Well, here we are on the last day of the year. Time to reflect. Even with it's challenges 2010 has been a good one. (Actually, any year you are alive at it's very end is GOOD.) This last week (actually 9 days) Lynda and I spent with all our family in New Mexico. What a wonderful time. Next year I will ski.
Had some sombering news today. My friend, Jim W has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, also. I would ask you all to add him to your prayer list.
The last few weeks have brought good news. As you all know I've finished my second series of chemo and had a Cat Scan on Dec. 20. Results are in. "Significantly Reduced." Great words to hear now I've got to get to eating and get this feeding tube out! Have not talked with my chemo Doc yet to know what his plan is in "getting after" the rest.
Was a bit aprohensive in being in NM for 10 days and being away from all my support base, but all went extremly well. Again, I just don't have enough faith sometimes.
Had a "funny" thing happen today. (Background: One flushes his feeding tube both before and after! Timely.) I woke up this AM when my pump finished it's work getting the "feeding tube food" into my body. (Let me correct that last statement. I can't hear the "warning buzzer. Too high a frequency for me, but Lynda hears it and lets me know.) Well, when the buzzer went off and Lynda woke me I turned off the pump and went back to sleep. What one should do in that case is to get up, flush out the pump and then go back to sleep. Guess what, my tube clogged up. Bummer! Try as I might I could not get it "open." Usually that means a trip to the doctor, if he's in, or a trip to the emergency room. And, as luck would have it, the stitch that holds the tubing into my stomach also broke. What a mess! And, then I sneezed. Boom, the tube shot out of it's little hole in my gut!" Hmmm", I said. "Do you think I can clean this tube out now?" "Especially since it New Year's Eve weekend? Well, to make a long story longer, I did clean out my tube, inserted it back in my stomach and tapped it in very securely and now I'm good until the Doc's back in the office Monday. Would I recommend this? Nope, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do!
Please, keep up the prayers and I love you all!
About Me
- Leighton "Pops" Railsback
- Life brings joys and challenges, so let's look at the "Joys." (and skip "me") You're blessed if you have a wonderful lifemate, (in my case that reads "wife"), children, grandchildren and wonderful friends. I have it all. My belief is that if you have your life, and faith, in order you are ready to handle what comes your way. I attempt to maintain order in my life in the following priorities. Faith, Family, Finances, Friends and Fun. Take care of the first four and you can stick Fun in anywhere.
Glad to hear that you and family had a nice Christmas holiday in Tres Ritos. I saw the picture of the group that was posted by Dock.
ReplyDeleteHandsome group!
The tale of the feeding tube "adventure" was almost funny. Now having tube feeding for this long period is NOT a laughing matter, but your description of the sneeze which solved your problem and prevented a trip to seek medical help was, indeed, strange and amusing.
My continued prayer and hope for you is a new year in which cancer becomes a distant foe in your rear view mirror. Sorry about your friend, Jim W.
Love and kisses to you and Lynda,
Grace