hi Mike

nice to hear from a fresh face , i am always here to help with any pre or post operative queries you know the ones you don't tend to ask nurses and doctors because they might seem silly , nothing mucky though ! , hope you get your operation date soon , take it easy and eat as much as you can pre op.

regards

Douglas

Hi Douglas

Not too sure about the fresh face!

Sorry Hilts for hijacking your thread - how is your husband doing?  Has the cough subsided with all the dex being taken and how is he finding the chemo 2nd time around compared to the 1st? As a fellow tall person - how is he finding eating post op?

I've had my face-to-face with my surgeon - it's the same guy who did my staging laparoscopy, when he joked that the hospitals shortest surgeon was working on their tallest patient.

Food / appetite only became a problem towards the 1st FLOT and during the first cycle.  After the 2nd, eating was not so much of an issue - and a couple of weeks after my 4th FLOT, we even enjoyed a steak sandwich.

There is a ton of conflicting information on diet - but I'm being advised that the expectation is to be on soft food by the time I leave hospital, and to expect my relationship with food to change to smaller portions more often - which sounds ideal, as our favourite place to holiday is Thailand, where they eat constantly throughout the day.

My op is soon and I look forward to providing an update afterwards.  My other half has advised that if I meet the post op nurses beforehand to apologise in advance for being a grumpy so and so.

I will touch base on the other side!

regards

bfg

Hi Bfg

Good luck for the op , hope to get to Thailand myself next year , yes they do like a bite to eat every hour or so , its  good to have something  to look forwards to though , you take care 

Regards

Douglas

Hi Douglas,  Hilts and Daisy71

I haven't trawled through any other posts so have not caught any updates - so this will be quick. 

An original 1st Mar op date was only in the fitness form to get me the fitness test. Then turns out they can do it on the 1st after all - which was then delayed 24 hrs.

So here I am 9 hour op - 3 to get the catheter in which they are still taking about,  48 hrs in icu, 72 in regular super green ward later. 

Most bits working normally,  only the stomach not opening out when needed, so still have the ng line which is a pain. 

Nurses fantastic. Everyone saying all is progressing to plan.

Feel the need to buy everyone a beer in June! How's hubby and chemo going? I don't think I will be discharged as quick but not far behind.

Stay safe everyone. 

Bfg

Fantastic news, so glad it all went to plan and you are chipper enough to come and have a chat here! I wish you the very best for your recovery. 

Thanks Daisy71. I did feel guilty just going of the radar. I'll send another update when home.  :-) I might even give the missus some advanced warning. 

Hi Bfg 

Wow ! you whizzed through that quick , and well done , it's all about having a positive attitude to the whole thing , i bet you are wondering what all the fuss about the operation was , now comes the boring bit the long days of recovery at home , if you take it at an easy pace you will be fine , try and overdo things and you will soon know you have , my advice would be serious rest for at least a month only then start to sort your eating and exercise routine out , i am month nine post op and well on the way to normal or as normal as i can be , take care and take it easy , chok dee as they say in Thailand

regards

Douglas

Hi All, 

well,done BFG. Job done.  Your recovery sounds like it is going very well. Considering the 'massiveness' (queen's English) of this op!! Husband has now recovered from the op. All bullet holes healed up. Cough has been put down to  'post nasal drip'  mmmm  it is getting much better though. Post op chemo has been a bit more 'interesting' got himself a proper anaphylactic reaction last week to the platinum !!!! The unit were on it though like lightning, no real after effects, but he can have no more of the metal, but I goes tomorrow for the 3rd FLOT minus the O. I did post to see if it was a common thing- no replies , so I guess not. He is currently completely nuts on his pre chemo dex- dexamphetamine comes to mind rather than dexamethasone (: We are absolutely rolling around in laughter at some really 'inappropriate' stuff!

The unit was very informative about the anaphylaxsis, saying it never happens on the initial doses, but it is like the body says enough, I'm done with the Shiite (: maybe this is something I shouldn't be sharing.....it is rare apparently, just what we need eh

We have been told that he is visible disease free and it was almost like the Oncologist was saying , " I wouldn't bother with the rest" , but of course , she can't/ won't say that. He is  especially concerned about the microcell that might be hiding under his little toenail or something!
 

Eating wise where do I start (:. Initially it was purée etc, but after week 7 he was on 'normal' food, We even had steak, curry, pie n mash etc He is also enjoying being back on beer etc.He gets a bit of 'dumping' and is getting used to what he can get away with and can't. The weight loss seems to have picked up a bit, he has lost probably about 16lbs since the start, but hopefully once the chemo is done then that will settle.

Anyhows- good to hear from you.

Hilts

Hi Hilts

Reference that sinus drip cough thing i have an Avamys nasal spray which sorted that out , otherwise you all seem to be getting on well , haven't heard from Rayb since his op hope he is ok , but he is on the other thread so hope to hear from him soon,  take it easy 

Regards 

Douglas

Hi Hilts

It's good to share. I love the idea of normal food after seven weeks and a beer sounds like nectar of the gods.  I have a minor infection - which they are not even calling an infection - elevated temperature of 38 and heartrate,  which they are trying to bring down the values so am on some targeted antibiotics for the duration.

Can't believe it's a week now post op - the only thing I'm majorly ticked off about is that my current weigh in today was exactly the same as my check in last Tuesday. Humph.

I'm up walking the floors more which has scared the bejeesus out of some of the nurses.  It's one thing to have 6' 8" in your notes,  it's another to come across me in the corridor. 

I'd heard about the anaflactic shock thing - it can be a bit scary- but they did say they were very geared up for it. The only problem with my chemo was an elevated alt enzyme so they missed off the 2nd F (and L as that's not really chemo). Boy was it OT.

Dedicated service by the team as usual and can't praise them enough. 

Cheers all

Bfg