So today was my first followup with my surgeon since the surgery on the 5th. Dr. Martin is the one who Ive said makes me feel like a rock star every time I see him, and today was no exception. Ill get the simple, cut-to-the-chase stuff first: I was cleared to start liquids today. Ill see him again in a week, at which point well move on to soft foods. My continuous feed by tube will scale back to just overnight at that point. A week later, we will start back on all other foods. Approximately a week after that, we stop using the feeding tube at all, and then another week later, it comes out. The first thing I swallowed today was some Ocean Spray apple/white cranberry juice. It tasted heavenly, of course. With that said, swallowing does feel weird, as expected. It will take some time to get used to the way it feels. Its more of a back-of-the-throat adjustment than anything else so far, for those who are curious. Im nursing that juice again now while I wait for some lime Jello to set up in the fridge. What Im amazed by is that liquids are liquids - meaning I can actually have coffee tomorrow morning, and you can bet your butt I will. I will take everything slow and cautious at first, as expected (and instructed). But each new liquid, each new food over the next few weeks will be like having Christmas year round to me. If youve ever wondered what its like to go from day to day and consider every little thing a blessing, Ill be glad to sit down and talk to you at length some time. I know what this feels like. Now apart from the generalities of eating schedule, etc., here are the heavier details. Dr, Martin reiterated that I am way ahead of most people who have this surgery. Its too soon to really talk about being cancer-free or really label things. It will be up to two years before before we can truly label it. But with that said, he mentioned that they got whatever remaining cancer there was in the surgical process. It just remains to be seen if anything pops up in a cellular level down the road. But he also emphasized that i am at the head of the pack in terms of my recovery, my overall condition, etc. In fact, he did say that Im as close to 100% clean as anybody can be considered, especially at this point following surgery. He reiterated what one of the other surgeons had told me a few weeks before my procedure, and that was that this surgery is probably the worst thing you can put a human being through. I figured things like open heart surgery would be more intense, but this is the third time Ive been told this now. I think I might start getting impressed myself here soon. I know that Im already thankful and most definitely BLESSED. I should see changes pretty quickly as I begin eating in terms of regaining weight, etc, and then they will taper off a bit. Dr. Martin did cautious me to be patient with myself in terms of things feeling off or different for me personally. Some things will take a little longer. Tracie may feel like shed like to add some comments, since she took me to my appt and was in the room for all of this. Its pretty hard to absorb everything alone, so Im always grateful to have friends present to assist in avoiding information overload. So there you go. Lots of baby steps ahead. but Im going to enjoy them and the slow pace of learning how to eat again. And now that Im in a place of my own again, I will look forward to entertaining and sharing meals when Im back to cooking and eating full meals in the coming weeks. Ill start production of the beer cheese as promised in the next week or two, and Im expecting to start making my own fresh mozzarella as well. Lots of fun stuff ahead to share from the heart. More updates over the next few weeks. BIG LOVE to all.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 01:24:46 +0000
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