Dear Whoever-
My stepdad was recently diagnosed with cancer in December. We previously had been told he had pneumonia, bronchitis, and the bumps on his head were just cysts. Wrong! Stage 4 Lung Cancer ended up being the diagnosis after biopsying the "cysts" on his head and going to three different doctors.
In the passing weeks, he went through two different types of chemotherapy, blood transfusions and began losing weight and getting weak very quickly. A followup showed the mass had not grown nor shrunk and then recently hope was provided when we were told the bumps on his head may not be cancer at all, but just crazy lymph nodes.
His breathing has been getting more labored and he went back to the doctor last Friday (March 21). Apparently they did more xrays and they were going to set him up for radiation and chemo next week to zap the mass between his lungs. A glimmer of hope was past along in the message. We were going to figure this out and fix it.
Sunday (March 23), he called my mom and told her to call an ambulance for him because he didnt think he could wait for her to come home and then drive him to the hospital. They did more xrays on him and he stayed overnight.
Monday (March 24), Around 2pm I got the text message saying that it was all bad news, so i called my mother. Dave picked up the phone (very weak sounding) and began sobbing as he told me he had a maximum of 2 weeks to live. Its so sad for a grown man to cry, and to know that he is dying and he cant do anything about it.
We all just feel so helpless, and the more i think about how he feels, i just feel worse. How can you find out you are dying and you dont even have time to accept it? Its like you were kidnapped by foreign spies and they are just going to murder you. Its so sad.
Since I live so far away from home, I cant just run over there and offer my support. I cant be there for my mom and help her, i cant be there for him to make his last days maybe a little more bearable. Instead, i am stuck taking care of other people's family members 1900miles away. I used all of my leave by coming home for my uncle and grandmother's funerals, I cant even go for two weeks.
This is the big part of the military I hate. And the fact that it seems like everyone i know is dying, makes me expect it to continue. Who is next? How much time will I have?
Thats all for now.
Me
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Colonoscopy
Dear Whoever-
This past week I went for a colonoscopy. I have had severe pains and sometimes sudden diarrhea for a long time now. I always equated it with my period, but with the infertility issue I've been getting everything looked at. The most common suspects would be endometriosis or IBS. My Nana died of colon cancer and my mother has had polyps, so its not like I'm not a good candidate for such early screening anyways.
So, it just happens that I've been training with the GI clinic and now they were going to be doing my colonoscopy. Awkward! As if working in ob/gyn for three years wasn't awkward enough, now i have my butt probed by these people.
The Golytle prep was horrible. I regrettably mixed it with green Powerade on the second glass and it made it worse! The taste wasn't too bad, it just felt like it sat right on my gag reflex. Chasing it with warm water and ginger ale made it possible. When i was drinking the second half in the morning, i threw up a lot of it and decided i was done.
I didn't get called back until two hours past my appointment time, but it didn't really bother me because i was nervous. The one tech went to get an IV on me and the catheter wouldn't advance. It hurt like a son of a bitch. When he finally gave up and pulled it out of my arm, the catheter looked like i chewed it up and my arm still hurt. So, the anesthesiologist came to get one one me. I thought great, these guys always get the hard shit. He tried in my hand and failed, so ended up putting it in my right AC. I don't even have bad veins, but my nervousness messes everything up.
Anyways, they wheeled me back in the room and i said hi to everyone and asked the anesthesiologist to not let me wake up during the procedure. He told me i could feel burning in my arm (like we tell all the patients). it started to get very loud and then i woke up in the recovery room! It was great.
So far, i am getting a referral for a nodule and they biopsied some inflammation. I will hopefully find out the path results this week.
That's it for now.
Me
This past week I went for a colonoscopy. I have had severe pains and sometimes sudden diarrhea for a long time now. I always equated it with my period, but with the infertility issue I've been getting everything looked at. The most common suspects would be endometriosis or IBS. My Nana died of colon cancer and my mother has had polyps, so its not like I'm not a good candidate for such early screening anyways.
So, it just happens that I've been training with the GI clinic and now they were going to be doing my colonoscopy. Awkward! As if working in ob/gyn for three years wasn't awkward enough, now i have my butt probed by these people.
The Golytle prep was horrible. I regrettably mixed it with green Powerade on the second glass and it made it worse! The taste wasn't too bad, it just felt like it sat right on my gag reflex. Chasing it with warm water and ginger ale made it possible. When i was drinking the second half in the morning, i threw up a lot of it and decided i was done.
I didn't get called back until two hours past my appointment time, but it didn't really bother me because i was nervous. The one tech went to get an IV on me and the catheter wouldn't advance. It hurt like a son of a bitch. When he finally gave up and pulled it out of my arm, the catheter looked like i chewed it up and my arm still hurt. So, the anesthesiologist came to get one one me. I thought great, these guys always get the hard shit. He tried in my hand and failed, so ended up putting it in my right AC. I don't even have bad veins, but my nervousness messes everything up.
Anyways, they wheeled me back in the room and i said hi to everyone and asked the anesthesiologist to not let me wake up during the procedure. He told me i could feel burning in my arm (like we tell all the patients). it started to get very loud and then i woke up in the recovery room! It was great.
So far, i am getting a referral for a nodule and they biopsied some inflammation. I will hopefully find out the path results this week.
That's it for now.
Me
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