- Jan 3, 2001
- 41,892
- 2,135
- 126
Hi all. Long-timers may have noticed I haven't been around the last several months, and that's mostly due to a new job that's proving to be interesting, challenging, and actually making me happy. Life has actually be good for the last couple of years, until...
I've been having a problem with GERD (which is like acid reflux on steroids). I constantly have an acidic stomach, and if I eat dense foods often I'd get severe hicups and end up regurgitating what I ate. As long as I took acid-reducers every day, everything was fine. After living with things for a couple of years, I decided to have things checked out.
They stuck a scope down my throat, and yep- I have GERD. But that didn't concern the doctor...the large golfball sized growth right past my stomach did. They scheduled me for a biopsy and ultrasound, and that will be happening tomorrow morning (5/10/17) at 11am ET.
In the meantime, I've been Googling everything I can find that resembles the picture I was given...and it doesn't look good. Even if it's a benign tumor, treatments seem to involve removing part of the bowel and intestine...possibly even part of the liver and pancreas.
I'm 46, have never had any kind of surgery or procedure in my life, have never been seriously ill, I don't smoke, I don't drink excessively, and keep fit. I have no symptoms of cancer, no history, yet...there it is. On top of this, since I just started a new job recently, I don't have much sick or vacation time. It's just not a good situation all around.
I'm not scared for me so much as my family. My wife has had a lot of medical issues over the last 15 years and, while much improved now, greatly depends on me. My son is about to start college and we need my income for his education. Things like this aren't supposed to hit until you're older. Leave it to me to break the rules...
Sorry. Just needed to get some thoughts out.
5/11/17 UPDATE: Well, the scoping and biopsy went well. Was a little groggy all day from the anesthesia, and throat's a bit sore (Props to porn stars! They're troopers!), but I'm back at work today. The Dr. is 90-95% sure I have what's called a "gist"- which is a type of cancerous tumor and it's partially blocking my esophagus. Originally my daughter told me it was just past my stomach (I was out the first time, so she misheard), so this is a whole new ballgame. A gist is a rare form of cancer caused by a genetic defect. The good news is it usually doesn't spread, and it's one of those "cut it out and it's gone" type of cancers. The bad news is it's pretty rare (only 5000 cases per year are reported in the US), and it takes a special surgeon to remove them because they're filled with blood vessels and can't be "popped", so I'm most likely going to have to travel for surgery. They'll most likely cut out part of my stomach and stitch it to my esophagus (bonus side effect- free weight loss surgery!).
So, tldr: I have cancer, but it's a sissy cancer and can be surgically removed with little to no lasting effects. I'm getting a consultation May 23rd and will schedule surgery after that.
I actually felt better after reading some of the comments here, and it really calmed be down. Thanks everyone!
Update 5/17/17:
UPDATE 6/23/17:
Surgery scheduled for 6/26 at 10:30. Expected 4 day hospital stay. I've never been in bed that long (hell- I have a hard time sitting still to watch a 30 minute TV show). This has the potential to suck. I'll live post from my bed if able
UPDATE: 6/29/17:
I had surgery Monday, and was able to come home yesterday afternoon to heal because I have super-human recovery abilities or something. Got six incisions in my gut with a drainage tube sticking out of one of them (pics on request! ), and other than being in a lot of pain I think everything came out pretty well. Stuck on a liquid diet for two weeks though. Great way to lose weight!
FINAL (?) UPDATE 7/12/17:
I've mostly healed from the incisions, but still had a JP tube sticking out of my side, and I had that removed yesterday. This procedure was, by far, the MOST PAINFUL THING I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE.
For those that don't know, a JP tube is a long tube they leave in a deep puncture-type incision that allows it to drain. The liquids are sucked into a "bulb" at the end of the tube, while the other end reached all the way to my stomach. I had this in for two weeks, and by this time scar tissue started forming around it. It was about 10" into my right side, and the only way to remove it is to rip it out. I can take a lot of pain, but the amount of screaming I did sounded like someone getting their leg sawed off on a battlefield...never felt anything like that in my life, and it lasted nearly two minutes. Best description:
- Having to hold explosive diarrhea
- ...while having your skin peeled away from your body
- ...while having a red-hot ice pick jabbed into your gut
- ...while hearing the sound of uncooked pasta snapping
It is a teaching hospital, so the doctor had one of the new residences start pulling it out. My legs were flailing in the air and I was screaming so loud it was freaking him out, so he kept doing gentle pulls and wussed out. The main Dr. had to step in and finish it, and just did a big yank, at which time I nearly passed out. One star- would not recommend.
After about 5 minutes to regain my composure, they put a bandage on the wound, and asked if I was still on a liquid diet. I replied "yes" (lost 15 lbs!), and I was told to go back to a normal diet. YES!
Started feeling hungry around 7PM, so I drove 30 minutes to my favorite pizza place, and experienced what Heaven must fell like. I'M BACK BABY! (Could only eat one piece though )
Now to go back to low carb/high protein and get my abs back
I've been having a problem with GERD (which is like acid reflux on steroids). I constantly have an acidic stomach, and if I eat dense foods often I'd get severe hicups and end up regurgitating what I ate. As long as I took acid-reducers every day, everything was fine. After living with things for a couple of years, I decided to have things checked out.
They stuck a scope down my throat, and yep- I have GERD. But that didn't concern the doctor...the large golfball sized growth right past my stomach did. They scheduled me for a biopsy and ultrasound, and that will be happening tomorrow morning (5/10/17) at 11am ET.
In the meantime, I've been Googling everything I can find that resembles the picture I was given...and it doesn't look good. Even if it's a benign tumor, treatments seem to involve removing part of the bowel and intestine...possibly even part of the liver and pancreas.
I'm 46, have never had any kind of surgery or procedure in my life, have never been seriously ill, I don't smoke, I don't drink excessively, and keep fit. I have no symptoms of cancer, no history, yet...there it is. On top of this, since I just started a new job recently, I don't have much sick or vacation time. It's just not a good situation all around.
I'm not scared for me so much as my family. My wife has had a lot of medical issues over the last 15 years and, while much improved now, greatly depends on me. My son is about to start college and we need my income for his education. Things like this aren't supposed to hit until you're older. Leave it to me to break the rules...
Sorry. Just needed to get some thoughts out.
5/11/17 UPDATE: Well, the scoping and biopsy went well. Was a little groggy all day from the anesthesia, and throat's a bit sore (Props to porn stars! They're troopers!), but I'm back at work today. The Dr. is 90-95% sure I have what's called a "gist"- which is a type of cancerous tumor and it's partially blocking my esophagus. Originally my daughter told me it was just past my stomach (I was out the first time, so she misheard), so this is a whole new ballgame. A gist is a rare form of cancer caused by a genetic defect. The good news is it usually doesn't spread, and it's one of those "cut it out and it's gone" type of cancers. The bad news is it's pretty rare (only 5000 cases per year are reported in the US), and it takes a special surgeon to remove them because they're filled with blood vessels and can't be "popped", so I'm most likely going to have to travel for surgery. They'll most likely cut out part of my stomach and stitch it to my esophagus (bonus side effect- free weight loss surgery!).
So, tldr: I have cancer, but it's a sissy cancer and can be surgically removed with little to no lasting effects. I'm getting a consultation May 23rd and will schedule surgery after that.
I actually felt better after reading some of the comments here, and it really calmed be down. Thanks everyone!
Update 5/17/17:
UPDATE 6/23/17:
Surgery scheduled for 6/26 at 10:30. Expected 4 day hospital stay. I've never been in bed that long (hell- I have a hard time sitting still to watch a 30 minute TV show). This has the potential to suck. I'll live post from my bed if able
UPDATE: 6/29/17:
I had surgery Monday, and was able to come home yesterday afternoon to heal because I have super-human recovery abilities or something. Got six incisions in my gut with a drainage tube sticking out of one of them (pics on request! ), and other than being in a lot of pain I think everything came out pretty well. Stuck on a liquid diet for two weeks though. Great way to lose weight!
FINAL (?) UPDATE 7/12/17:
I've mostly healed from the incisions, but still had a JP tube sticking out of my side, and I had that removed yesterday. This procedure was, by far, the MOST PAINFUL THING I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE.
For those that don't know, a JP tube is a long tube they leave in a deep puncture-type incision that allows it to drain. The liquids are sucked into a "bulb" at the end of the tube, while the other end reached all the way to my stomach. I had this in for two weeks, and by this time scar tissue started forming around it. It was about 10" into my right side, and the only way to remove it is to rip it out. I can take a lot of pain, but the amount of screaming I did sounded like someone getting their leg sawed off on a battlefield...never felt anything like that in my life, and it lasted nearly two minutes. Best description:
- Having to hold explosive diarrhea
- ...while having your skin peeled away from your body
- ...while having a red-hot ice pick jabbed into your gut
- ...while hearing the sound of uncooked pasta snapping
It is a teaching hospital, so the doctor had one of the new residences start pulling it out. My legs were flailing in the air and I was screaming so loud it was freaking him out, so he kept doing gentle pulls and wussed out. The main Dr. had to step in and finish it, and just did a big yank, at which time I nearly passed out. One star- would not recommend.
After about 5 minutes to regain my composure, they put a bandage on the wound, and asked if I was still on a liquid diet. I replied "yes" (lost 15 lbs!), and I was told to go back to a normal diet. YES!
Started feeling hungry around 7PM, so I drove 30 minutes to my favorite pizza place, and experienced what Heaven must fell like. I'M BACK BABY! (Could only eat one piece though )
Now to go back to low carb/high protein and get my abs back
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