tests, tests
My doctor has set me up for a series of tests. They’re checking my stomach, my teeth, my bone density. They did another CT scan and they study my receptivity to radiation. The idea is to gather all this data by Friday, together with the pathology report from the operation, and to set up a […]
Marmalade sky
Yeah, I’m back. Sort of. It’s day four after the operation and I can eat, drink, talk and walk. And I can type (although an IV channel in my right hand makes it a little painful). I was very excited going into the operation and actually very calm about it. If you have cancer and […]
fighting it
The metaphors most commonly used in relation to cancer concern war. Cancer is a “battle” in which you have to “fight.” And when someone dies from cancer we say that they “lost their struggle against illness.” Or having cancer is compared to a sports competition. You must “win” against the disease; you must “beat” it; […]
Erik’s shower and a short walk
Erik was feeling very positive last night, and he sat up in a chair for a little while. This morning he felt a bit down again and worried. He is getting better everyday though and this morning I helped him take a shower being careful not to get the various wires connected to him wet. […]
for Erik’s Facebook friends
I posted some updates about Erik post operation. Today he is sleeping and I am waiting for the typhoon to come. We are kind of on a low after the high of being finished with the operation. We don’t want to think about the next set of tests that the doctors are going to give, […]
post-operation ups and downs
Thanks all you guys for your offers of help and support. We really appreciate it. Erik got through the 4 and one half hour surgery yesterday really well. I got worried at the end because I really did not know it would take so long, but as the doctor said later it was ‘a major […]
Erik’s operation
Hello everyone. Erik went into the operation at 10:30 this morning and it took until 3:30pm for the doctor to finish. They showed me what they took out when I went to see him in the recovery room. It looked like a bunch of grapes. Yuk! Erik is feeling very rough now, but also glad […]
OD
We just woke up. Slept well enough, snuggled up on Diane’s sofa. It’s a sunny day and a very lush Taipei is steaming under our window. We could be on an exciting tropical vacation except for the friendly nurse who just reminded me that this is OD, Operation Day. I can’t eat or even drink […]
from my bedside
Can you believe it, the National Taiwan University Hospital has free wifi for patients in every room! I can live-blog from my bed side. In fact, I could do a live web cam of the operation itself. Or at least of Diane biting her nails while it’s happening. I got a single room in the […]
Anastasia
We are leaving at 9. Today is for tests and tomorrow is the operation. My friend Zhiben is helping to set me up, and Diane is staying with me all the way through. Our two oldest daughters are off with Cindy, a good friend from work, and the two youngest are with Lou laoshi, a lovely […]