Out of The PIT

It finally happened. I caught COVID-19. It was only a matter of time really. We had started going back to our regular routine so there were so many possible infection events, especially for the kids. In fact, that is how I got sick. But then again, even before the pandemic, this was still the case. But at least with the boosted vaccinations, and drugs, my symptoms have been akin to a bad flu. I have had worse flues, so I feel as if vaccines are only partially effective for me. In any case, the family will be staying home for a while and life is put on pause again. At least I can work from home, if I don't get bothered by the kids that much..

I got my staples removed today. No more appointments until the followup next month. As such, once these bandages come off, I'm pretty much done, but will need to take it easy for the next month and a half so as not to damage myself. It should not be too hard, as long as I do not get wet, run, jump, lift, dance, get buried, stomped, etc. Other than that, I do feel better than I did last time. I need to stay active to continue improving. Mobility leads to mobility! Or was that motility? Either is good actually. I also started working today. Well, technically I started doing some work yesterday to catch up, but it does feel good to be productive..

So I have a low grade fever. I have been taking acetaminophen since I got home to deal with the pain so there was a good chance that I have had an actual fever for a few days now. I have noticed huge temperature swings with me feeling cold for an hour, then hot for an hour, etc. This while I was still popping pills. I did have a normal temperature when I got my dressings replaced a couple of days ago so maybe this is a relatively new phenomenon, but I was pretty sure I started feeling temperature swings before then. The chance that I picked something up from the hospital is actually kind of high. When I was coming to and the nurses were wheeling me into my recovery room, I overheard one of them saying that I could not go to that particular bed because the unit was on outbreak. I ended up getting my own room to recover which was nice, and helped with my rest. However, due to my nausea issues, I could not keep my mask on for long periods of time and I did spend a good chunk of time un...

I am looking forward to having a full night's sleep. The pain medication regimen requires me to stagger my two medications such that they don't end up wearing off at the same time. As such, the most time I have in between notifications is four hours and possibly down to one. Even so, it takes a while to fall back asleep after being woken up by the alarm so I have been basically taking 2-3 hour naps throughout the day since Monday. It is allowing me to get some rest, but I am started to get pretty exhausted. One of my pills is running out so I will be getting 6 hour naps tomorrow, and hopefully I can wean myself off of everything this weekend and get back to a regular sleep (and eating) schedule. Then I can really start recovering my strength..

The recovery so far has been a lot faster than the first surgery. A little bit of hindsight has helped a lot and have compounded over the week to allow for a much quicker healing process. A number of things that helped: Excluding any excessive baggage at for the hospital stay. (To make transportation easier.) Bringing an eye mask. (To actually get some rest during the day.) Staying on top of the pain medications at the hospital. (To allow for better sleep and mobility.) Ambling around as much as possible. (To help with healing.) Limiting solid food intake when famished. (To limit nausea.) Utilizing liquid supplements. (Lets me eat less so as not to stuff myself.) Maintaining pain medication schedule while at home. (Lets me sleep better and amble around more.) Having gone through this whole ordeal did prepare me for what was to come and I have been able to definitely improve on the last time. I got a lot more rest from the eye mask and pain medications. I was able to get out of bed more...

This morning I felt quite tired and lethargic, but was told that I'd probably be discharged today. I knew the drill, all the tubes get removed and I need to walk around a bit. I was given more liquids for breakfast and this time it seemed as if the food stayed down. The catheter came out pretty early this time, which meant that I had to get up and walk. Last time was quite the chore, but this time I stayed on top of the pain meds and even though the first walkabout was just as bad as I remembered it. After an hour rest the second walk was.. not bad. Then the third, fourth, soon I was walking about and even going to the washroom on my own. Mobility promotes mobility. The pace of recovery this time was leaps and bounds above what I went through with the first surgery, and I attribute that to the pain meds keeping me in the game. In fact, I was confident enough to walk to the car when we left, which was a far cry from being wheeled out (in serious pain) last time. I was even able to e...

Since I knew what I was getting myself into, I came a little more prepared and with a lot less stiff on hand. Few questions were required and I told the team that I joked that I fell asleep last time but won't be joking this time. Then I woke up. The unit was on outbreak so I was wheeled into a separate room by myself.  This was convenient since I did not have to worry about a roommate, but in it also meant that no visitors were allowed. Still, it mattered little since all I wanted to do was lie down and sleep. This time I made sure to ask for pain meds and used my eye mask which helped immensely since the room was very bright. I got better sleep, although it was still short and fleeting due to the numerous announcements on the PA. I also paced my eating which prevented me from filling my stomach to the point that I could not physically put anything more in my mouth. One major drawback with this session was the nausea. I didn't notice it the first time, but when they have me so...

The plan for today was to wake up early to prepare and arrive at the hospital at 0600. As such, I set the alarm on my phone for 0420. A peculiar time indeed, but a consequence of reusing one of my pain killer reminders from the first surgery. I must have tempted fate for I woke up on my own, with the glow of daylight filtering through the blinds. I searched for my phone, which I had dropped next to me when I finally dozed off and found it buried deep under the blankets, dutifully reminding me that I had missed my alarm. It was 0545. I leapt out bed and woke up MJNL. I had no time to lose. I hoped that my preparations last night were good enough not to require a double check and quickly showered and dressed. The surgery itself was scheduled for 0745 so I still had time, but it required less dilly-dallying and focused action. I guess it helped out in the end, there was less chance of inadvertently falling into old habits and doing something that would complicate the surgery. Apart from b...

I was feeling good enough yesterday that I decided to go back to work today. Things went fairly well. I spent most of the time going through my e-mail and clearing out the backlog. My work is sedentary enough that I made no notice of my wounds. Apart from the fact that I was weaker than normal and had limited mobility, I was able to work from home as effectively as I did before.

I'm feeling good enough to start responding to all of the e-mail and posts I got after I announced my diagnosis. Of course, I don't think I'll respond to every single response, since most will be "thanks". But anyone with specific questions and comments I'll try to answer. This will probably take all day..

I had my staples removed yesterday. It was a lot less painful than I had anticipated, although I did proactively take some pain-killers before to dull the sting. The tool that was used to extract the staples bends the staple in such a way that the hooks come out in the same angle that they were put in, meaning that it was a lot easier to extract without cutting any flesh. Of course it was not perfect, but the process went by quite quickly. I did not feel much different afterward, but it is just another sign of recovery. Although seeing all of those red dots on my stomach was a little concerning. However, a bit of cleaning and dressing and things have been covered up again. Full disclosure: I did not actually see the extraction process directly. I was trying to look at my phone during the extraction, but MJNL was recording the session and I was able to watch after the fact. Still, I would like to go for a walk soon. The cherry blossoms should be in full bloom by now, and I should get so...

I was hungry this morning, so I made my normal bowl of oatmeal, I actually managed to finish the whole thing, with a bit of effort that is. I am still feeling the effects of all of that food in my system, but the fact that I can actually fit all of that material in my stomach is a good sign that I am on my way to recovery. Being able to eat more will definitely speed up the healing process.

Now that I'm finally off the drugs and getting back to a normal schedule, I'm trying to continue to keep eating and resting to recover completely. The wounds still prevent me from eating more than a dinner roll size of food, and I lost a bit of weight, but I think after the staples come out tomorrow, things will start to turn around. I found out results from a blood test that indicated that I was slightly anemic. This basically confirmed my suspicions from that time, and even from now as I still feel weak and wobbly. I can technically work, but not for very long. I need breaks to recuperate from any sort of task. That even includes sitting up to watch a show. I do want to get outside and get some fresh air, but I am currently walking at a snail's pace and will not get very far. At this time last year we were already wandering through the ravine and watching the plants bloom and the animals return. The cherry blossom season is coming soon and I do hope I will be well enough ...

I stopped taking all of the painkillers and other drugs yesterday. I slowly ratcheted down the acetaminophen when I realized that most of the pain was gone. I proved myself right since I have not felt any real pain since stopping, although any sudden moves, heavy lifting, or sneezing will cause issues. I definitely have to stop from sneezing. Apart from all of the constipation issues, the main reason I wanted to stop the pills was so that I wasn't always woken up in the middle of the night to remind myself to take these pills. They were great at the beginning because the painkillers let me sleep, but now, I'm just exhausted because I never get to sleep more than a few hours at a time. I will admit that I am not always woken up by the alarms, but they clearly didn't help. But apart from that, recovery has been going well. Everything seems to be healing properly and I look forward to getting a full night's sleep tonight. Hopefully get to eat regularly again, and I really ...

So I've stopped taking the hydromorphone a couple of days ago. The pain is much more manageable now with just acetaminophen although the main reason I wanted to stop was because of the constipation. A combination of the drugs and the low food intake has made my trips to the toilet unproductive. Even after taking senokot for days, nothing was coming out, and that stuff was supposed to work within 12 hours. It was definitely not because of a lack of appetite. I do get quite hungry, but my stomach can only hold so much food now. I would estimate that I can only fit about 1/3 of the food that I could eat at a regular meal now. The tightness of my abdomen caused by the lacerations as prevented my gut from expanding during any meal, so it has made it quite difficult to put in any more food than can fit. Even with a smaller meal, I would fell tired and bloated afterward and need to sit down for awhile. As a weigh lost technique, I would not recommend. 0/5. Things started moving again last...

I actually got up in the morning and felt pretty good an hungry. I made some oatmeal and discovered that I could only eat maybe a third of what I could normally down in a sitting. My stomach could take no more food. I knew that I needed to take in as many carbs and protein as possible to help with healing. Over the day I tried to rest and relax. HKL and PL came over with JL to play with EYS so they helped keep her busy. EYS eventually went to sleep over at their house tonight which freed us up to work on my recovery. By the end of the day, my appetite had mostly disappeared, partially because I was not moving much and partially because things weren't really moving internally either. The drugs I was taking do cause constipation so we started taking the laxative to help, but it would take time for things to start working.

I woke up and found myself in a bit of a daze. I felt sore and not very mobile. The doctor came by and told me that the surgery was a success. I was wheeled into my room and was told to move myself onto the bed, which I somehow managed to do through the pain. I got strapped with leg pressure devices and left to rest and recover. I tried to fall asleep, but things kept bringing me back to consciousness. A loud sound here, a little pain here, trouble breathing there. The time went by quickly and I do remember feeling famished. I asked about food and was given a box of apple juice to drink. It tasted wonderful, despite the fact that I do not like drinking apple juice. I spent the remainder of the night trying to drift off to sleep, but could only manage short naps that felt like mere moments. It became easier to fall asleep when the sun went down, but the sleep was not very restful. When I awoke the next morning, I was cleared to eat some orange flavoured jello and another box of apple ju...

The day started as with any other day, except that MJNL was the one who took the kids out of the house, while I was able to take that time to shower up and prepare for the surgery. There was not really much that was needed. Clean up without putting on any creams, etc. Wear the surgical stockings, and that was about it. The day back held some comfortable clothes and a robe, toiletries, some paperwork, and more importantly, my phone charger. The process was quite straightforward and streamlined. It reminded me of checking into a hotel. I was asked who I was and what was being done, they told me where to go, what to do, what to wear. They asked me who I was and confirmed the surgery being performed. Tubes and pills were put into me. I was asked for my name my date of birth and what I was there for. I got told to sit on the surgery table, I joked with the staff. The surgeon asked my name and went over the process and plan. The anesthetist told me how I'd feel. I felt woozy and faked fa...

Well, after an appointment with a second urologist (this time one that can perform surgery), I've been given some numbers as to my situation. It seems like I have 90% chance of kidney cancer. The fact that I have two tumors kind of push that number up, but let's leave it at that. I should get the tumors removed through surgery and there's a 95% chance that things will go without a hitch. There's a 90% chance that the cancer won't come back. So the prognosis is pretty good. I was lucky that we caught this early. But, we have not even started the process yet so we can only stay optimistic. My surgery for the first tumor is in a couple of weeks. It is good that I was able to get such an early time slot. Mostly because cancer is usually something that gets put up on the priority list. Then we will see how things go before we tackle the second tumor..

I've noticed that the maple syrup that's being sold has gotten darker and darker in recent years. Just today I saw a bottle sold at the local grocery store that was marked as "Extra Dark". Most of the bottles were "Dark" and a few were "Amber". No "Medium" or "Light" to be found. Only a couple years ago, I marveled at how most of the maple syrup was "Medium". When I first started making my desserts, I had to find a specialty shop to find "Amber" maple syrup. (The darker the better for baking.) The colour of the maple syrup is dependent on the quality of the sap from the trees. The higher the sugar content, the less sap is required to produce syrup and so the lighter the colour. Darker colours mean that much more sap was required, which generally would mean that it costs more as well. High sugar sap usually occurs during times where there is very cold (below freezing) nights and warm (above freezing) days. Thi...