My doctor told me that the wait for the pathologist's report would probably be the longest few days of my life...he was right. Depending on this report's information, I could be looking at anything from "no further treatment or exam for three months" to "Radical Cystectomy" (removal of the bladder). To pass the time, I tried to concentrate on praying and giving thanks to the Lord Jesus, the Healer, for watching over my operation, guiding the surgeon's hands, and especially for catching this cancer before it progressed to a more dangerous level. I should also mention that I spent a good deal of time sleeping. At night, I found myself running to the bathroom 4-6 times a night...about every 90 minutes. Because of this, I do not believe that I was getting any REM sleep...the sleep that really allows your body to heal and recuperate. For the first three days after surgery, I was tired constantly.
Thursday mid-day...the fateful, or joyful, call came. Denise answered the phone and I found myself hoping that I wouldn't start crying if it was bad news. I don't think there is any amount of mental preparation a person can do to prepare yourself for a moment like this that could define the rest of your life. Dr. Christiansen told me that my cancerous tumor was of the least invasive type. He said that it was on a stem and that the roots of this type of tumor do not penetrate into the lining or muscle of the bladder, which is excellent news! He then told me that he was 100% sure he got the entire tumor and I didn't need any further treatment at this time, but I would have to return in 3 months for another scope procedure just to see if the field is still clear of cancer. WOW! What a relief to have such good news. This is absolutely the best scenario that could possibly happen. It was as though a thousand pounds had been lifted off my shoulders. After hanging up the phone, I immediately praised the Lord and thanked Him repeatedly for His early intervention and discovery of this cancer. On my first visit to the doctor, I asked him what he thought might have caused my urinary bleeding in Yellowstone and then again for three days just before seeing him. He said he saw no obvious cause for bleeding. The tumor was far enough from the urethral canal and the ureter so that normal urination could occur and physical activity should not have been a problem. The only thing he said might possibly have caused it was if I had been hit right in that area and possibly broken off a piece of the tumor causing bleeding. But, I couldn't recall any such blow. I'm leaning towards divine intervention. Jesus knew I needed to change my eating habits and strengthen my immune system before cancer got the upper hand.
So, the best of news! I'm continuing my fight on the cellular level with my diet and treatment protocols. I'm not letting up or giving in an inch to cancer and hopefully when my exam and blood test comes in May, I will be cancer free. I've got three months to push as hard as I can to kill cancer in my body and strengthen my immune system. Is that enough time??? I don't know...but, I do know that I stand a much better chance now than I did just a couple weeks ago.
I don't mean to make this sound like it's a piece of cake or a walk in the park...it's neither. Especially when you are the main cook in the house and your family still needs to eat regular meals. Cooking delicious smelling meals while restricting yourself to cold vegies is quite difficult. I am the type of cook that goes more by taste than by a recipe. It's hard to adjust to cooking without tasting. Our grandchildren eat with us quite often so I am constantly cooking pot roasts, homemade chicken noodle soup, hamburgers, and Chinese cuisine. Can I imagine what three months of this will be like? NO! Are there any pluses? Well, actually there are! One advantage is I am losing weight daily without exercise (I still have ten days of no exertion to go). At Christmas, I was 214 lbs.. I am now at 190 and losing about a pound every three days. Once I can get back to walking three miles a day and lifting some weights, I should be able to reach my target weight of 178 and be lean and mean.
Well, I think that I will continue this blog on a weekly basis unless something really important pops up unexpectedly. It could get rather tedious otherwise with nothing much to report but the same routine every day. So, until next time...Adios Amigos.
No comments:
Post a Comment