Last night I issued a call to my "peeps" for good vibes coming my way to help me PEE!

Well...after I wrote that, I shut the computer off and did all my banging around with my poles and bags and such, getting ready to go to bed. I got in the bed feeling pretty down. I talked to my nurse Christina about it and told her I'm just going to "let it go"....not worry about the pee....my friends would take care of it for me.

Sure enough, the next time she came in the room....I was peeing more! And today I'm really putting it out...they say I'll probably get the catheter out today...and they are talking about me going home TOMORROW! YAY! My goals for today: get the catheter out, work on my breathing exercises and pass gas...which SHOULD be easy for me, but isn't lately!

I may be asking for gas vibes from my pals next....the last treatment I got from you was so effective, I'm feeling I can't go wrong!

They took the dressing off my incision...it looks GREAT! BIG...but great! Nice and clean, no red spots, no signs of irritation.

I'm still pretty swollen with fluid and it's moving down and out...so it has decreased around my shoulders, chest and arms, the stomach is still very distended and it pushes on my stitches, makes it burn a bit.

Still, I'm making it on Tylenol Extra Strength, which apparently the docs don't believe! I don't want dopey stuff and except for being very sore, I'm fine with the tylenol.

I'm going to try to get a little stroll in before my breakfast comes. That will get the pee going some more and may help loosen up some gas.

Thanks to all who sent me a good thought about peeing...I know it's distasteful(to some)...but I really needed it! AND IT WORKED! If we keep this joint effort going I"m going to be disease free in record time!

Okay, enough celebrating now, I have work to do. Got breathe and fart. Just like being back at work! HA HA!

I had a bit more than yogurt today...they brought up a tray with scrambled eggs and their crispy bacon and I didn't do too bad with that! I could only eat about a third though.

Spent the AM sitting up in the recliner, doing the email thing and waiting for Sandy to arrive. We were going to walk when she got here. Well...when she got here, the focus switched to other things...first of all the fact that I'm still not passing urine thru the catheter...Oh I'm passing stuff, just not enough.

They sent around two doctors to review that situation, including a very nice woman who I later found out is the head of one of the depts, Dr. Racine is her name. She and I had a nice, long chat and then she looked me right in the eyes and she said, "you're going to be just fine." And I told her, "I know I am!"

But I wasn't, at least not right away.

They took me off morphine, which I don't mind, but they put me on Oxycodone...which I do mind. I don't tolerate codeine much for whatever reason. I started having little visual hallucinations (seeing the sheets move on the bed...when I'm sitting in the chair) and every time I would doze I would have very very bizarre mini-dreams.

I told them NO to the oxycodone. My buddy Marcia spoke to the doctor and told him I wanted the tylenol mix I have at home...forget the name just now, but it's tylenol and a non-narcotic and it works fine for me. They wanted to put me on VICODIN!!! She told them they were nuts...if I hallucinate with oxycodone, imagine what vicodin would do to me! We put our collective foot down (Marcia and I) and said nothing more than tylenol will do...and that's where we are now...and it's handling it quite nicely thanks! I just have to remember to get another dose before the last one wears off too much...that's the secret I have learned this trip.

The urine is still problematic and it is disheartening to look at myself...my abdomen is bloated up to where it was, my thighs are in the "thunder dep't" once again and I look like I did prior to gastric bypass! I am pushing 200 lbs on the scale...and I weighed about 170 on Friday! WOW WHEEEE!!!

Sandy did take me for the walk around the halls, Marcia came flying out of the med room to throw a robe at me to cover me up...seems my johnny was open in the back and I was proudly displaying my hospital underpanties (tres chic!) to the hordes out in the hall! There was an elderly woman and her daughter walking the hall behind me...I asked the old lady if she got a good peek. "Yes," she says, "and I liked what I saw!" I thought I would split my stitches laughing!

Sandy is tired. She says she's getting a good night's sleep, but she looks pale and drawn to me. People need to slow down on the phone calls to her for updates. She's so nice and friendly...she will stay on the phone for hours....but she needs to rest.

So, everyone...please try to get your updates here. If you must call...do so. Or you can try to call me on my cell: 860 367-1327. I'll decide if I want to answer your call or not! HA HA!

Everyone needs to calm down, take a deep breath and relax. Things are going to be fine....I'm not planning on dropping dead...I made it thru surgery just fine and now we (both of us) need to rest and relax to get ready for the chemo stuff.

Joyce (my old high school chum) is convincing me to get my chemo done at Backus. They apparently just won some sort of huge award for their outpatient chemo program. No other hospital in CT has ever won it...and something like only 60 something programs across the country have recieved this award. As she says, it would be better to be driving to Norwich, distance and time wise, especially as we head into the winter months. Also if a treatment session were to make me feel sick, it would be better to not have to drive that distance to get home.

The bad part of that plan is that we don't care for a certain doctor who is involved with that program and wouldn't want to have to deal with him. He is brilliant but he doesn't always do what's necessarily best for the patient...he's interested in defeating cancer...bottom line.

So, we will check out both programs, look at the pros and cons and go from there. It felt really good that a long time friend has got my back on this one and is willing to help me line up someone good as a doctor.

Robin Aitcheson is going to make some cds for me on positive imaging...(now I don't remember if I already posted this) and wants to come do some sessions with me on the chemo part....it's all part of healing touch.

I have so many wonderful and talented friends, am surrounded by such good people...it is truly a blessing in my life. And don't think I'm using blessing in a religious sense, because you know how I feel about religions. I mean it in a spiritual sense. Spiritually I am truly blessed. Sometimes I let myself forget about that, don't nuture it enough. I'm going to make it one of my little missions in life to nuture that side more often from now on.

So many people have written, called, sent cards, flowers, balloons....a visual reminder of my blessings, but it's in my heart that I feel it the most.

Now I need everyone to see good thoughts my way to help me PEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I'm confident that working together, we can accomplish this goal!

GET BUSY GANG!

My goal for today is to get up and walk! YAY! They won't remove the pee bag, as I'm not "putting out enough"... I've tried to tell them that the same thing happened when I had the bypass surgery...that if they pull that tube, I'll be peeing for an hour...but they won't listen.

So, I'll still walk, but I'm going to drag that bag up and down the corridor...to get them to say uncle and take it out!

They finally brought up my little breathing thingy...the one where you inhale, etc. Well, I've been working on that and it has suceeded in making my incision hurt! NICE JOB! The breathing is getting better, though, for putting myself through that and it is one of the most important jobs I can do for myself right now.

The docs were just here on morning rounds. Said I look great, no I can't have the urine tube pulled, said I could go on regular diet! I said I wouldn't mind soft to start...like yogurt. They will make that happen for me.

I told them my reading audience needs vital stats; How many stitches, staples, etc.

The said there are only two stitches...isn't that weird. They anchor the stitch and then wrap the "thread" around and around all the way up. On the outside I have at least 30 staples which isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I think I had 20 for my bypass and that was a short incision line.

I will measure the line when they get the dressing off and will post it for those of you who are "demanding" the details.

This AM they woke me up to do something or other and just as I was dozing back to sleep I had the brilliant idea of wearing my military uniform jacket when I come back for chemo sessions! In keeping with my going to war analogy...I'll be the deskbound general who commands the troops while clad in my Class A uniform.

I still have it and it fits now that I've dropped the weight!

I think it would be a nice touch...it would mean something powerful to me and it might help to scare the bad cells!

I'm going to call Sandy now and see if she is coming up here today to get me up and out of bed.

My favorite nurse (they are ALL GOOD, but this one's my fav) is working today so I know we'll get a lot of information and we'll get a lot of things accomplished! It's shaping up to be a great day!

I see the sun is shining out there...looks a lot nicer than yesterday. Enjoy!

Oh...and it was good to see the Pats beat Buffalo yesterday (sorry Dee!)

This is going to be short...sorry. I keep dozing as I type..I'm sure the spelling an grammar is going to be messed up.

I had surgery this AM and it went good. They couldn't get everything out...I have this stuff that "sprayed" out of the tumor and it was all over the lining of my abdomen, which they removed...the lining...not the abdomen. Apparently this spray of microdots (which I'm calling pop rocks) made something stick together in there, including my bowels to my uterus. They did get these peeled apart, thankfully and Dr. LaChance says I should feel difference down there just from getting this done!

Another good thing....they drew off six liters of fluid from my abdomen...three two liter Diet Coke bottles for those of you who like those analogies! I definitely feel the difference there! Sandy took some before and after pics, I'll get them posted here as soon as I'm licensed to touch my camera again!

They left the left ovary in...the right one is gone. I'm not sure if they took the uterus out...I was pretty much out of it when Sandy was telling me what the doctor said. As a matter of fact, Lynne Miner gave me info that I didn't know/remember...thanks Lynne!

Next up I have to rest, rest, rest and then hopefully I can start my own little "WMD campaign" (chemo) in three weeks, the sooner the better.

We are feeling good about today. I'm being smart and am using the pain meds the way they tell me to..not the way I THINK I should be using it...so I'm not waiting anymore...I keep up the med level and that has made s difference.

Oh...an they fixed my hernia! YAY!!! This morning he said that if it was too involved, it might have to wait for another day.

I'm getting lots of email..which I love, but I hope people get their updates through this blog...it's so much easier to communicate this way and hit a bunch of folks at once. I promise as I feel bettr, I'll be enhancing this blog with pics, jokes and maybe even video!

I say again, I love the support everyone is sending my way. I'm a realist (as well ss an optimist...if that's possible) and I know I'm going to need all the support I can get. I can fight this, but I can't do it alone.

Love you guys,

ME

Okay it's time to shut off the electronics and get to sleep...big day tomorrow.

I have my laptop, my cell phone and my Sirius radio with me here in the hospital...big difference from my last stay! The day flies by with these "toys"...I keep the classical music playing on the computer to help me sleep and I keep in touch with everyone thru the "intranets" as W would say.

I have probably one more round of doody time and then I'm done for the night.

Reverend Joanie came to see me tonight..was I surprised to see her come through the door! She and Sandy had arranged to surpise me. Joanie gave me a blessing and said a prayer over me. She put some oil on me that smells really nice. It felt great...it was as if I could actually feel the support of all my family and friends. Wild!

So, I won't post again until after the surgery. It may not be until Tuesday, so be patient...I know it will be like waiting for the next Harry Potter book, but we must be patient! When I do post it will probably be a bunch of gibberish...so ENJOY!

Thanks for the balloons Sue, they hit the spot too! They have kitties and doggies on them...very cute!

Nighty night all.

Well...here I am, spending my nights in Rhode Island! Who would have thunk it? I never had the urge to overnight in Rhody, unless it was at the beach! I'm here at a wonderful place...Women's and Infant's Hospital.

The staff are very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Jean can't get over how much time they spend with me...listening, answering my questions...involving me in what's going on with me.

I'm going to use this journal to document this journey. I'll encourage folks to subscribe so I don't have to send out a hundred emails! I can't remember who I responded to and what I told who!

Today's update: The sun is shining and I got up early, had them disconnect from the umbilical cords that keep me tied to the bed and I got walking. That helped with the gas a bit.

Then the doctors came in....said I have to get ready for surgery tomorrow, but no guarantee. So bowel prep here we come...something I eagerly anticipate, in my current state! Then Dr. LaChance did a pelvic on me.....OUCH! It is swollen and unhappy up in dere! Must be from the fluids pressing on everything. Final insult...rectal exam...DOUBLE OWIE!! Thankfully it was brief.

Marcia, my nurse from yesterday is back on duty today. I love her, though all of them are wonderful. She's a year younger than me and we fool around, picking on each other. They work three 12 hour shifts a week, so you really get to know each other, which makes it nice.

Okay, more news when I have some more to share. I told Sandy to stay home today...she's going to go to Ryan's football game.

I can sleep if she's not coming. She'll be here at 6:30 tomorrow morning...just in case.

I'm hoping I get into surgery tomorrow. Not looking forward to the aftermath...but at least we'll be on our way to knowing what we are dealing with.

Oh...my breakfast is here...gotta eat!

Still no word on the thing that's on my ovary. I thought that I would hear something today, but no soap. Hopefully I will hear something tomorrow.

Stayed up to watch Obama's speech last night. He did a great job. McCain did a great job too. Very impressive. The only one who didn't do a great speech was W...of course.

Very exciting time to be an American. It was so wonderful to see the joy on people's faces last night as they celebrated.

We have been living in darkness for eight years. Obama turned the light back on.