That’s either a good thing, of course, or it means I’m in denial about the surgery itself!
Again, though, so far so good: I’ve been on a liquid diet for the past two days (and a low-fat diet for the past week) in preparation for the surgery. Not exactly what I would choose, but Karen and Cameron have helped by making a delicious turkey broth and by puréeing some non-fat honey Greek yoghourt with some milk; these augment the Carnation Instant Breakfast and the yoghurt drinks.… But at least I can still have coffee, and I was able to enjoy a wonderful turkey dinner when we celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday.…
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Some of you might know that my “new” plan for the “Mapping Mordor” chapter had been to get all toponymic research done before the surgery, so that I could simply write between then and Yule — submitting a text draft in late December (only six weeks late) and telling the editors how many graphic images I’d be supplying (and where they’d need to go and what size they’d need to be) — and preparing the graphics in January while the editors and lay readers were looking at my draft text.…
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I really don’t expect to have much more news until after the surgery: a CAT scan and a PET scan have shown that the tumor is basically gone (or perhaps completely gone — they can’t say for certain until they’ve seen it in person), and that there’s no longer any sign of it in the nearest lymph node, either. That, coupled with my ability now to eat basically anything (so long as I don’t eat fast), some solid weight gain, and general good health mean I’ll be in good shape for the surgery when it comes.
The procedure itself is a fairly big deal: 7½ hours of robotic laparoscopic/thoracoscopic surgery; I’ll end up with twelve or thirteen incisions and — if all goes well — spend seven to ten days recovering in the hospital, with all kinds of drains, tubes, catheters, IVs, and epidurals poking out of me (or into me). I don’t think any of them will be removed until day №5.…
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A number of you have expressed enthusiasm for my “invention” of a feeding backpack. And it’s certainly true that — given the idea of carrying my feed and pump around inside a backpack and running the feeding tube out one side — I did indeed figure out a very dependable, workable way to accomplish what was needed.…
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I’m sorry that it’s been so long since I’ve posted. No news is more-or-less good news, though, as I’m sure you’ve guessed.
So, on Monday the 9th, on the way to Montréal for the conference, I finished my radiation therapy. After bidding a fond farewell to the technicians, I got to ring the lovely brass I’ve-finished-my-therapy bell that had been donated to the center by an early patient. What fun! …
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