A bit of a twist in the story.

 

Many of you already heard this story…but for those who haven’t…….I woke up on the morning of April 1 with some pain in my lower abdomen.  My original diagnosis was that the plumbing was backed up….which is a very common byproduct of the steroid administration.  But the pain got progressively worse and I got a friend to drive me to the ER.  Diagnosis:  Diverticulitis – a disease of the colon that results in small ruptures of the diverticula (small pouches that form on your colon) causing all kinds of pain and, life threatening consequences if not properly treated.    I was introduced to a colorectal surgeon who suggested that surgery needed to be performed immediately.  I asked if there was any alternative and he said that we could try administering massive doses of antibiotics to see if it would alleviate the acute symptoms.   We agreed to try that approach for a day to see if it would work….but he warned me that he wasn’t optimistic.  So I was admitted to the hospital and put on intravenous antibiotics and a no food/no water diet. 

 

By the next day, the paid had subsided quite a bit and the doc agreed to keep it going for another day.  This went on for until finally…about day 4….the surgery was ruled unnecessary for the moment and I slowly began ingesting food….beginning with jello and frozen ice treats and progressing up to baby food and then to real honest food.  All told, I spent six days on the hospital….most of it feeling just fine, except for the fact that I had to be constantly connected to the IV. 

 

As a result, my chemotherapy is suspended, allowing my cells to heal properly (chemotherapy, being an immune suppressant, retards the cell growth required for healing properly).    

 

I am now scheduled for laparoscopic surgery on July 11th to remove the diseased portion of my colon.  It is felt that if I don’t, the problem could reoccur at any time and it would be pretty awful for it to happen while I’m in the middle of the transplant.  The diverticulitis flare up, by the way, has nothing directly to do with the multiple myeloma, although I suspect that the drugs I’ve taken…particularly the nasty steroids….were responsible for bringing it on. 

 

It will be about a 3 hour surgery and I’ll remain hospitalized for about a week.  I’m told I should plan on bed rest for at least another week after that.  Once I get back to normal, I’ll be rewarded with a continuation of my induction chemo regimen…in preparation for the stem cell transplant, which will now take place in the October time frame.

 

So, the second half of 2011 will pretty much suck.  But I fully expect that I’ll come out just fine on the other side of this.  And, in the meanwhile, I have something to very much look forward to. 

Susan and I will be leaving next week for two weeks in England to attend Wimbledon.  This has always been #1 on our bucket list and in celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary, we’re making it happen.   It will be particularly nice to be in England without being under the influence of steroids or any other chemo.  I’ve been on such meds now for nearly 5 years and I’m very much enjoying my medication holiday.  Although…there is one small drawback. While steroids are generally nasty, they do have one small side benefit.  They are anti-inflammatories and help “lubricate” the joints and muscles.  Having been off them now for over a month, I find myself quite stiff.  I walk around like the tin man when I first get out of bed or sit for too long. 

 

But beyond that, I feel just grand. Really!   I do not have any pain from the diverticulitis.  I have no myeloma symptoms.  And I’m off the meds.  For a guy with a life threatening disease and a ticking time bomb in my innards, I feel pretty damn good.

 

And I feel just fine emotionally as well.  Not that I’m looking forward to all this stuff.  It should be pretty miserable.  I’m a bit uptight about the pain associated with the abdominal surgery.  I don’t relish the nausea and fatigue that will come with the transplant.  And I still haven’t gotten my head around losing my hair.  But I’m totally confident that I’ll come out just fine on the other end of this and will have a very cheery holiday letter to send out.

 

Footnote:

I’m mentioned Office Mark Vasquez before as a fellow traveler afflicted with a very aggressive myeloma.  Mark passed away this month, at the age of 36, after a valiant struggle.  It’s a great loss for his family and for the community.  He was a great guy and a great cop.  Despite the pain and disappointments, Mark handled everything with grace and dignity.  I was honored to know him and am inspired by him and his lovely family.