Life Doesn’t Go as Planned

This was supposed to be a post about clinical trials and the value of being a lab rat. The last couple weeks have not gone as planned and instead this is an update.

I came in to the cancer cares unit last week with what we thought were clinical trial drug side effects, they admitted me to the hospital and I think we all thought a few days off the meds and I would be okay. The doctors ordered tests just to be safe, and a scan showed a small intestine blockage. That led to the insert of an NG tube, don’t get one of them if you can avoid it. It is a tube they stick through your nose and down int your stomach. This involves a lot of lube, snot, tears, and cursing. We did manage to laugh during it as well, because everything is a little funny, even shoving a tube down your throat. After a few days of having the tube on intermittent suction they did surgery.

Best case was find the blockage and remove it. Turned out it was actually my small intestines stuck in several places to large intestines causing multiple blocks. It is stuck because of cancer, they also found more cancer in other areas of my abdomen. So that sucks, because I am still not a cancer fan. I will probably start chemo again in a few weeks. For the blockage I now have an ileostomy. They are bypassing most of my intestines. I won’t get too detailed, Google if you want more info, as it is both life saving and gross.

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, etc. I needed them, this was a rough few days. I am sitting here watching it snow and being grateful for my life.