Never too young for colon cancer.. Where I've been

Thanks man

So as an update, I talked to the surgeon last week and he is very pleased with the overall appearance of the healing incision area as well as the ileostomy. The only problem I am having right now is bleeding around the edges of the suture area where the intestine is tied to my stomach skin. For those unfamiliar with an ileostomy it is essentially a loop of small intestine that is pulled through a silver dollar-sized hole in your lower stomach, which is then cut in half and stitched to your stomach to keep it in place. So I have a about a 1" nub of intestine that pokes out me belly. I attach a bag to that to collect junk... It sucks but whatever.

I am scheduled to get my Port installed this week or early next week. The Port is the device they install in my chest that will deliver the chemo drugs. Last time I used a PICC line they had installed in my arm but the tubing would get tangled up while I slept so that is rather annoying. To be honest, sleeping with a fanny pack is rather annoying let alone with tubes going into your body. LOL If the Port gets installed this week then I will start my 6month cycle of chemo next Monday. I'll be working 7 days this week due to multi-species grazing academy workshop in addition to my normal schedule so to be graced with a dose of chemo at the "end" of my long week should prove "fun".

The surgeon said that the pathology report showed 7 lymph nodes removed during surgery, 5 of which showed cancer cells. This is why my oncologist is in such a hurry to get my back on treatments. I know it is what needs to be done but I'm just so tired and it feels like such a long road ahead still....

Thanks to my friends here on PC for keeping my mind strong and healthy and my humorous side intact!

 

Thanks Daniel!

Generally with chemo even if you only go in once a week you feel like shit the entire time you're on it because it is always in your system during the treatment cycle. The good news is during this round of chemo I won't have to wear the chemo pump 24hrs a day like I did last time. I only have to wear it for 2 days every two weeks! The drawback is that the mega-doses I may be given will probably make me sicker than getting the small doses over a longer period of time. This cycle is also for 6 months instead of 6 weeks but I won't have to do radiation this time so maybe it will be a wash with regards to how sick I'll get.

 

Thank you for the smile

 

That's what I'm talking about! So what are you doing later????

Flying White Dutchman,

I don't know if I would call it amazing mental strength or anything. I just genuinely enjoy my work and the fact I have to pay bills pushes me maybe a bit more than I would normally. Besides, who wants to sit around the house all day feeling sorry for themselves? It's much more fun to go out and make a positive difference in the world! Just don't tell my sister I worked 7 days in a row this week (a few 13hr days too)...... I'd be in soo much trouble. lol

Update: 09/21/2009

Tomorrow I am scheduled for the outpatient "surgery" to have a PORT installed in my chest. This will allow them to administer the chemo a little more directly than the PICC line I had going through my arm and into my chest last time. Plus I won't get so tangled up at night with tubes. I'll still have to wear the bulky fanny pack which limits movement but whatever.

Wednesday I start the new chemo cycle. I hope the worst part is having to sit in a chair for two hours while they drip one chemical in me. I've always just had them refill my portable pump and be on my way so this will be new.

On a happy note, I finished the 2009 California Multi-Species Grazing Academy this weekend after 3 rough days in the field estimating carrying capacity of the land, ecosystem assessment and building electric fence enclosures for goats and sheep. We did some indoors instruction as well but the outdoor stuff was pretty cool and the goats were especially funny due to their teenage kid antics. The best part was when they asked one of the younger guys to perfom an anemia check on one of the sheep by rolling back the vulva to check for healthy pink tissue. The guy started messing around with the back end of the sheep (I couldn't see exactly what he was doing) then after a few seconds he stood back up after realizing it was a male sheep and not a female. ound:

 

Yeah, seriously. I made sure I was active with the group after that so no jokes got played on me. LOL

 

So how is that PhD coming along?

 

My insurance and even our State Disability Income would not even come close to allowing me to take leave from work.

So I had the surgery to install my PORT yesterday and I just have to say OUCH!!!! That was not cool. They are supposed to sedate you but keep you awake kinda like with a colonscopy. In that situation you are awake but you don't really know what is going on and you don't feel pain or that you even had the procedure. It's pretty nice. This surgery had me fully awake and I felt every damn thing. It felt like someone was jabbing me in the jugular vein and in my chest with a pointy rod. Sadly it still feels like that and it is hard to move my head. I have to work out a plan to even roll over in bed or god forbid I have to actually get out of bed! Ahh well, I still have some pain meds left over from my other surgery so I am at work now typing this out while the coffee brews and I get geared up for lots of paperwork today!

I hope you all have a wonderful day!!!! :rockon: