing quarterly cancer screening, I had an endoscopy performed last Friday (12/14/07) . After the procedure, the doctor said that everything looked clear and open and that she didn't expect there to be any nasty surprises from the biopsy - I just got a call from her and the tests came back clear (i.e. - no cancer detected) which is a big relief. I have an appointment on 1/2/08 with Dr I to discuss the test and things in general - I'll post a message about that once its happened.

The night before the test, I did get a bit anxious. I went out w/some friends from work for a drink but later that evening, it got to me. Truth is, I'm not particularly afraid of being told bad news so much as having to pass it on to my friends and family - luckily I'm clear of that for this round. I have one more quarterly screening in March and then I go to semi-annual screenings for the next 4 years - sword of damocles time

Overall, I've been doing well since my last post. Min and I went to Greece in October and we had a lot of fun (and a bit of drama :p), a lot of food, and a lot of pictures that I've been inflicting on people ever since. At work, I have been able to slowly ramp up my participation and am now fairly busy once again. I was even offered a new position w/a different group to re-architect their entire system from the ground up and lead the re-implementation - it was actually quite an exciting offer but I decided to stay w/my current group because 1) I really enjoy the work I'm doing and 2) I really like the people I'm working with; particularly how supportive they've been through everything.

On Friday, Min is taking me to the opera and, w/a bit of luck, I intend to stay awake the entire time :) . Saturday, I will be flying home for Christmas but it'll be a short trip and I'll be flying back on Wednesday because on New Year's Eve, I will be starring as the Lone Ranger in the Stroller's First Night production of 'Heroes' (along w/my co-star Superman); it should be pretty funny, perhaps even intentionally so (but I'll take what I can get) - if you're down maplewood way, drop on by.

Well I reckon that's enough for this time,

see ya space cowboy

--Dr D (waiting-to-see-if-anyone-knows-where-the-above-quote-is-from)

Final Treatment Done (!)

Went for a cat scan and my final avastin treatment yesterday. As per usual, the cat scan involved drinking the nasty raspberry crystal lite solution but it went pretty quickly and smoothly otherwise. I also had the standard tests done and then in to see Dr. I. He had already seen the results of the cat scan (and other tests) and said that everything was looking really good. We talked for a while afterwards and then we were done - while I'm not going to miss treatment much, I will miss seeing Dr. I (who reassured me to call anytime I had any questions or problems). Afterwards, I went into the waiting room where I fell asleep and, next thing I knew, the nurse was waking me to go in for my avastin treatment and it also went quickly and smoothly. The staff there is great and they wished me well knowing that it was my final treatment - going to miss seeing them too. The rest of my treatment is now evaluations. In early December I'll need to go for an endoscopy after which I will meet with Dr. I once again. I will also be following up w/my nutritionist at that time.

Last Thursday marked a year since my cancer diagnosis - quite a year. I read through the blog to remind myself of all that's happened and I now realize how much I left out - it was just too tough to write at the time to get everything down. For instance, at one point I made reference to the 'tanning booth' that looks a bit out of context now - I always referred to the radiation machine as the 'tanning booth'. Whenever I got on that machine, I knew it was killing parts of me and it scared the hell out of me each time because I wasn't sure what was going to be left afterwards. I didn't put it in the blog at the time because I didn't feel like expending a lot of energy whining about something that no one could do anything about but it was still a big part of the experience. All-in-all, while there are some things I wish I had done differently, I'm happy that I got down as much as I did and I appreciate all of the responses I got from everyone.

So I'm feeling pretty good overall these days. I still have pain and continue to go for acupuncture but the pain's not that bad and things continue to improve. Eating also continues to improve and swallowing is pretty normal these days. I continue going to the gym 3x a week and try to get out on weekends and be active. I'm still pretty tired by the time Friday rolls around and tend to spend Friday evenings resting, watching TV or dvds, and sleeping late on Saturdays. Again, pretty good overall - it's been 7 months since the operation and it really does take a year to recover from so the next 5 months are pretty important.

In the last post, I mentioned I was thinking of retiring this blog and replacing it w/a mailing list. In the end, I've decided that I'm going to keep this blog up and send out messages to a mailing list whenever I update it, that way anyone interested will know when to check out the blog. If u're interested in receiving such email about updates, send email to me at:

hmurakami49@gmail.com

and I will put you on the mailing list.

be well all,

--Dr D

PS - got a note from Sloan-Kettering saying that my Aunt and Uncle nicely made a donation on my behalf. I appreciate that very much.

Post-Operative Treatment #7

is today. My next, and final, one will be in 3 weeks - yeah :). At the same time they will also perform another cat scan - my 6 month screening which I hope (and expect) will go well.

Right now, I'm waiting now while they prepare the meds which will likely take a few more hours and then it'll take about half an hour to administer - not too bad, I should be home relatively early today.

I apologize for not having posted in the last 3 months but I guess I've been focusing on recovering and getting past this whole thing. Overall, I've continued to improve and the doctor says my recovery is going really well and all my vitals look really good. Eating has improved considerably - I still can't eat the way I used to but I can eat a smallish normal size meal w/o much problem and that makes life a lot easier. I still need a bit more sleep than what's standard for me and I tire more easily but that's all improving. I had a lot of numbness in my side after the operation where they had to cut through nerves but the feeling is coming back - I know it because, as the feeling comes back, I start feeling the pain - overall it has not been too bad and I've been going for acupuncture to deal with it.

Last weekend I went to the Whitney Museum w/Min and we saw an exhibit on the psychedelic art of the 1960's - it was really cool. At one point, I just stopped and gave her a hug for a long moment. When she asked me what that was about, I explained to her that the last time we were at the Whitney was during chemo & radiation days - that day, I was happy to be there but it was a real struggle for me and I remember how kind and patient she was with me - at the time, all I could think was that I'd just like to be here one day when I felt good and then I then realized that day had come - this is when I hugged her.

Well, that's about enough for today. Hopefully some of you will see this; if you do, please post a response - I really enjoy hearing from everyone and it's been a while. I will post again once I've gotten the results of the cat scan in 3 weeks or so. After that, I'm thinking of retiring this blog and replacing it with a mailing list - let me know if you have any thoughts about this.

regards.

--Dr. D

P.S. - Just got home from treatment, went fast today. Wanted to mention, I was up late last night reading. I ordered 'Our Cancer Year' a graphic novel by Harvey Pekar, author of the American Splendor comic books. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in late 1990 and this chronicles his experiences with it - I started reading it and couldn't put it down. Anyone local is welcome to borrow it (and I'll bring it to FL next time I head down).

Avastin, Part Deux

Hi All - had my second (of eight) post-op avastin treatment yesterday. As usual, they first took vitals on me and then I met w/Dr I. When I had the procedure done last friday, they also took a bunch of cell samples and everything tested negative for cancer. My weight's down some but that's intentional on my part - I currently weigh about 175 and plan to get down to 160; Dr I agreed that that's probably a good weight for me longterm as long as I don't lose weight too fast and keep eating enough protein for my recovery. My regular aerobic workouts seem to be helping too - my blood pressure's great and my heart rate is about 50 bpm, which is an indication that I'm in pretty decent shape (last friday, the nurse kept checking my pulse rate and finally said "you're the most relaxed patient I've ever had" (to which I responded "well, I've had a lot of practice lately")). Dr I also cleared me for lifting so I'm going to start back on the weights next week - he did emphasize that he wants me to start easy and gradually increase with which I concurred. After my meeting w/Dr I, they administered the avastin and that went pretty smoothly. Last time I had a slight reaction a few hours afterwards (slightly dizzy and a bit of a sweat) but this time had no reaction whatsoever. My next appointment is in three weeks on 5/15 - that'll be an all day affair as, in addition to the avastin treatment, I will also be getting a cat scan as part of the standard monitoring and be meeting w/my surgeon, Dr B, so that he can check my recovery progress.

Pain is still a problem but is under control and continues to improve. It's nice to be back at work and it's going pretty well. The first week, I pushed it a bit too hard and got really tired by the end of the week but I've scaled things back a bit and it's made a huge difference. Of course, part of the problem is trying to re-adjust to a 'normal' sleep schedule; Dr I gave me a prescription for ambien but I was a bit nervous about taking it regularly for a few weeks so, instead, I started taking melatonin - it's worked out really well and I've been able to get to sleep at a 'normal' time.

I was planning to go to m/so to help set up the next stroller's play and hang out w/everyone but I got an email announcing that the play has been canceled (which is really bizarre - if anyone knows what happened, please let me know) so I have to figure out what I feel like doing this weekend - if anyone has any suggestions, let me know. Be creative :p

reagards,

--Dr D

A Beautiful Weekend

I seemed to have recovered from the procedure pretty well. I had a sore throat on Friday and part of the day Saturday but I recovered from that pretty quickly. I haven't really pushed it eating-wise yet so I don't know for sure whether it solved the problem but things do feel better; guess I'll find out for sure over the next few days. And, yeah, I did get some ice cream :)

Rested a lot this weekend. Going back to work has been nice but between that and the gym and everything else, I got pretty tired by the end of the week. The weather was absolutely fantastic this weekend so I went to central park on both Saturday and Sunday and spent a lot of time wandering and reading - it was the first nice weather of the spring so there was a huge number of people out enjoying it w/me. Here are some pictures for those of you that are interested:

http://picasaweb.google.com/hmurakami51/CentralPark42207

Well, have to get up early so that I can hit the gym. Hope to hear from ya'll soon.

--Dr D

Procedure Done

I'm home from having the procedure done. All went well and the doctor said everything looked good down there so, hopefully, this will clear up the problem - looks good because my throat feels more comfortable already. Overall I'm feeling pretty decent just a bit groggy from the anesthesia and a little sore in my throat and stomach but that should clear up over the next day. Going to try to get myself some ice cream soon :)

more later,

--Dr D

ps - and a shout out to minmin for picking me up afterwards, always appreciate the help :)

Procedure Scheduled

The procedure to expand my esophagus is scheduled for Friday, the 20th of April - they will call me the night before to give the exact times and such for the procedure. Having it done on Friday will give me the weekend to recover from any ill-effects so that works out pretty well.

I am also scheduled to meet w/Dr Deng on Friday, the 4th of May. He specializes in nutrition and supplements so we're going to go over where I'm at in my recovery and what I should be doing in terms of diet and supplements.

--Dr D

Dr. D Back in NYC

I'm back (again) - got back on April 1st as scheduled. Been a while since I posted here so I hope at least some people are still checking.

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:

My Appt W/Dr. B

Saw Dr B yesterday (Thursday, 2/15) and he said that I'm recovering well and reiterated that the cancer was over 70% dead when he operated and it looks like he got the rest of it. They took an x-ray of me which he said was also clear (i.e. no pneumonia) and then he proceeded to remove 21 staples from my abdomen. That wasn't a lot of fun. In the end, he said I'm doing well and can go to FL anytime I feel like it now. He also scheduled a follow-up appointment in 3 months for a cat scan so that they can check how I'm doing vis-a-vis being cancer free - they'll do this every 3 months for the next year and less frequently over the following couple of years.

I have an appointment w/Dr I scheduled for Mon, Feb 26 at which point we'll go over the results of the pathology report in more detail and schedule my continuing avastin (i.e. the experimental drug) treatments. As part of the clinical trial, I will have an avastin infusion every 3 weeks for the next 6 months as follow-up to the surgery which should kill any lingering cancer cells (hopefully there are none but this is a precautionary measure). Avastin has no bad side-effects so it won't be like when I was going through chemo and the treatments should go pretty quickly - I intend to schedule them in the evenings after work.

I plan to head to FL a day or two after my appointment w/Dr I and spend about four and a half weeks there. I'd considered trying to move the appointment up a bit so I could leave earlier but, upon reflection, I decided that sticking around here an extra 10 days isn't such a bad idea as I prefer being close to the doctors/hospital in case I run into any problems.

Hard to believe I've been out for a week already. My brother-in-law flew up on Friday so he could hang out w/me and GOC for the weekend (well - go to Spamalot, really but I'm w/him on that). On Saturday, he and GOC spent the entire day cooking all kinds of great food for me (b-i-l is a fantastic cook) which they divided up into portions and then put in the freezer. It's been awesome and I haven't had to cook or order out all week. Sunday morning b-i-l flew back to FL, having had enuf of the cold weather, and Min took Gina and me to chinatown in queens for dimsum which worked out pretty well. Unfortunately I ate a bit too much on Sunday evening (quite a bit too much) and ended up in a lot of pain. Monday morning, I was still in pain and called the dr's office and the nurse diagnosed it as gas pains - she said I needed to eat smaller meals (duh) and walk more. Funny thing was the pain was in my left shoulder and left side, don't know how gas gets there. It was a pretty bad day and the pain meds offered no relief but they went away mostly by Tuesday morning. On Monday, in the midsts of my painful day, my father arrived - he and GOC were pretty concerned about me but there really wasn't anything to do but wait it out. GOC left on Tuesday morning so it's been dad and me ever since. Things have gone pretty well (and I've been eating much smaller meals). On Wed, when it was snowing out, we went on a couple of long walks and they seem to help a lot. Yesterday we walked to the dr's office which was a fair distance and then walked back afterwards. We even stopped at my office for while so I could show dad around and say hello to everyone. Not sure what we're going to do today but we'll figure something out and it's sure to involve walking.

My weight's down about 11 lbs overall since the operation but I expect that most of that loss occurred while at the hospital when I couldn't eat at all. I'll probably continue to lose some weight over the next couple of weeks as I adjust my eating habits but losing another 10-15 lbs will put me in a good weight range so everything should work out pretty well overall.

I'll be in NYC for the 10 days or so and am up for visitors so drop me a note if ur interested in dropping by. Take care everyone.

--Dr. D

P.S. I have just booked my flights to FL, I'll be leaving 2/27 and returning on 4/1. Yehaw :)

I'm Out!

I got out this afternoon. Yesterday they basically spent the day taking tubes out of me (some felt painful coming out others just felt plain weird) and observing how I handled regular food. This morning they asked if I was ready to go - and I was :) Sister GOC gave me a hand and we got back to my apartment around 2. All very cool. Now that I'm off of the epidural, pain's a little more of a problem but they've got me on some oral meds that are working pretty well. So it's now all about recovering. Kinda tired today so just going to take it easy tonight and watch some movies - tomorrow I plan to spend some time walking, depending on how I feel.

That's all for now,

--Dr. D

Eating Now, Getting Out Soon

My barium swallow test came out well so they put me on a restricted diet - basically juice, jello, chicken/beef broth, and/or italian ice. Not a real exciting menu but it worked for me. Last night they upgraded me to less restricted diet and I had a (chopped up) hamburger and some chocolate pudding - good stuff.

Dr. B dropped by to see me last night. The pathology report came back - my tumor still had a bit of cancer left (which means I absolutely needed to have the operation) but the surrounding areas, including the lymph nodes, were all clear which is really good news. He also said that, given my progress, they will probably let me go home Friday or Saturday which is good news too. I still have a number of tubes in me and, as long as eating continues to go well, they plan to remove them tonight or tomorrow morning. That'll be nice.

My sister M went home on Tuesday morning and my mother went home on Wednesday morning - they seem to have had a relatively good time in their visit to NYC, all things considered (thanks mainly to Min playing tour guide. M is no longer afraid of NYC the way she was before and even said "I guess I can see why you might like living up here" when she left). My other sister, GOC, came in yesterday afternoon and will be staying until Tuesday morning so she should be here when I get released.

I continue to exercise as they recommend which basically means a lot of walking, some lung exercises, and a bit of stretching. So far no sign of pneumonia. I also continue to read, surf the net, play w/my blackberry, and otherwise keep busy. More friends from work have also visited over the last few days and I'd sure like to thank them.

l8r,

--Dr. D

One Tube Down and a Barium Swallow to Follow ...

One of the tubes came out yesterday afternoon. This particular tube went in through my nose and into my stomach to keep it clear while it heals up. Not a a fun tube - you don't feel it that much but it's constantly in your way and gives you a 'borg' look and feel. One night I woke up around 3am and, while half asleep, convinced myself that I no longer needed the tube and pulled it about half way out before I woke up enough to realize what I was doing at which point I shoved it back in. That was a fun experience too, I tells ya. Told the doctor the next day and he explained to me that that was generally a bad idea, particularly shoving it back in because it can snag stuff and cause all kinds of damage - got lucky on that one.

Today they will do a barium swallow test. This is to ensure that my stomach and esophagus are recovered and functional. As long as all goes well, I should be able to start eating and drinking today. Amazingly, despite 5+ days w/o food I'm still not particularly hungry (though I was thinking some Superbowl wings or refried bean dip sounded awful good). But I am thirsty. Can't wait to have a glass of water or, dare I say it, possibly some juice. Or a beer ;p

I've been walking up a storm - 2 to 3 times what they set as a goal for me - and doing the recovery exercises they've given me but altogether it doesn't really take much time during the day. Also, every day they take me for an x-ray to ensure that I'm not developing pneumonia - it is responsible for most of the fatalities associated with this operation so they don't take any chances with it - I've been clear so far and most of the exercises I've been doing a specifically designed to prevent pneumonia.

Despite the record cold temperatures this weekend, I've had a plethora of visitors which has been really cool and helps pass the time. A big thanks to everyone who came out! Enjoyed watching the Superbowl last night though it was bittersweet watching the colts win - I like Tony Dungy and his organization quite a bit but they did have to beat the patriots to get there and I'm still smarting a bit about that. Of course, I hate bears even more than that ...

Have to go for my x-ray soon, keep them positive vibes heading this way because they sure seem to be helping.

--Dr. D

PS - They moved me out of my private room into a semi-private one; I'm now in room 1421B in case you're planning to visit. They had put me in another room initially but my roommate was an older, very sick fellow just out of icu (felt really bad for him but at least he had a lot of family around for support). After a while, my sister spoke w/my nurse and was able to get me moved to a different, considerably quieter room (my nurse and my sister are awesome). I don't have a roommate at the moment but expect I'll be getting one sometime today.

On the Road to Recovery

On Wed after surgery rather than keeping me sedated, they let me wake up late in the afternoon and I was able to talk w/Mom and sister M. Min showed up later as well but I was still pretty out of it. That night I was in a fair amount of pain and they worked with me to get it under control. Thursday morning Dr B dropped by and told me that the surgery went well, that he didn't find any further evidence of cancer, and that the analysis of the original cancerous areas will come back in 5 to 7 business days but that everything looked good - all of which was reassuring. Later I was moved from icu/recovery to my room. I got lucky because all they had was a private room so I that's what I got. I had actually considered getting a private room but it was an extra $500 a day and I couldn't justify that much extra to myself. After they got me settled in the new room they got me seated and, eventually, off for a bit of a walk. They kept me in a seated position most of the day as it's better for my lungs at this point and I went on a couple more walks throughout the day. By the end of the day, I was pretty tired and my visitors (Mom, M and Min) left around 8:30. Last nite I slept pretty well tho they got me up at 6:00 - again being upright is better but it doesn't mean I like it a whole lot. Today, I've gone walking a couple of times and will go a few more times. While walking, I have to stop every so ofter and cough to help clear my lungs - not a lot of fun but it's a lot easier today then it was yesterday. All in all, everyone says I'm recovering very well.


At this point, it's basically a waiting game again. I can't eat or drink at the moment - not particularly hungry but I sure could use a nice glass of water. On Monday they'll do a barium swallow test on me and, at that point, they'll hopefully let me start eating/drinking again. I'm up for visitors at this point so drop on by or give me a call.

--Dr. D

Out of Surgery

It's DR. D's sister GOC. I will be updating the blog over the next few days. DR. D is out of surgery and all went as expected. A bit over 5 hours. He is now in the ICU. Biopsy results will not come back for 5-7 days, but he made it through the surgery with no issues so things continue to look good.

Tomorrow - The Big Day

Surgery is tomorrow. I'm supposed to arrive at the hospital at 5:30 am. *Yech* My mother and sister, M, arrived this afternoon and they will meet me at the hospital in the morning where they will spend a lovely day waiting to get progress reports which they will get updates every two hours until the operation is over. Afterwards, my surgeon, Dr B, will meet with them to discuss how the operation went. M will then contact my other sister, GOC, who will subsequently update this blog w/the info on my status. For myself, I get to spend the day doing what I like best, i.e. sleeping. They will keep me sedated and in recovery/icu overnight and then wake me the next day once they've moved me to my room. Shortly after they'll make me walk. Ugh - luckily I'll be hooked up to an epidural so I can float away as necessary.

Well, I gotta get some sleep. For people wanting to visit, anytime after Friday should be good. I'll be at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the address is:

1275 York Avenue

which is 67th and York. My room will be on the 14th floor, I'll update the blog when I get specific room information. I'll also have my cell phone w/me so you can call if you want/need to.

See ya on the other side,

--Dr. D

Surgery Set for Next Wednesday (1/31/07)

I had the meeting with my doctors yesterday and things were generally positive. The endoscopy showed that the tumor has not shrunk a whole lot more since the last time evaluation but the biopsies didn't find any evidence of cancer cells which is a really good result and Dr. I tells me that its not unusual to find residual tissue after treatment. The pet scan was also pretty clear - the metabolic activity in the area is pretty close to normal; there's a little bit of extra activity but this is consistent w/what happens from exposure to radiation. The upshot is that there's a pretty solid chance that I'm cancer free at this point however they cannot say for sure so we will be proceeding w/surgery next Wed, 1/31 (which they had always planned to do).

After the surgery, I will spend 10-14 days in the hospital and an additional 6-8 weeks at home for recovery. The good news is that after 2-3 weeks at home, I will be able to travel so I plan to go back to FL for final 3-5 weeks of my convalescence. Apparently they will have me up and walking the day after surgery (with all manner of tubes sticking out of me) and the pain should be bearable w/o significant pain meds about a week after. They will release me from the hospital once, and only once, I can start eating on my own (i.e. when they can remove all of the tubes). The rest of recovery is about healing up, getting lots of rest, and getting lots of exercise, particularly lots of walking. My sister, M, and my mother will come up here on Tuesday and stay while I'm in the hospital (M will go home at some point and my other sister, GOC, will come up to spell her). Once I go home, my father will stay with me at my apartment until I can travel to FL.

I welcome visitors to come see me in the hospital or subsequently at my place in the city - contact me for more information if u r so inclined. Visiting in FL is also possible, contact me for reservations :). This Friday will be my last day at work so I'll have a couple of days to prepare. I'll post updates as they come along.

cheers,

--Dr. D

P.S. my new speakers should arrive this Monday :):):)