Feeling better

Writing this on Sunday (chemo day 12), and looking back to last Sunday (chemo day 5), the difference in my treatment and comfort this weekend is so vastly superior. Last Thursday I was referred by my GP to a gastro clinic where they were super nice but told me that there was nothing that they could do for me. They concurred that I probably had a constriction in the lower bowel or colon and offered to refer me to another surgeon.

JP began reaching out to our friends in the medical community, and spoke with my oncologist's secretary (just back from a short holiday). Results began pouring in. An appointment on Friday at PMH - very satisfactory - with Dr M and her fellow from the Netherlands, who both spent quite a lot of time with me. Dr M is taking me back on as primary doctor, and any future surgeries or interventions that I may need will be made in-house. She spoke with my surgeon at Sunnybrook, and he is completely out of the picture now, much to my relief. My blood work shows very low hemoglobin, so I will be going in on Tuesday for blood transfusions and another scan to try to see what my cancer is up to (CA125 is very high again...). Our Minnesota mentor has set in motion the collection of a team of doctors to work with me in case a new surgery will be required, and hopefully this will be approved of by Dr M.

As for my plumbing, Dr M wants me to avoid more surgery as long as possible. Her focus, very rightly, is the cancer, so as long as I am passing anything she is happy, and she has given me techniques to avoid more weekend visits to emergency rooms. Constipation is not the problem, so I have stopped taking laxatives and am much more comfortable. I am eating a low fiber diet and taking stool softeners morning and night, and this morning that problem has begun to resolve itself. The best news is that I am to try to gain some weight back, so ice cream is now back in my diet.

In week two of my chemo, I am feeling totally pain free, but quite tired. Hopefully after Tuesday I will begin to feel more perky.