6.19.2021
Things are progressing well.
6.18.2021
First the bad news....
While sleeping I messed my bed. And of course that's the good news. Fish about 45 minutes after receiving the pint of fluid down my NG Tube which was to be dye for contrast x-ray to pinpoint the blockage, and also act like a laxative. Not yet if I had any medical discussion about this was just happened but it must mean that surgery will not be necessary which is a great blessing.
An extraordinary team.
UP Health System - Marquette (906) 449-3000 https://maps.app.goo.gl/DNkmxCnpHXr3Z3o39
These folks are just as sharp as they can be and as kind as they can be. The tube is back in but not the same one the large-diameter this is the smallest they have because the needs are different now, so thoughtful and expert. Much less uncomfortable.
NG tube going back in
Notice anything different?
This is second or third time I've been hospitalized for bowel obstruction associated with the cancer surgery. It's just a known byproduct of doing extensive abdominal surgery. The prior times the NG tube has been left in for 24 48 72 hours. My doctor, Tomah, she said we'll hook up your pump again and see if it's productive and if not we'll take the tube out. So about 2 this how out it came, hurt like the blazes and then within 15 minutes felt almost normal. Slept well. Today they give me some meds some combination of three chemicals that they have found can increase the chances of the Bowel resolving and starting to move again. Then it's pretty much wait and see. The surgeon here was not particularly pleased with what he saw on the CT scan. He's not real hopeful this will resolve itself as it has the prior times and that surgery may be required. To my knowledge the big problem with surgery is it creates even more scarring and therefore more potential for this to happen again. We'll see.
6.17.2021
It feels like a bowel obstruction, from cancer operation scarring, they hospitalized me several times before for this. Since 3 this morning. Trying to resolve it here in place.
I am not pessimistic about it resolving itself. Once before I got it to do that years ago in DC.
6.16.2021
My father's house. Unspeakably beautiful. Mansions, Lakeshore Estates, poverty by comparison.
6.15.2021
6.14.2021
6.13.2021
6.12.2021
6.11.2021
Cycling. A whole new benchmark. A whole new level? I think so.
The last several weeks have been 4000 calorie days, including 1500 calorie base metabolism. These are huge days. And yet today called for even more. Cloudy all day. A sense that getting over the bridge Friday instead of Saturday was a wise thing to do. This meant a 60-mile day very efficient. It was accomplished. And it seems that a whole new level of awareness occurred in terms of cycling technique, building on everything of recent weeks, constant velocity legs at the perineum. Game-changing? Probably, but we'll know more soon.