Today is June 10th
Quite a few days have passed since I last wrote. My return from hospital has led to further improvement of my condition and as time has passed more information about what happened.has come to light.
I have found that the cancer has in fact returned - or never really went away and that in spite of the cutting of the tumour out of my system I am afraid that some was left outside the space in which the cuts were made. I am assured that what remains is microscopic and that if radio and/or chemo therapy can be used, then this is likely to mop up what was left. I am also assured that while the nerves were invaded the cutting of the nerves has revealed that it did not spread (or at least get a hold) beyond the sections which were cut out. Since it also did not invade the vascular system there is hope there and of course the cauterisation of the operation site did make it hard for cells to survive.
Had a day of finally being able to walk around the lake again - exhausting, but indicative that at least I am getting some level of fitness again. I have also been able to get a regimen of the heart medication that keeps my heart beat regular without zonking me out.
My stitches have been cut and what remains will dissolve in time and so all I have left to handle at present is the thought that once again I will have to face at least radio therapy for another five or six weeks with all the associated issues that arose last time.
Still I suppose it's better than being dead.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Monday, June 05, 2006
The Vagus or Wandering Nerve
A more adequate description of this set of nerves and what they do can be found for example at:
http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/meded/GrossAnatomy/h_n/cn/cn1/cn10.htm
Be careful when you read it or you can simply horrify yourself at how many things are controlled and/or impacted by this thing.
Indeed the more I read the sorrier I become. Most important I guess are the following:
http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/meded/GrossAnatomy/h_n/cn/cn1/cn10.htm
Be careful when you read it or you can simply horrify yourself at how many things are controlled and/or impacted by this thing.
Indeed the more I read the sorrier I become. Most important I guess are the following:
- senses aortic blood pressure
- slows heart rate
- stimulates digestive organs
- taste
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Current news about my ongoing saga
I am back. A lesser person than when I went into the hospital, (ie even more of me has been left in a waste bucket!).
After a five hour operation (three hours more than originally mooted) I was up and out into the recovery area from which it was a short push to the High Dependency Unit. Stayed there from Monday afternoon to Thursday morning when I was allowed to go home.
Apparently they took out a fibrous tumour the size of a golf ball from just under the right collar bone and there is now a cut covered with a waterproof bandage just where the top of a shirt collar would go. According to the pundits this will blend nicely with the age creases in my neck when it heals and become scar tissue. I remain sceptical - but considering the alternative who cares. The stitches will come out next Thursday and I hope to be able to get the results of the pathology this will then determine what if any treatment in the future is needed and can be undertaken.
The tumour was apparently wrapped around the nodes, the vagus nerve, blood vessels (which is why the operation took three hours longer - they got in a vascular surgeon to assist).
Meanwhile I still have appointments with the radiologist and of course we have to get additional blood tests for this. Then they have discovered that I had a very fast heart beat while I was in hospital that my cholesterol was elevated and so a cardiologist was called and he has put me on some beta blockers and then will give me a stress test in about 4 weeks time. I did ask about that one - after all I thought that having stress was bad for the heart and they all laughed and said what it was was my riding a bicycle to see whether I could manage or not - so I guess now I will have to practise around our little lake as well as go for the 5 km walks. These bloody doctors they put you through your paces and CHARGE you for the privilege of making you work out! I am having some trouble sleeping as I seem to have considerable congestion however this is being taken care of by with some anticongestion medication and there is of course some pain, not from the surgery yet - strangely enough but mostly from cramped muscles in the neck. I am told that I will have pain from the surgery as things heal and scar tissue forms - terrific - just what I am looking forward to.
Meanwhile a have discovered the joy of children's paracetamol - ie the raspberry flavoured concoction that is liquid. MUCH happier to take this than try and swallow that bloody great big pill and the relief is the same for six hours.
I was up an about yesterday out shopping yesterday and I was able to manage walking about the supermarket and even going shopping for things on my own - what bliss, no nurses to pamper me at every step!
Not bad for someone out in four days after major surgery.
The drugs have been making me a little muzzy headed and I really HATE this so have asked the doctor (local GP) to DO something that I would encourage all doctors to do and hold a 'case conference' in which I feature as a person rather than various body parts which are focused on and treated seemingly independently. In this way I hope our good medical friends will be able to get their collective and expensive acts together and look at the various bits of medication and processes and treatments and start to reach some agreement about what is needed (overall) and how things can be balanced and adjusted so that no one treatment buggers up something else and so that each treatment is complementary instead of being a stand alone thinggy.
Yeah I know - it means I am BACK and wanting to exert control again - well - that's the penalty for letting me wake up after the anaesthetic! Since I have to pay the bills I really want to have a say in what happens to me and I do NOT want to be treated like an ignoramus - after all I too have university degrees so I CAN understand what is going on if they would only bother to explain!
OK, that's enough for today I will go and try and have some breakfast it being 06:37 here on a Saturday morning and then slowly chew and swallow gingerly until it all goes down.
After a five hour operation (three hours more than originally mooted) I was up and out into the recovery area from which it was a short push to the High Dependency Unit. Stayed there from Monday afternoon to Thursday morning when I was allowed to go home.
Apparently they took out a fibrous tumour the size of a golf ball from just under the right collar bone and there is now a cut covered with a waterproof bandage just where the top of a shirt collar would go. According to the pundits this will blend nicely with the age creases in my neck when it heals and become scar tissue. I remain sceptical - but considering the alternative who cares. The stitches will come out next Thursday and I hope to be able to get the results of the pathology this will then determine what if any treatment in the future is needed and can be undertaken.
The tumour was apparently wrapped around the nodes, the vagus nerve, blood vessels (which is why the operation took three hours longer - they got in a vascular surgeon to assist).
Meanwhile I still have appointments with the radiologist and of course we have to get additional blood tests for this. Then they have discovered that I had a very fast heart beat while I was in hospital that my cholesterol was elevated and so a cardiologist was called and he has put me on some beta blockers and then will give me a stress test in about 4 weeks time. I did ask about that one - after all I thought that having stress was bad for the heart and they all laughed and said what it was was my riding a bicycle to see whether I could manage or not - so I guess now I will have to practise around our little lake as well as go for the 5 km walks. These bloody doctors they put you through your paces and CHARGE you for the privilege of making you work out! I am having some trouble sleeping as I seem to have considerable congestion however this is being taken care of by with some anticongestion medication and there is of course some pain, not from the surgery yet - strangely enough but mostly from cramped muscles in the neck. I am told that I will have pain from the surgery as things heal and scar tissue forms - terrific - just what I am looking forward to.
Meanwhile a have discovered the joy of children's paracetamol - ie the raspberry flavoured concoction that is liquid. MUCH happier to take this than try and swallow that bloody great big pill and the relief is the same for six hours.
I was up an about yesterday out shopping yesterday and I was able to manage walking about the supermarket and even going shopping for things on my own - what bliss, no nurses to pamper me at every step!
Not bad for someone out in four days after major surgery.
The drugs have been making me a little muzzy headed and I really HATE this so have asked the doctor (local GP) to DO something that I would encourage all doctors to do and hold a 'case conference' in which I feature as a person rather than various body parts which are focused on and treated seemingly independently. In this way I hope our good medical friends will be able to get their collective and expensive acts together and look at the various bits of medication and processes and treatments and start to reach some agreement about what is needed (overall) and how things can be balanced and adjusted so that no one treatment buggers up something else and so that each treatment is complementary instead of being a stand alone thinggy.
Yeah I know - it means I am BACK and wanting to exert control again - well - that's the penalty for letting me wake up after the anaesthetic! Since I have to pay the bills I really want to have a say in what happens to me and I do NOT want to be treated like an ignoramus - after all I too have university degrees so I CAN understand what is going on if they would only bother to explain!
OK, that's enough for today I will go and try and have some breakfast it being 06:37 here on a Saturday morning and then slowly chew and swallow gingerly until it all goes down.
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