Wednesday, January 26, 2011

It's all good ... kinda

So I had my 6 month check up with Dr. Jalkut.  But before the actual appointment I had bloodwork and an abdominal and pelvic CT.  Dr. Jalkut said (and I quote!) "You're perfect!"  My bloodwork showed that Liza (the name I have given to my remaining kidney - as you all know I name everything) is functioning very well all on her own now that Elvira is gone.  The CT showed NEOD - otherwise known as No Evidence Of Disease.  :)

I am a very fortunate girl to have caught the tumor when we did (just .10 cm short of stage 2 renal cell carcinoma).  To know that the cancer is gone and that I have essentially beaten this thing is a wonderful feeling.

The CT itself is not hard.  The prep before hand is NASTY.  You have to drink this stuff called Readi-Cat 2.  It's Barium Sulfate suspension liquid.  You get to choose between two lovely flavors - berry or mocha.  In other words crap and coffee flavored crap.  It used to be that you only had to drink one big jug of the stuff.  But recently they have changed that and now you have to drink two big jugs of the stuff.  You start 1.5 hours before the scheduled scan and you drink 1 jug in 10 minutes.  Then 30 minutes later you drink the 2nd jug in 10 minutes.  This is a feat in and of itself - to get the whole jug down in 10 minutes.  Then at the CT they do an IV with contrast in it while you are being scanned. 

While the Readi-Cat was nasty - I lived through it. But in the afternoon I started feeling nasty.  It quickly turned into excruciating abdominal pain.  The pain was severe and lasted about 4 hours.  Once I got through the pain I practically passed out into a coma for the next 11 hours.  I have talked with my doctor and I presented as though I was having an overdose reaction to the Readi-Cat.  Wondering if because of the gastric bypass (smaller pouchy tummy and not as much intestines for it to go through) if two bottles of the crap was too much.  I'm hoping to get some more definitive answer to that before I have to do the CT Scan again in 6 months because that was really not fun at all.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Funk Be Gone

OK - since my last post I've been doing my darndest to get out of this funk.  That has meant that I have run twice since that post.  Not fast and not long, but I'm running.  And it doesn't hurt - it feels like it used to - it feels good.  I'm trying to take it slow and get back into it at a decent pace instead of jumping in over my head and immediately trying to go too far.  I do have some races in my mind, but I don't dare say out loud what they are.

And I pulled out my tape measure to compare my measurements from last year.  I have lost an inch or two in several places - waist - rib cage - bust - hips - thighs.  So while my weight seems to have stabilized - I have still been kind of settling into this new body of mine.  I am consistently in a size 10 or medium.  I would have never have dreamed I would get here. 

Speaking of this new body ...  I have started meeting with some plastic surgeons to start to understand what my options may be in this area.  I don't plan on doing anything in the near future (I think my husband would have divorce me if I put myself back in the hospital willingly at this point).  I also called the insurance company to understand if they would ever cover an abdominoplasty.  They said they do cover abdominoplasty if it can be proved that it's medically necessary.  I think I need to find a doctor willing to help me prove it's medically necessary.  The first surgeon I went to was not at all interested in doing that.  He doesn't deal with insurance unless it's reconstructive surgery.  He also has his own OR in his office that he uses.  I get that - I see the advantages, but with my medical history - I'm thinking that may not be the best idea I ever had.  Not sure - have to think that through.  Doing it in their own OR keeps costs down - but - I just don't know.  Even though I know I won't go to this surgeon - dang it if he didn't get me all excited about the possibilities that a tummy tuck and some liposuction could provide. Wowie Mommy!  I have more consultations coming up - so we'll see what that reveals.

Speaking of doctors and hospitals and all that jazz.  I have my 6 month check up this coming week.  I did bloodwork this past week and I have the full abdominal CT Scan on Tuesday before meeting with my urologist.  I am nervous, but I'm fully expecting a clean report.  :)

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

What is my problem?

So I hit my 2 year surgiversary mark and it's a new year.  I am gun-shy to set any goals for myself.  I think it's because 2010 was such a SUCKY year for me.  I set goals and was not able to meet any of them because of my health issues.  It is really kind of messing with my head - so much so that I have been unable to "see the forest for the trees" as a friend of mine recently pointed out. 

I'm at the point where a lot of WLS patients start to experience regain.  And if anyone had an excuse for regain this year - it's me. 5 surgeries in one year.  Kidney Cancer, middle ear tumor, pancreatitis, internal hernia, wisdom teeth removed.  For someone who is acustomed to eating her feelings ... this past year was one huge exercise in restraint for me.

But I am feeling like I need to get back on the wagon and do what I know I need to do.  Why am I so afraid to start running again?  Probably because every time I have tried to get my running going again something else happens and I have to stop.  Another surgery - another injury.  I'm just feeling like this past year is finally catching up with me.  I've been strong for a good long time and now I'm just tired.

I am in a funk.  I can't get going.  I haven't been blogging.  I haven't been running.  I'm tired and I need to wake up.