Pain two down and SURGERY is set.
February 9th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
13 days to go!!!! Please rejoice and pray for me.
Thanks,
ML
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Pain one down
Waiting to see Dr. H for pain number two but pain number one....in my side went WELL! The radiologist was so nice and said as far as he could see the pouch looked perfect and held the fluid well with NO LEAKS!!!!!
Now it is up to the doctor to decide. I see him today at 2pm for a lovely dilation. The thought numbs me but soon I will take my happy pill and all will be fine.
I am hoping to get him to bump up my surgery date to next week. I know, it's only a matter of days but that's what I am visualizing here as we sit and wait.
Everyone celebrate with me! NO LEAKS!!!
Now it is up to the doctor to decide. I see him today at 2pm for a lovely dilation. The thought numbs me but soon I will take my happy pill and all will be fine.
I am hoping to get him to bump up my surgery date to next week. I know, it's only a matter of days but that's what I am visualizing here as we sit and wait.
Everyone celebrate with me! NO LEAKS!!!
Friday, January 22, 2010
counting
Counting today. 19 days!
19 days until the take down surgery. 6 days until the scan that will let me know if in 19 days by then it would be 13 days til the take down IF it will really happen at the end of those 13 days.
I cant even tell you HOW excited I am. I get a week off from seeing my doctor as he wants to see me the afternoon of my scan. So I will get poked next Wednesday in the side and the butt. Ah the joys!!!
I truly hope that God blesses me with a clear and wonderful scan in six days.
19 days until the take down surgery. 6 days until the scan that will let me know if in 19 days by then it would be 13 days til the take down IF it will really happen at the end of those 13 days.
I cant even tell you HOW excited I am. I get a week off from seeing my doctor as he wants to see me the afternoon of my scan. So I will get poked next Wednesday in the side and the butt. Ah the joys!!!
I truly hope that God blesses me with a clear and wonderful scan in six days.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Not....
Not so bad. My dilation today that is. Maybe it had to do with the pain pill I took prior to leaving the house AND the happy pill called Xanax at the doctors office. It was quick too. Much quicker than in weeks past. NORMALLY the worst 12 minutes of my life. This week 4 minutes top and it wasn't terrible. Dr.H said it was almost perfect, right how we want it to be (the pouch that is) and quick. He said that it had nothing to do with the meds but I might have to disagree as the pain....pretty much not there. Thank God. Because you know how much I love Dilation Mondays. UGH.
So tomorrow I am nine weeks, nine weeks post surgery! Three weeks til the 12 week mark. I can not believe how quickly these weeks have flown. I am so grateful that healing has happened and that we have dates planned to finish the plan. The colon removal plan that is.
Next week we will know for sure. The procedure on the 27th will be all telling.
Pray for NO LEAKS please.
Hope your week is blessed!!!
So tomorrow I am nine weeks, nine weeks post surgery! Three weeks til the 12 week mark. I can not believe how quickly these weeks have flown. I am so grateful that healing has happened and that we have dates planned to finish the plan. The colon removal plan that is.
Next week we will know for sure. The procedure on the 27th will be all telling.
Pray for NO LEAKS please.
Hope your week is blessed!!!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
End in site!!!!
I am SO excited & keeping my fingers crossed that I don't hit another speed bump on this journey.
Praying that God allows all the healing and positive thumbs up to continue.
Yesterday I went to see Dr. H.
It was another lovely day in January, a little warmer than it has been...I think it was 45 as the high.
Dilation was well painful. We had me take a Valium but ugh it didn't kick in until afterwards. Oh well as I titled this....The "end is in site!" and well ugh, I am not talking about my butt. Directly that is.
Today I am 8 weeks post surgery!!!!!
Yesterday we PICKED a surgery date for the TAKE DOWN or step two in my two part surgery or reconnecting the plumbing. You take your pick in how you want to vision it but it's true at this very moment we have a date!!!! I think it has been over two years now since I have been EXCITED about a date on a calender. The last time....Travis' scheduled birth. Dec. 6th 2007!!!
Today I look forward to Feb. 9th 2010!!!!
I have another dilation set for next Monday right before week 9 and I pray that all will continue to look as "wonderful" as Dr. H has described it to be. Than a week and two days later I go down to the medical center to "test for leaks." Apparently I will have a catheter inserted into my stoma and they will test to see if the jpouch (second part of the plumbing) has any leaks. Praying specifically for NO LEAKS.
LEAK = BAD!!!
Than after that test it is a 12 day wait for surgery day to arrive. I figure right now, at this very moment, I can now mentally last 4 more weeks. However, at the point of it being only 12 days left it might be a test of my anxiety levels as I anxiously await that surgery day!
Glory be to God that He has seen me through this far and continues to carry me, walk with me and show me grace!!
So there is an "end in site" at least for step one of two. So looking forward to the new beginning and a VERY happy and lasting relationship with my jpouch after the connection.
Praying that God allows all the healing and positive thumbs up to continue.
Yesterday I went to see Dr. H.
It was another lovely day in January, a little warmer than it has been...I think it was 45 as the high.
Dilation was well painful. We had me take a Valium but ugh it didn't kick in until afterwards. Oh well as I titled this....The "end is in site!" and well ugh, I am not talking about my butt. Directly that is.
Today I am 8 weeks post surgery!!!!!
Yesterday we PICKED a surgery date for the TAKE DOWN or step two in my two part surgery or reconnecting the plumbing. You take your pick in how you want to vision it but it's true at this very moment we have a date!!!! I think it has been over two years now since I have been EXCITED about a date on a calender. The last time....Travis' scheduled birth. Dec. 6th 2007!!!
Today I look forward to Feb. 9th 2010!!!!
I have another dilation set for next Monday right before week 9 and I pray that all will continue to look as "wonderful" as Dr. H has described it to be. Than a week and two days later I go down to the medical center to "test for leaks." Apparently I will have a catheter inserted into my stoma and they will test to see if the jpouch (second part of the plumbing) has any leaks. Praying specifically for NO LEAKS.
LEAK = BAD!!!
Than after that test it is a 12 day wait for surgery day to arrive. I figure right now, at this very moment, I can now mentally last 4 more weeks. However, at the point of it being only 12 days left it might be a test of my anxiety levels as I anxiously await that surgery day!
Glory be to God that He has seen me through this far and continues to carry me, walk with me and show me grace!!
So there is an "end in site" at least for step one of two. So looking forward to the new beginning and a VERY happy and lasting relationship with my jpouch after the connection.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Looking good....
So Dr. H thought that the PET scan results were that of a "done too early" PET scan. Meaning that the brightness that was reflecting on the scan was showing areas of activity in an area that had been under stress from surgery.
He said that internally I am healing "very well."
I did not of course enjoy the exam or the dilation one bit. Dr. Ha did mention to me that I could be sedated for the next one as he knows I am not at all comfortable. It is only about a 12 minute procedure but man it is the WORST!!!!
I am going to think about the sedation as I will have to do this three more times.....Dr. H is thinking that in three weeks after the dilation in week three from now we can follow up with SURGERY!!!!
Today I am officially 7 weeks post surgery and so if in three weeks we will have surgery than it will be 10 weeks plus a few days. I am thinking it will be actually done in week 11. But I am so dreaming of surgery day!!!
Praying for continued healing. Thank you for all you prayers.
ML
He said that internally I am healing "very well."
I did not of course enjoy the exam or the dilation one bit. Dr. Ha did mention to me that I could be sedated for the next one as he knows I am not at all comfortable. It is only about a 12 minute procedure but man it is the WORST!!!!
I am going to think about the sedation as I will have to do this three more times.....Dr. H is thinking that in three weeks after the dilation in week three from now we can follow up with SURGERY!!!!
Today I am officially 7 weeks post surgery and so if in three weeks we will have surgery than it will be 10 weeks plus a few days. I am thinking it will be actually done in week 11. But I am so dreaming of surgery day!!!
Praying for continued healing. Thank you for all you prayers.
ML
Friday, January 1, 2010
Breathing in the New Year.
Yes. I was able to catch my breath and calm down on New Year's Eve after my visit with Dr. B.
This New Year looked bright as we rang it in. No big party to attend or throw. Just a quiet evening....well not really quiet as fireworks are legal here and so it sounds a little like a war zone for hours on end.
So let's get this all cleared up.
The area's of interest was more of a alarming call from the nurse than it needed to be. The doctor said that she wanted to speak with me prior to meeting with my surgeon so that I could have my PET scan disk and the report in case he had not received it yet. She was glad that I was seeing him on Monday because the area's were more "clinical" than what she would deal with. Meaning that the areas of interest...two of them were directly in the areas of surgery. So up and around my stoma and down near the cuff. She said in her opinion it was one of two things. Inflammation of cells post surgery and/or fluid build up. The non surgical site that was noted as a concern was so slight that she felt from the review it was nothing. Apparently their is a node near my aorta that is showing some activity but it is so slight that it not a concern. I guess Dr. H and I will have a talk on Monday and figure out the game plan but for now I am relieved.
So how do they gage all of this. Well when I had the PET scan I was injected with radioactive glucose. The scan, an hour after being still for an hour, was easy. It was the being still that was hard. I am not one to do that. But I had a trusty white little pill that calmed me and I was just about asleep when they pulled me out of the "quiet" room to empty my bladder and then go in for the scan. You lay on this hard surface and they cover you up like they are tucking you into bed. They propped my legs up at the knees. They don't look past your thigh unless they spot melanoma and then they will look further. Apparently cancer of the toe is very rare.
So the scan takes about 35 minutes and I was so relaxed that I was more upset that they had moved me from the "quiet" room.
The scan picks up light and the amount of brightness from the light given off in your body on which the glucose has attached itself to area's of rapidly growing cells gives them an idea of what might be cancer. So the areas that "lit" up on me were 6.75 and 6.3 with a 2or 3 in the node on near my aorta. The doctor said that the brightness wasn't what they would consider "bright" but enough light to have to make note. She has seen brightness that measured at 20 or higher.
So that is very layman terms for how the scan works but as you can see the main thing they measure is the bright factor and mine was low. That is why she was not overly concerned and is interested more in what the "clinical" discussion will be. She mentioned that my doctor may come back and say "oh this is nothing, I see this all the time. It is just fluid or irritated tissue."
Let's hope so!
So friends, thank you for your support! Thank you for your prayers. I was very alarmed and scared. I feel much better now and hope that on Monday afternoon my NEW YEAR continues to be just that.
Happy New Year everyone! I wish you love, health and happiness.
ML
This New Year looked bright as we rang it in. No big party to attend or throw. Just a quiet evening....well not really quiet as fireworks are legal here and so it sounds a little like a war zone for hours on end.
So let's get this all cleared up.
The area's of interest was more of a alarming call from the nurse than it needed to be. The doctor said that she wanted to speak with me prior to meeting with my surgeon so that I could have my PET scan disk and the report in case he had not received it yet. She was glad that I was seeing him on Monday because the area's were more "clinical" than what she would deal with. Meaning that the areas of interest...two of them were directly in the areas of surgery. So up and around my stoma and down near the cuff. She said in her opinion it was one of two things. Inflammation of cells post surgery and/or fluid build up. The non surgical site that was noted as a concern was so slight that she felt from the review it was nothing. Apparently their is a node near my aorta that is showing some activity but it is so slight that it not a concern. I guess Dr. H and I will have a talk on Monday and figure out the game plan but for now I am relieved.
So how do they gage all of this. Well when I had the PET scan I was injected with radioactive glucose. The scan, an hour after being still for an hour, was easy. It was the being still that was hard. I am not one to do that. But I had a trusty white little pill that calmed me and I was just about asleep when they pulled me out of the "quiet" room to empty my bladder and then go in for the scan. You lay on this hard surface and they cover you up like they are tucking you into bed. They propped my legs up at the knees. They don't look past your thigh unless they spot melanoma and then they will look further. Apparently cancer of the toe is very rare.
So the scan takes about 35 minutes and I was so relaxed that I was more upset that they had moved me from the "quiet" room.
The scan picks up light and the amount of brightness from the light given off in your body on which the glucose has attached itself to area's of rapidly growing cells gives them an idea of what might be cancer. So the areas that "lit" up on me were 6.75 and 6.3 with a 2or 3 in the node on near my aorta. The doctor said that the brightness wasn't what they would consider "bright" but enough light to have to make note. She has seen brightness that measured at 20 or higher.
So that is very layman terms for how the scan works but as you can see the main thing they measure is the bright factor and mine was low. That is why she was not overly concerned and is interested more in what the "clinical" discussion will be. She mentioned that my doctor may come back and say "oh this is nothing, I see this all the time. It is just fluid or irritated tissue."
Let's hope so!
So friends, thank you for your support! Thank you for your prayers. I was very alarmed and scared. I feel much better now and hope that on Monday afternoon my NEW YEAR continues to be just that.
Happy New Year everyone! I wish you love, health and happiness.
ML
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