Cancer Update 2012
THANKS TO EVERYONE HERE ON
HEALING THE PAST SIX MONTHS: It’s been quite a while since I’ve written. I went through a very bleak period followed by a double cavity surgery in December 2011 and another emergency gallbladder surgery just two months later. I was thinking this was the end of me with all the surgeries and painful healing in the aftermath. But good news, the cancer surgery has healed exceptionally. EATING: The past six months has been spent trying to figure out what foods I can and cannot eat. I need to eat every two hours in order to gain enough calories and nutrition to prevent my body from suffering from effects of starvation. I’ve been doing well. I’ve brought my weight up 20 pounds since my low period after surgery of 141 pounds, plus I’ve stabilized that weight for a full six months. I can no longer eat ice cream or other dairy foods, no steak or tough meats, no caramel, no rice, no soda pop or carbonated beverages, and a few other foods. But overall I haven’t missed them. PAIN: I still take pain medications, quite a few. On my right side body cavity I have no feeling due to the nerves they cut through. It just feels numb. I’ve cut back my medications to minimal amounts. I went through withdrawal for the morphine and lorazepam, but it was worth it. I don’t like owing my life to pain meds.
FINANCIALS: My husband has been working part-time for the past three months through Manpower. It’s different work every week, and about 10-30 hours a week depending on the business that you get sent to. The work only pays $8.25 an hour, but it’s worth what ever we can get. We now have a very little spending money and can save up to eat out once in a while. (Thankfully our friend who plays slots all the time is constantly giving us his comp meals so we can enjoy a few more nights out.) I also received my SSI. It wasn’t very much but definitely better than nothing. Along with it, I received Medicaid for my insurance. My husband has diabetes and will actually be covered by Medicaid as well as long as his part-time work continues with Manpower. He has to work at least two days a week to receive it and so far, we’ve accomplished that.
FOOD: In the surgery, Dr. Dhudshia removed 2/3rds of my esophagus and 2/3rds of my stomach, leaving a long flap of skin on the stomach end to make into a new esophagus. All I can say is … miracle worker. That’s what he is! Since the stitches and everything has healed, my eating is practically normal. I swallow fine and eat most anything I want except the few foods mentioned above. There is no pain from the swallowing or eating. However, the small stomach makes eating interesting in all the wrongs ways. If I eat anything I shouldn’t I get an extreme case of diarrhea. Food doesn’t stay in my stomach very long so processing and keeping enough nutrients and vitamins is hard. I must eat every two hours while awake, which makes me hate the sight of food sometimes. It was real difficult at first because we had no money for special foods and were eating from food banks. The food at the food banks is almost perished by the time you get or is perished. That makes bacteria problems high which are dangerous for me. Also, eating at soup kitchens and buffets or church dinners was out, because so many people had handled the foods and I got sick every time. Along with the SSI in September came food stamps, thankfully, so I can now purchase the foods I need and can eat. I’m not complaining. I’m alive and well for the moment and have lengthened that short life span I was first given, have a little money for necessities, so all is well.
HEALTH INSURANCE: As I said, I also received my SSI just last month, and with it Medicaid for my insurance. Medicaid is not much better than Clark County Social Services health card and has a lot of the same lax and incompetent doctors. But it’s better than nothing and I’m now seeing a heart specialist in addition to the cancer specialists and an internist. The heart specialist is for my uncontrolled blood pressure. I spent two months with no health coverage at all, and could not see a doctor unless I sat in the emergency room for 10 hours. So I saw no one, plus I had no medications at all for two months, July and August. During that time my blood pressure soared out of control. It’s been running 227/115. I also missed my six month check up to see if my cancer is actively spreading. I’ve always had problems with blood pressure. Most of the medications don’t work well for me. I’ve tried four now, but this last one seems to be working better. Not perfect, but better. I'm due for a cancer progress report to see if it is spreading again. That tmeans a CAT/Pet scan. I'm hoping it is still in remission. I'm having difficulty getting a new oncologist (the new insurance does not cover my regular oncologist) so no tests yet. Plus, I'm at a point where I just do not want to hear any bad news. I'd rather let it just sneak up on me and finish me off silently. I'm sure some of you have been there!
THE FUTURE: I am by no means cured. I have remission for the moment, but I’m told when the cancer comes back it will be with a vengeance. It will probably spread very quickly and they can do no more surgeries to remove damaged cancerous tissue or lymph glands. It may come right back within months or it could, if I’m very, very lucky, possibly be years before it returns. That’s what we are hoping for! Years! But we are logically preparing for the worst, a few more months. At the moment we are living life to the fullest we can, without focusing on negativity or the abrupt end it may bring. So again, I want to thank all of you for the generous hearts, love and support that helped me make it far enough to receive government assistance so things are not so bleak. You were my rays of sunshine when it was so dark. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
