Monday, October 24, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Support Team
So today was pre op day..Met a few nurses, an internest, anesthesiologist and his trainee .. Have to say that all were the best of nice people. Had explained to me way more than I could absorb, so I'm grateful for my support staff above who asked my questions and took my notes.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Whipple
Its an easy drive to the Foothills. So we're early . Up to the reception behind a guy checking in with Dr Dixon, same doc as me. We wait til 9:00, my time, and of course it comes and goes. Nurse comes out shortly after looking for the guy who was in front of me, he's gone. I've seen it before.
A few minutes later she calls my name .. Into one of the little rooms we go and get set for another wait. Not 5 minutes go by and in he comes.
He feels pretty confident, and starts to draw what he wants to do. its called the whipple, and it involves removing part my pancreas with the tumour and re hooking it up to the stomach and/or the duodenum. part of my stomach goes so he says Im going to lose about 15 pounds or so that I wont get back. For me this is all Good news. He offers me a trial for reattaching the pancreas that I'll think about. He lays out a lot of the risks involved and what I can expect for the next two weeks. The nurse follows him with more opportunities for clinical trials and the blood work paperwork.
Next up , more paper work then a 4 hour visit with the anesthetic doc. Wait for the call from the surgeon (Dr Dixon ) for an operating room. I'll only need it for 5 or 6 hours.
Well the ball is rolling.
A few minutes later she calls my name .. Into one of the little rooms we go and get set for another wait. Not 5 minutes go by and in he comes.
He feels pretty confident, and starts to draw what he wants to do. its called the whipple, and it involves removing part my pancreas with the tumour and re hooking it up to the stomach and/or the duodenum. part of my stomach goes so he says Im going to lose about 15 pounds or so that I wont get back. For me this is all Good news. He offers me a trial for reattaching the pancreas that I'll think about. He lays out a lot of the risks involved and what I can expect for the next two weeks. The nurse follows him with more opportunities for clinical trials and the blood work paperwork.
Next up , more paper work then a 4 hour visit with the anesthetic doc. Wait for the call from the surgeon (Dr Dixon ) for an operating room. I'll only need it for 5 or 6 hours.
Well the ball is rolling.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Life is so fragile . We forget that sometimes..
I think that when our Divine Creator chose the way to begin life , His infinite genius made things so complex and yet so methodical and orderly that all things were interlaced with all things. Life begins as a result of an interaction in all living things ; and when we search for meaning , the answer is never very far , when you open your mind and let it find you. The beauty of all things created by God is there for you and your soul to behold and witness. On the times when you don’t see it you lose a bit of yourself.But its always there for you to take back.
When we were given our station in this magnificent world , we were gave all the amenities , the resources and intelligence to sustain our selves and to prosper. What He chose not to give was immortality. How we lived and reacted with our fellow man determined how long we had before He called you home. He gave us clues and brilliant minds to find all the cures for all the ills that befall us as we travel through our life. Many are still out there to discover .All the comforts we have were destined to be found.. But there was never a guarantee He would see you through to a magic number that was meant just for you . A lifetime can be any amount of time. but never infinite.
So when my Brother in law Stan passed away, I dare not call it pre ordained , but rather on the frailties of our bodies . life can be so very fragile that when it stumbles because of a weak heart
and there is no one there to try and keep life sustained ,the soul must move on to the next stage
of its intended path. Stan was a good man and he will rest in peace of that I am sure. His place
beyond this mortal earth is full of peace and goodness. May God take him and give him his place in heaven..
When we were given our station in this magnificent world , we were gave all the amenities , the resources and intelligence to sustain our selves and to prosper. What He chose not to give was immortality. How we lived and reacted with our fellow man determined how long we had before He called you home. He gave us clues and brilliant minds to find all the cures for all the ills that befall us as we travel through our life. Many are still out there to discover .All the comforts we have were destined to be found.. But there was never a guarantee He would see you through to a magic number that was meant just for you . A lifetime can be any amount of time. but never infinite.
So when my Brother in law Stan passed away, I dare not call it pre ordained , but rather on the frailties of our bodies . life can be so very fragile that when it stumbles because of a weak heart
and there is no one there to try and keep life sustained ,the soul must move on to the next stage
of its intended path. Stan was a good man and he will rest in peace of that I am sure. His place
beyond this mortal earth is full of peace and goodness. May God take him and give him his place in heaven..
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
"Home Sweet Home'
Its saturday afternoon and these cramps just are not going anywhere. Make a call to health link and after a nice thorough chat she arranges an appointment at a night clinic that my doctor belongs to.
Plug the meter and I'm in. A genuine nice young doc from South Africa , been here about a year, checks me out. A few pokes here and there , a few deep breaths and hes pretty sure because of the timing its Gall bladderish.. Tylonol 3 and oh some good nasal sprays for my gunky nose that's always plugged.
Four tylonol 3's later and nothing is feeling good. I gotta try something else.. Its my last resort, the peter lougheed emergency. Quarter to ten saturday night, find a comfortable chair , Val beside me looking so worn out ( Stan passed away from a heart attack today at 57 ) Such a hard day for her.
Its 1:30 they call me up for the prelimenaries the ekg the blood work..and send me back out. Its about 3 am and the blood works is back , one of the enzymes the lypase i think is way too high, its 800 when it should be 60 or so . It points them to the pancreas. they think it was a reaction from the needle poke from last Monday. A few xrays and im waiting to be admitted for a bed. About 10:00 on sunday im on the 4th floor in a private room with a view. Hooked up for fluids only to replace the electrolytes and to sock in the morphine. nothing but ice chips til monday morning.Val and Holly keep me occupied and was so glad to have that.
Everyone on the floor is nice , courteous and helpful. The pain slowly becomes tolerable and im eating light food. The hospital is no place to sleep so when they send me home monday afternoon Im looking forward to my own bed. Next up a meeting with the surgeon Friday at 9am ."Home sweet Home"
Plug the meter and I'm in. A genuine nice young doc from South Africa , been here about a year, checks me out. A few pokes here and there , a few deep breaths and hes pretty sure because of the timing its Gall bladderish.. Tylonol 3 and oh some good nasal sprays for my gunky nose that's always plugged.
Four tylonol 3's later and nothing is feeling good. I gotta try something else.. Its my last resort, the peter lougheed emergency. Quarter to ten saturday night, find a comfortable chair , Val beside me looking so worn out ( Stan passed away from a heart attack today at 57 ) Such a hard day for her.
Its 1:30 they call me up for the prelimenaries the ekg the blood work..and send me back out. Its about 3 am and the blood works is back , one of the enzymes the lypase i think is way too high, its 800 when it should be 60 or so . It points them to the pancreas. they think it was a reaction from the needle poke from last Monday. A few xrays and im waiting to be admitted for a bed. About 10:00 on sunday im on the 4th floor in a private room with a view. Hooked up for fluids only to replace the electrolytes and to sock in the morphine. nothing but ice chips til monday morning.Val and Holly keep me occupied and was so glad to have that.
Everyone on the floor is nice , courteous and helpful. The pain slowly becomes tolerable and im eating light food. The hospital is no place to sleep so when they send me home monday afternoon Im looking forward to my own bed. Next up a meeting with the surgeon Friday at 9am ."Home sweet Home"
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