GETTING STRONGER

Well...it's been a long time since I have updated this web site myself. Thanks to Tom, John, and Paula for keeping it up to date. Unfortunately, while I was in the hospital all I had was my tablet and phone and the Post Hope web site will only work on a real computer.

As most of you know, I ended up spending over a month in the hospital which included one week on a ventilator which is a machine that breaths for you. I do not wish for even my worst enemy to be placed on a ventilator. I also had a couple of episodes of Atrial Fibrillation which is a funky heart beat which they got under control. After a week I was extubated (breathing tube removed) and moved to a step down unit a day or so later.

Over the next several weeks I worked on getting rid of a couple of pleural effusions (acclimation of fluid around my lungs)), and some puss pockets in my chest. I also had to get over the aspiration pneumonia which put me on the ventilator in the first place.

They stuck a couple of needles in my back to drain fluid. All in all I had three Thoracentesis; luckily they only left one of the tubes in place. The tube is used to collect fluid. Trust me….it was a thrill having a check tube on my right side and a feeding tube on the left. After getting all my tubes out except the feeding tube and getting off all my IV drips I was ready to go home and was discharged about 2 weeks ago. Also, the first feeding tube they put in was too small and they had to replace it with a larger one which caused another week of pain. I am staying with Tom in Snowmass and am still getting tons of support from John and Paula…..as well as all my other friends, of course.

Since discharge, I have been working on getting my strength back and building my muscle mass back. Although my weight today is 138 lbs, it is normal for my height and I have actually gained 4 lbs this week. I hope I am gaining muscle as opposed to fat. :) I seem to be getting stronger each day and have been working 4-7 hours a day from home on the computer; which I will have to say is tiring right now.

Next week we go back to UCH for a CT scan, blood draw, and doctors visit. We will discuss the results of the scan and if further chemotherapy would be helpful; although most likely not. I believe I am too radiated to get any more radiation treatment.

So, in general, I believe I am slowly but surely getting stronger and working my stamina up. I will try and keep everyone more updated, more frequently.

I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN READING AND POSTING ON THIS WEB SITE. IT MEANS A LOT TO ME…….THANKS :) IT SHOWS HOW MUCH LOVE IS OUT THERE AND PRAYING FOR ME.

P.S. No real news from last doctors visit.