Friday
Bazinga!
While checking in recently, I discovered some very supportive comments from a bunch of you, pertaining to my illness. That means a lot. Thank you. 
I want to explain the whole sordid story.
In early August, during a routine procedure, a carcinoid tumor was discovered at the opening of my small intestine. Cancer.
Upon hearing this, my world turned upside down. I thought I was going to die (my research on the web bore that out). I planned my funeral, and even made a MIA former member of TK promise to tell you all when I did pass away.
Then came the tests. There was a test to see if the cancer spread to other parts of my body. It didn't. That was great news. Then there was the test that determined how big the tumor was (that one made me so sick I was admitted to the hospital for 5 days...even before the surgery).
My surgical oncologist said he couldn't tell whether the cancer spread to the surrounding tissues until he opened me up.
Okay. Time for the main event, where he removes the tumor. The surgery took over 4 hours, but the outcome was very positive. The whole tumor was removed, and the surrounding tissues were cancer free. Which meant that *I* was cancer free...no chemo, none of that other stuff. There's a 5% chance of it coming back, my doctor said. Pretty good odds.
I was fitted with a temporary feeding tube, until I could start eating again Thankfully, that's no longer an issue.
Recovery was a bitch. Painful, and a pain in the ass.
After two more weeks in the hospital, I was sent home. I did pretty good, until a week and a half ago, when my incision started opening up and draining. That was the worst. I had visions of the whole thing coming undone like a zipper, and all my insides falling out. I went to my oncologist, who immediately re-admitted me to the hospital.
This is where the "human vacuum" comes in. After cutting me open like a melon, I was fitted with something called a "wound vac", which sucks the nasty stuff out of the incision, and promotes healing. So I'm being sucked 24/7 (I forgot where I was...get yer minds out of the gutter
).
I made the mistake of watching the doctors change the dressing. BIG mistake. It looked like raw meat in there. I nearly passed out.
So that catches everyone up. I no longer have cancer (for the time being), and am on the road to recovery. The very worst part is all this time I'm missing work. I miss my kids.
THANK GOD I have great insurance. It's a 90/10 plan, which means I only pay 10% of the medical bills. It's still a hefty amount (I've spent 27 days of the past two months in the hospital), but not the bankruptcy scenario I would have been in without it.
I want to explain the whole sordid story.
In early August, during a routine procedure, a carcinoid tumor was discovered at the opening of my small intestine. Cancer.
Upon hearing this, my world turned upside down. I thought I was going to die (my research on the web bore that out). I planned my funeral, and even made a MIA former member of TK promise to tell you all when I did pass away.
Then came the tests. There was a test to see if the cancer spread to other parts of my body. It didn't. That was great news. Then there was the test that determined how big the tumor was (that one made me so sick I was admitted to the hospital for 5 days...even before the surgery).
My surgical oncologist said he couldn't tell whether the cancer spread to the surrounding tissues until he opened me up.
Okay. Time for the main event, where he removes the tumor. The surgery took over 4 hours, but the outcome was very positive. The whole tumor was removed, and the surrounding tissues were cancer free. Which meant that *I* was cancer free...no chemo, none of that other stuff. There's a 5% chance of it coming back, my doctor said. Pretty good odds.
I was fitted with a temporary feeding tube, until I could start eating again Thankfully, that's no longer an issue.
Recovery was a bitch. Painful, and a pain in the ass.
After two more weeks in the hospital, I was sent home. I did pretty good, until a week and a half ago, when my incision started opening up and draining. That was the worst. I had visions of the whole thing coming undone like a zipper, and all my insides falling out. I went to my oncologist, who immediately re-admitted me to the hospital.
This is where the "human vacuum" comes in. After cutting me open like a melon, I was fitted with something called a "wound vac", which sucks the nasty stuff out of the incision, and promotes healing. So I'm being sucked 24/7 (I forgot where I was...get yer minds out of the gutter
).I made the mistake of watching the doctors change the dressing. BIG mistake. It looked like raw meat in there. I nearly passed out.
So that catches everyone up. I no longer have cancer (for the time being), and am on the road to recovery. The very worst part is all this time I'm missing work. I miss my kids.
THANK GOD I have great insurance. It's a 90/10 plan, which means I only pay 10% of the medical bills. It's still a hefty amount (I've spent 27 days of the past two months in the hospital), but not the bankruptcy scenario I would have been in without it.
