The Date For My Colon Surgery Has Been Set

Today I learned that the surgery to remove the portion of the colon with  the cancer is scheduled for May 15, which is three weeks from today.

 Between now and then I will continue to get chest physical therapy (a sort of pounding) to keep my lungs clear. The more clear my lungs are before the operation, the better it should be for my breathing during and following  the time under anesthesia.

Breathing is rather important. Prior to the heart attack I was able to breathe on my own when sitting up in my wheelchair. For now I'm needing to use a ventilator all the time, whether in bed or in the wheelchair. I'm hoping to once again build up the ability to breathe on my own in the coming months.

It's clear now that I won't get to spend time at home with DebbieLynne before the operation. I have an appointment with the surgeon a week from Thursday. To get to it I'll need medical transportion to and from the doctor's office. Then the following Tuesday I'll be brought in to see my cardiologist.

It would have been difficult to get to those appointments if I'd returned home. There is also the matter of my needing units of blood to replace what continues to be lost due to the colon cancer and the blood thinning meds I'm on while recovering from the heart operation.

Since I can't get to DebbieLynne, in order for us to see each other, she will continue to have to come here when she can. Tomorrow the husband of one of my cousins will bring her, using a manual wheelchair.

Our church has offered to help cover the cost of her to make some visits using two paratransit services. The MBTA won't bring her to this town because it is outside their territory, but they will take her to Brockton to transfer to their paratransit service which does serve the town this rehab hospital is in. The trips will be time consuming but it will mean Deb and I can spend some  time together.

Thank you for praying for us. We miss being together. In case you hadn't noticed, we very much love one another.

Be Careful About Putting Things Off

I'm sure glad that Deb and I went to the Boston Commons, the Public Garden, and Quincy Market shortly before my colonoscopy.  Those are things we love to do, and we didn't know when I'd be up to venturing out and about next. Little did we know what was in store for us.

Right after the colonoscopy came the heart attack and then the heart procedures to clear the blockage and put in a stint. Then this period of recovery while I'm on blood thinners that are good for my heart but tend to increase the loss of blood from the colon cancer. So I've needed to be on the ventilator 24 hours day, rather than just an average of maybe 16 hours a day before these events.

Thankfully, I can still talk on the phone and use the computer to keep in touch with DebbieLynne. Since the MBTA paratransit service doesn't serve the town I'm in, she's not able to use it to come visit me. So she only has been able to come visit when others have transported her.

Prior to the colonoscopy I had taken care of paying bills and other fiscal matters. I hadn't gotten around to showing DebbieLynne how to access our bank accounts and pay various bills

If I hadn't survived the heart attack, DebbieLynne would not only have lost the husband who loves her dearly, she also would be had the added struggle of trying to figure out how take care of the household finances.

So we're now working on her learning how to do those things so she'll be able to do them during whatever times I am unavailable to do them. We're not putting that off any longer. Taking care of it is part of my loving her and taking care of her.

I'm learning to be more careful about putting things off. Please pray for me that I will do whatever I can for her whenever I can. Thank you for your prayers and for taking the time to read this post.

One Heart Attack Later

Well, I had my Colonoscopy and it determined that there was just the one area of colon cancer. I was recovering from the procedure and my darling DebbieLynne was beside the hospital bed. I remember that much. But I don't remember what happened next.

I'm told that at first the docs thought it was just a breathing and heart problem brought on by the limited anesthesia used for the procedure. They got me stabilized, but decided to keep me at the hospital, and DebbieLynne returned home.

When we were told the next day that I'd a heart attack we thought it was what took place during recovery. But the actual heart attack, which we learned today was a major one with I think 90% blockage, was actually later that day. I wasn't conscious at the time so I don't remember it.

The next day they cleared the major blockage. The following day they put in stint to keep things open so the blood flowing.

I've had to be on ventilators around the clock. Today is the first day they've been able to transfer me into a wheelchchair beside the hospital bed. I'm able to take short breaks from the ventilator while sitting here. I'm taking care of a few things on the computer before they get me back onto the bed.

Thank you for your prayers. The colon surgery has had to be put off by 4 to 6 weeks due to the blood thinning meds I need to be on following the heart surgical procedures. I may be transferred to a rehab hospital to finish recovering and then hopefully get to return home to be with DebbieLynne for a while before the colon surgery.

Please keep praying. I am making progress. Folks from church and my cousins are helping DebbieLynne. This is a difficult time for both of us, but God is providing in answer to your prayers. We thank all of you who are praying and those who are doing things for us that we cannot do for ourselves at this time.

And please pray for all those who are trying to help me recover from the heart attack and be ready for the colon surgery and follow up treatments.

The Lord bless you and take care of all your needs and those of those you love.