Bad News -- Prayers Requested

[Guest guest]

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