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

Dad: myeloma, thankfully caught in earliest stage and removed; also having a squamous cell cancerous growth removed in July; he's been seeing a dermatologist for treatment of precancerous cells for a couple of years

Dad-in-law: myxofibrosarcoma, grade three (worst) and I don't understand why they don't run a PET scan within days of its discovery; on the bright side he had catarct surgery last week so he can see well enough to read again

It's so nice to read your posts. You are fortunate to have a job you love. I'm interested in the butterfly trail project. Have you thought about teaming up with a middle school teacher to get kids involved? They could research the butterflys (their identifying characteristics, niches in the ecosystem, food source, etc.) and create trail pamphlets and/or markers. The best science teachers relish real world projects like these if they can align them with their curriculum.

 

On one of our childhood vacations (a long time ago!) we drove up through Yosemite and then through the areas around Mono Lake, Lee Vining, June Lake, etc. As a fourth generation Californian, I have to say it is an amazing state and even most people who live there see just a small fraction of it.

I'd love to take a drive through it again.

I love where I live in Massachusetts but I miss those western landscapes sometimes. You are so lucky to have such beauty in your backyard. It's gotta be good for your health and your state of mind just to be out there.

 

I had baked chicken as my first solid meal at the hospital. For a while before that it was protein shakes and soft foods for about a day. There we no special dietary restrictions, no antibiotics and no pain killers need when I went home. I lost NO weight in the hspital because of the IVs. I did make sure to build up my cardio before surgery.

Your Dr will decide on the type of surgery that's best. A few do arthro for diverticulitis but my surgeon was one of the best in the country, did his internship and a surgical residency at The Mayo Clinic and he said no to Orthro. For diverticulitis they 'excorprolize' you colon, put it in a bucket and 'feel' for irregularities. I think cancer is easier to spot but trust your surgeons direction. You don't want him anything missed.

TMI?

And bring gum to the hospital. Chewing gum helps restart peristalsis and you don't go home until your colon starts moving things thru again.

 

"I was classified as stage 3 but the were more interested in setting me up on chemo and radiation. I didn't even have a cat scan till a couple weeks into the treatments. Are they already scheduling him for treatments or is he in a holding patern?"

They put him on hold for 3 weeks. No treatments, just a recommendation from the pathologist that more tissue be removed even though the edges were clear, just to be on the safe side. General surgeon said he'd done all he could do.

Thanks for the link to the birdhouse etc. thread. It brought back memories of building bird and bat boxes with my cub scouts and 4-H kids. Of course we all hung them up in our suburban backyards so no bluebirds ever took up residency, only sparrows and chipmunks. I never knew chipmunks climbed trees until I spotted them checking out the bird house. Bats never came to the bat box either, but hey, what do you expect when it gets hung on the wooden swingset/fort swarming with children? Actually, we have a good chance at attracting bats this year. The kids are all grown up and the fort's been abandoned. Also, the city will be tearing down an old limestone building in which hundreds of bats are nesting in the chimney.

Best wishes for successful surgery. I sure wish I knew about that gum chewing trick when I had my C-sections!

 

Wow! That is absolutely gorgeous! Maybe Dipena and I should get together and do a Pri Road Trip!

I'm anxiously awaiting delivery of my 2010 so I can head to VT (flatlander, not NEK) for the month of Aug to an old camp my great grandfather bought in 1911. Enroute I feel my blood pressure drop, it's wonderful. It's another one of those places that's food for the sole. Lucky us.

 

going on, what, 3 weeks post radiation/chemo? How's it going? Any news on the "operational" date?

 

sorry to hear that, you have my heartfelt sympathy. A good friend went through radiation for prostate cancer and has the same problem doing "number 1." Stand at facility of choice, unzip, relax, and

 

Bonne chance, mon ami.

 

I heard from F8L this morning. The operation successfully removed all of the cancer, and he'll be in hospital for a few days of recovery and pain management.

 

YAY! so glad to hear it was successful!

 

+n. It is really great news!

 

Ditto!