Re: Marilyn - Bad News -- Prayers Requested

[Guest guest]

I am very sorry to hear that you are sick! When you mentioned that

you can only eat ice cubes immediately after the surgery, and then

possibly nothing for three days, I immediately thought of my

sister's surgery this past December. She has Crohn's and received

intraveneous food for three days. At that time she told me that she

is neither hungry nor thirsty due to the IV, but that it's only the

psychological part of missing the act of eating that is difficult.

I wish you all the best and complete healing after your surgery! I

am assuming your chances of a complete recovery must be high given

that the cancer is contained in the uterus. My sister is also

always afraid of surgery; her doctors said she'd have to stay in the

hospital for maybe 2 weeks through Christmas, but she recovered so

quickly this time, she was out in a week! I hope, you'll do just as

well!

Brigitte

SCD 10 Months

IBS, LI, FI

By the way: I posted your introductory chapter on the German SCD

forum as permitted by you, but it seems like no one understood the

English, 'cause nobody commented on it.

>

>

> OK... I hadn't actually intended to post this

> openly to the lists until I had a few more ducks

> in the row, but since I messed up and posted it

> to SCD Recipe Creators while trying to include

> Donna in my list of experienced SCDers, I may as well tell the

rest of you.

>

> On 25 February 2008, I was diagnosed with endometrial (uterine)

cancer.

>

> Needless to say, I am not amused.

>

> I saw the oncologist this week, and I will be

> having a complete hysterectomy on 25 March at

> Touro Hospital in New Orleans. (This was the

> earliest it could be arranged in still Katrina-shattered New

Orleans.)

>

> On the positive side, I have a very good

> gynecologist, who is also a surgeon, as well as a

> very good oncologist who is also a surgeon. Both

> female. Both have worked together. Both will be there during the

surgery.

>

> According to the oncologist, we will not know

> what stage it is until after the Grand Opening

> (as it were). They'll be removing uterus,

> Fallopian tubes, and ovaries, as well as the

> lymph nodes. Dr. Cheng has stated that from the

> imaging, she does not think the cancer has

> implanted in the uterus, that it may still be

> contained in the lining. This reduces the

> probability of it having spread, but again, we

> won't know until the pathology report comes back after the surgery.

>

> One problem is that although I have lost a very

> significant amount of weight (180 pounds), I

> still have quite a flap of fat on the abdomen. My

> oncologist wants to find a plastic surgeon to

> come in, remove the fat and give her a clear

> operating area, then after she does her job, the

> plastic surgeon would come back and tidy

> everything up. Doesn't add much time to the

> actual surgery, makes it much safer for me and

> easier for her to be certain she's gotten

> everything. Unfortunately, finding a plastic

> surgeon who can coordinate with them in

> post-Katrina New Orleans may be very difficult.

> In addition, the insurance companies consider ALL

> plastic surgery to be " cosmetic " and therefore

> " elective, " and thus, not covered.

>

> I will have to do a colonoscopy-type clean out, which I've never

done before.

>

> I am told that I will be in the hospital for 3-5

> days after the surgery, and that I will be

> allowed nothing by mouth for the first two days,

> except possibly some chips of ice. Then clear

> liquids for a day or two. Then soft foods.

>

> This, in itself, creates a problem because of

> staying strict SCD. I dare not trust the hospital

> to prepare safe food, so everything will have to

> be ready in advance, and Harry will bring up food when I am

allowed to have it.

>

> I'm planning bone broths and legal (diluted)

> juices for the clear liquids part. I'm thinking

> of pureeing some of my easiest to digest, well

> cooked vegetables, and (in separate containers),

> either beef or chicken for the soft foods aspect.

> Or both. Once I get home, I can have soft-boiled

> eggs, which I tolerate very well. I'll have some

> SCD goat yogurt ready for as soon as I am able to

> have it. I won't be doing much in the way of

> fruit or honey, because cancer, like yeast, is a

> sugar feeder. Based on my research, my

> (relatively) low carb version of SCD is the best

> possible diet I could follow for this, and may,

> indeed, be a major contributor to the fact that

> the cancer does not appear to have gotten any farther than it has.

>

> (My oncologist looked at the list of non-allowed

> and allowed foods, and said, " This looks like a

> celiac diet. Have you ever been tested? " I told

> her it was the original celiac diet, which was

> displaced by the gluten-free diet because

> gluten-free, although less effective, was easier

> and more profitable. And that since celiac

> testing requires eating gluten for at least three

> weeks before the test, I saw no reason to go off

> a diet that works and make myself as miserable as

> I had been for 25 years just for the sake of a

> test. She agreed -- why fiddle with what works?)

>

> I've talked with our current pastor (we used to

> have two co-pastors, and I knew the older pastor

> better, but our church no longer has the income

> it did before Katrina, and so the older pastor

> was asked to retire). Our church prayer group is

> praying for everything to proceed as it should. My sister's church

is, also.

>

> I hope I'll be able to be on-line relatively soon

> after I get out of the hospital, but I don't

> think I'll be up to much. I was so very, very

> desperately ill and had a terrible experience

> with the gall bladder surgery seven years ago.

> Same day surgery it was supposed to be, and I was

> in hospital for four days. This surgery is much

> more complex, and to be honest, the surgery --

> and anesthesia -- frightens me more than what comes next.

>

> A couple of people have commented about how well

> and calmly I am taking this. Actually, I'm not.

> When the doctor broke the news, I looked at Harry

> and said, " Now my books and my cook book will

> never be published! " and broke down crying. I've

> had quite a few crying jags in here. Keeping

> busy, continuing on is the only way I can handle it.

>

> I want to say thanks to all the people who have

> posted their SCD successes in the last week or

> so. It's the small miracles which give hope.

> Please don't stop posting such wonders! And for

> those of you who haven't (yet) had successes,

> remember that in healing, we take three steps

> forward and two steps back. And sometimes four

> steps back, but then six steps forward. I've just

> had a heckuva set of four steps. Can't wait to see the six forward.

>

>

>

> — Marilyn

> New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

> Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

> Darn Good SCD Cook

> No Human Children

> Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

>