It’s Been Some Time Since a Hospital Stay, Surgery

The cobwebs have been dusted off. The meds have finally drained from my system. My abdomen is still tight, sore and itchy. My joints are still sore. I’m 15 lbs lighter. I’m back on the mend. What a week that was and cancer played maybe only a very small role. My body is still pretty tired, I’m not allowed to lift anything over 10 lbs. I sit here getting kinda stir-crazy as for the past week I’ve rotated between the bed and couch, throw in a short walk in the great weather that was during our Thanksgiving weekend. Another wrench thrown into life that will only make me stronger.

The Incident

Funny, I was sitting at a restaurant with my cancer support group and our first one in a couple years at that. I was having some pains, but they were tolerable. At first I was thinking, “oh shit, am I having a bowel obstruction attack?” These seemed a bit milder and much high in the abdomen area. Maybe just heartburn? I’ll get through the meeting and head home take some tums and just relax, nope. The meeting broke and I jumped in the car, thankfully we met in London. Half way home….PAIN. “Oh my god, I’m having a heart attack!” I breathed slowly, focused and drove home. Came up the stairs (we have a lot), white as a ghost. My girlfriend asked,”What’s wrong?” No answer, just a groan of pain and I balled up on the couch, moaning like I was dying. “What can I do?” was the next question. “Nothing was the answer, it will pass…I’m a very stubborn guy.

Thinking it may be another bowel obstruction I try and go get sick, nothing…just pain and now more. “Okay, now we are going to the hospital!” It had been about a half an hour. Nope I said, “This one requires an ambulance ride.” She did all the right things in dealing with me in this crisis and not an easy thing to do. No shortage of breath, no getting sick, no upset belly, no numbness what the hell is this? The ambulance arrives and out I go “Yes” is the answer before even asked, “Need something for pain?” Morphine enters the scene and when needed it’s a life saver. I end up in the ambulance ward at Vic Hospital where I witness some drug addicts fighting to get in, in need of what I have. Yelling and screaming is now unfortunately part of a health care workers day. After a couple hours I’m in the emergency ward and enter the video you all saw. I’ll repost here.

Back in the Hospital

I always give credit to our healthcare system, some may not. To each their own. I first have a local ultrasound done, then bloodwork, within an hour. Something is wrong in the blood. “Shit”, I think,” This can’t be my cancer. I just had a CAT scan and everything appeared stable? “Fuck, what if it is I just started creating this new, great life.” As doped up as I was these questions flew through my mind. I calmed myself and actually thought about the cancer treatment I had the day before. A side effect of Sandostatin is damage to the gallbladder. “Wait!” my Dad also had his removed and I also believe a grandparent as well. Of all the things it could be let it be this, please. In between my medicated state I’m X-rayed, CT scan with dye (funny you don’t feel like you’ve peed yourself in that state. They think there’s an answer, but one more scan. Another ultrasound, this time the big machine. I felt like I was in the room for like a half an hour. Not normal I thought.

As night comes my girlfriend gives me a kiss and will return in the morning. Even stuck in the ward overnight sleep comes easy with all the drugs in my system. I’m woken by four figures standing around me dressed in surgical gear. It freaks me out, am I dreaming? I calm down…it’s just the doctors. They ask me about the pain, I think my answer is, “yes”. Pancreatitis is what they tell me I have. Gallstones have blocked the bile duct causing inflammation, hence massive pain. Surgery is the only option. I’m wheeled out to the hallway where I’m joined again by my partner to wait for a room….no food.

About 5pm, all day, I finally wheeled up to my room and it’s a private one as well, nice! The rest of the day comes and goes. Again I’m woken by the surgeons Monday about 6am, my belly is too inflamed to work on I’ll have to wait another day or two. I have my regular company and we pass the time. I still am on and off a liquid diet and the broth is awful, ginger ale is the only comfort I get. Mind to cloudy to read or write, we try and play crib. I think she let me win, I don’t really remember. The day comes to an end. Tuesday morning, I’m awake when they enter at 6. Belly is soft, pain is manageable. I’m an emergency surgery, so my hope is they can fit me in today.

Go Time

At noon the nurse rushes in, your going. Well shit, now this seems like a panic. Hit the bathroom, we’ll unhook all the wires and get a gown on. When your girlfriend gets here she can gather your stuff. But, my wallet and phone? I’m a little OCD when it comes to certain belongings. “They’ll be fine”, Ok, I’m still to medicated to worry that much. Ten minutes later I’m on the elevator heading for surgery. Now you all know I’ve had surgery before. The old school bowel resection, barbaric! This will be laparoscopic. If you haven’t heard of this, thye pump you full of CO2 poke four holes in the abdomen and in my case cut out the gallbladder. Much less invasive, but surgery is surgery and it hurts.

About an hour wait in the surgical unit, then I’m wheeled into the cold sterile room. Breathing heavily into mask I drift off into oblivion. I wake in the post surgical unit and as promised she has all my belongings. I’m told the surgery went welland within about an hour I’m headed home with four new holes in my body. I’m pretty foggy, sore and stiff, but I’m smiling, still here and have another reason to be appreciative of the life I have. A chance to strengthen my mind and body again after being reminded to look after what I have.

I’m thankful to be able to write and share this post with you. It’s funny I look back at the timing of all these health issues I’ve had and almost all of them fall around Thanksgiving. I’m not one to really believe in fate, you make your own. But, it does make me very thankful for all that I have and all we can have here in this great country of Canada. People may think differently and that’s ok, that’s how we solve problems and create solutions. I may miss out on my fall canoe trips this year, 6 to 8 weeks to fully recover, but it gives me a chance to make next year epic. Setbacks are just that. Don’t let it ruin your day, let it improve your tomorrow.

I have been home a week now and the healing is going well. The toughest part is relaxing and letting someone do stuff for me. I’m up and walking and my appetite has returned. After not eating properly for a week and a half I’m 18 lbs down. Now with winter on the horizon, but plenty of fall left I aim to properly put that weight back on and aim to be in even better shape for next years adventures. Who knows maybe even winter camping to come? I’m doing well now and have learned another lesson from life. Inspired is how I feel, along with a little bored.