Better and Better

Recovery is still slow but I am getting better and better (at least my doctor says so and others tell me so). Thursday I got out to my first AA meeting since Jan. 14th and it was good. This was pretty exciting for me, since the only other two times I have been out of the house since released from the hospital were to go back to doctor's appointments at the the hospital. There was more excitement on the way.

One of the Los Angeles gangs and the police decided to have a shoot out on my regular route to the meeting. It started with a drive by gang shooting 2 miles south and they murderers tried to "escape" by driving north which was right toward the NorthEast Division Police Station. The police stopped the car and three of the passengers began firing automatic weapons at the police, who returned fire and killed two and arrested a third. The police and helicopters kept at the scene looking for the fourth person and gathering the evidence. I guess there were like 50 rounds fired. They keep the streets closed for some of the morning into the evening. The local middle school was locked down unti around 6:30 pm.

Anyway there is never a dull moment. Actually this is the first gang activity in years and there used to be constant activity, so there has been progress

Continuing to recover

Recovery is slow and sometimes seems to be non existant but It really is there. I may be getting some control of my BMs and that is a start.

Four friends of mine from work come over to see me on Wedneday, the day before Valentine's Day and it was a wonderful surprise. Tony fixed them dinner but most of the things were things I couldn't eat. It was nice to know that people cared enough to come over.

Next week I have to go to Kaiser Hospital to have some blood taken so this will be my second "outing" since coming home from the hospital. I am going to try to wear pants and not just the hospital gown, and try to talk with the oncology nurse for a couple minutes.

I am almost ready to try going out of the house for a short trip, maybe to an AA meeting.

Recovering slowly

Slowly, I seem to be recovering. My plumbing functions but on its own schedule. I am getting some rest, though. I have walked around in the back yard 3 times and try to walk around inside the house for at least 10 minutes. Took a shower today and that felt good. I guess I am happy about little things. I miss my Wellness community group and worry about those folks.

I try to be gratful for my progress, though it seems like little progress sometimes.

Good news yesterday

Thursday I had my first post-surgery doctor's appointment and the news was good - CANCER FREE. The labs showed cancer in my bladder only and that is gone, gone, gone. They took some xrays of my new bladder and it looks OK. They also took out the staples, and surprised me by taking out the drain and the catheter (that was supposed to be next week). I still have a lot of pain but that should now diminish.

Now I have to move into the next phase - learning how to pee.

I thank everyone for their prayers, cause I think this was a big part of what has happened.

Also today it turned to February. That means that my surgery was LAST MONTH!

A BRIGHT SUNNY SATURDAY MORNING

It is a bright sunny Saturday morning in Los Angeles and I shaved today for the first time in almost two weeks and feel almost human. I know that my body is healing but it seems so slow a process. Most of my exercise in the last couple days has been dealing with diahrea at all hours of the day, but I do get up and down by myself and that is good.

I do thank God every day for my doctor, that he is able to deal with this cancer. And that I will be well eventually. I just continue to take this whole thing one day at a time.

Surgery successful. Now recovery.

The surgery was successful and I got home Monday, Jan 21 and it was nice to be home. Had a lot of pain but with vicadan it went away and I was able to get some sleep. I was planning to have take a picture of myself 'now' and 'after' - without shaving I look pretty scraggly (I scared myself and my dog Heidi). I guess I also don't smell too good. However, I can still smell (read still alive) and am getting around with a walker.

I won't know the lab reports for a couple days but my doctor said he was sure that the cancer is completely gone. Yea! Now I have to work on healing - I guess there is always something.

I am looking out the window to gloomy skies but they look pretty good to me!!!!

More later.

Tomorrow is the Day

How fast the days from Dec. 10th to Jan. 14th went! This Saturday we went to Ports of Call in San Pedro again, this time with a friend who took some pictures. Above is my next to last meal before surgery. Tomorrow I go in to the hospital at noon and then they clean me out so I will have clean intestines to make the new bladder.

Tuesday morning early I will have the surgery, 6-8 hours, and for the next week or so the only food I can't have will be solids and liquids. Hence, the last meal. (Get it?)

In a way I have sort of lost the battle with the demon cancer but in a way not. Cause the beast won the battle, but with the bladder removal, I will win the war!

Long live me!!!