More good news from the doctor this morning. Well, good in that he reaffirmed that my surgery seems to have gotten all the nasty stuff, and that blood tests and scans show no signs of any lingering cells anywhere.

That said. Every 4 months for the next 2 years I have to do a blood test to check my markers to see if they’re still good. Plus, every year for the next 2 I have to have a yearly colonoscopy. Then, the following 3 years, twice a year blood tests, plus the colonoscopies.

Five years seems to be the point at which they say your are less likely to have another occurrence but still, I will be doing blood tests and colonoscopies probably for the rest of my life. Something I’m more than happy to do if it means I never ever have cancer again!

So dear Ladies and Germs, listen to your friendly Alexandra and, for the love of life and your families, please, please, go get tested every other year. Get scoped top and bottom and make sure you too stay healthy and on the right side of cancer.

This post is brought to you by the letters A and W.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Tomorrow I have to get up at the ungodly hour of 6 am because of a doctor’s appointment at 8:15. It’s my follow up with my cancer surgeon and, because he starts surgery at 8:45, he literally squeezes in patient follow-ups beforehand.

Don’t feel sorry for me getting up at that silly time to shower and eat, he get’s up even earlier, because that’s his life of a surgeon these days. Get into work, do prep, see patients and then, go off to do several surgeries throughout the day.

Thinking about it, when I realised what long hours he does, I was glad that, on the day of my surgery, I was his first patient rather than his last. I wouldn’t want to be that last one on a difficult day especially when said surgeries, without complications, can take 3 hours each.

So, I’ll be there at 8 am, ready to see him at 8:15 sharp and, even though it’s only for a five minute consult while he looks at my scars and asks me a few questions to see how I’m doing and maybe, schedule further follow-ups. I’ll be grateful because, once again, I’m seeing him at the start of his day and not at the end, when he might have been through hell and back.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

The biggest side effect and the most worrisome thing after having had colon cancer surgery is no, not the scars or the loss of muscle mass, but rather, how out of whack my gut biome is.

That is, the bacteria in my digestive tract. Millions of living organisms that, when in harmony and balance, keep me healthy. Mine is, as one would expect after major surgery to the gut, not working properly. In fact, I’m sure it’s very unhappy as is self evident with the fact that, no matter what I eat, everything is fast tracked through and, well, comes out the other end quicker than it should.

I am, the doctor told me, technically at that point where I might be considered clinically starving. And that it’s fast becoming a priority to get my biome healthy and functioning again. Which is easier said than done. As with all things related to health, it always takes time, patience, and a lot of making the right food choices. Made all the more difficult by the number of pills I’m still taking and the fact I may or may not still have a small stomach ulcer.

This Thursday I have to go to get blood taken prior to having an endoscopy done next Monday at the hospital. Once they’ve established whether or not I still have the ulcer, I may or may not be able to be weaned off a couple of my drugs which, my doctor tells me, may help with my out of whack biome.

I hope so because, at this rate, where I’m losing about 3-4 pounds a week, I might run out of body before my gut health gets back to normal. Not a fun fact.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

So I just got the dreaded call. The one informing me of what time I have to be at the hospital by, for pre-surgery, Monday morning. And …

It’s 6 (SIX) am.

Yes, you read right. I have to be at the hospital for 6am for pre-op tests and prep. Which means I have to get up at least 3 hours prior in order to do all the other necessary pre prep before I even get to the damn hospital.

What other prep I hear you ask?

The other prep they make you do at home to save money as in, you’re not in hospital taking up the time of various nurses. And yes, all the materials I need for this extra prep had to be paid for out of pocket and reclaimed through our health insurance plan.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. It all starts Sunday evening. Last thing I have to do before I got to bed is shower. But not just any ordinary shower. No.

I have a special antibacterial sponge to wash with (I had to buy 2 of them in fact). I have to wash my private bits plus, from the neck upwards, with ordinary soap and shampoo. BUT …

My arms legs and torso have to be scrubbed with one of these antibacterial sponge, thoroughly, and then rinsed again, thoroughly (their words not mine) and then? I have to towel dry with TWO clean towels one for above the neck up and other bits, and another for the rest. They gave me strict written instructions on what to do and how to do it.

It’s 8 pages long!

I also have to put clean PJs on to go to bed, and have clean sheets on the bed as well … then … I will have to get up at 3am yes, THREE AM and do a bowel cleanse.

Yes, you read right again. A bowel cleanse with not one douche but two. I have to use the first one, hold for 15 minutes and then, do the business. Then, when I think all that’s finished, I have to do the second, hold for 15 minutes again and, again, vacate. No, not the premises though, by this time, I might be sorely tempted.

Ten minutes after I think all that is, eh, finished. I have to take another full on shower with yet another antibacterial sponge. So my timing better be good as I’ll have to be out the apartment, and in the taxi at 5:15 am at the latest in order to get to the hospital half way across town, in time to register at admissions.

I hope I’ve given my body enough time to get everything done. Or things could get, eh, undecidedly messy.

Wish me luck.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧