Today marks exactly five years since I first noted symptoms of my cancer (had trouble swallowing my turkey). It’s also 4-1/2 years since my surgery. I’m happy to say that I’m healthy and active!
The big news now is that Natalie has given birth to Julian, our first grandson. Here I am with Julian at three months:
Natalie now lives just three miles from us!
It’s been five months since my last update; it seems that time moves faster and faster as you get older!
In June we went to Michigan to paddle Lake Michigan with our friends from the Hoosier Kayak Club. We had good weather and a good time. I was pleased that I was able to keep up with the group paddling.
We’ve made two trips to see Brian in Washington state: a cross-country skiing trip in March and a hiking and kayaking trip in July. We borrowed fishing kayaks from Brian’s next-door neighbors. We had wonderful weather on both trips, and had a very good time.
Brian and Jen hiking.
Brian bought the cabin from us in late May; he’s happy to be a home owner now! He’s made more improvements: added a bedroom closet, a patio area, a garden and a fence to keep the animals out.
The garden and patio.
Natalie has been going through a very rough patch. I paid a visit to her in New Orleans in early May. She came up to visit us for a few weeks later on.
Natalie and I eating the best catfish in Louisiana!
I had a CT scan recently; it came back showing no sign of cancer! However, that cavity in my lung has enlarged somewhat, so I’ll be getting that checked out. I’ll be meeting with my surgeon soon to discuss a date for fixing my incisional hernia.
Jen and I have been working a major project to redo how our storm windows are attached to the house. It took quite a while to figure out a design, but it’s coming along well now.
I was getting tired of looking old, so today I shaved off my beard and mustache!
The new me!
Jen and I recently went cross-country skiing for four days near Traverse City, Michigan. Twelve of us rented a house for five nights. There was plenty of snow on the ground when we got there. I was very pleased that I was able to ski 2-4 hours every day. We had a great time. Here’s part of the group:
I’m in the back row center; Jen is front row center.
I’m up to 150 pounds now – only 15 pounds short of my pre-diagnosis weight. I’m working-out regularly and gradually getting stronger. Unfortunately, as expected I’ve developed an incisional hernia that needs to be fixed. I have an appointment with my surgeon tomorrow morning. It looks like I’ll need minor surgery again soon.
We had planned to take our camper to Florida on Saturday, but the weather forecast is rather dismal, so we’ve decided to cancel that trip. We’re still planning to fly to Seattle to see our son Brian in mid-March. We’ll be taking our skis if there’s still snow in the Cascades!
I highly recommend a book I read recently: Factfulness. The premise is that our conception of the world, formed when we were young, is grossly inaccurate now. Take his 13-question quiz; see if you can beat a monkey choosing random answers!
Both kids were home for Christmas; it was very nice having them around again. Here’s a photo of the family in front of our house, including our dog Alfie:
I got a chest CT scan in January to check on progress of the cavity in my right upper lung. It showed that the cavity has shrunk by 50%! Also, there was no sign of cancer.
A recent visit with my cardiologist revealed something unexpected: My “total A/V block” has apparently self-repaired: My heart is now controlling my heart-rate at least 80% of the time, vs. 20% via the pacemaker (it was 100% in September)! That’s great news – it means I can expect to be able to resume strenuous activities like hiking and kayaking!
Brian has completed numerous projects at the cabin in Ronald, WA. Here is a shot of the wood-burning stove he installed; it also shows a wall that he opened-up for better views into the the main room:
My incision wound is almost completely healed. There’s still a thick scab about the size of a quarter; that should drop off in a couple weeks.
I’m back working out at the gym and walking up and down the hill next to our house. Jen and I have three trips planned soon: Cross-country skiing in Michigan in mid-February, and trips to Florida and Seattle in March.
Things are looking up!
I was on a Wound Vac 24×7 for the first three weeks after surgery. Since then, Jen’s been changing my incision wound twice a day. The wound is now pretty-close to healing. Unfortunately, I’m now at high risk for an “incisional hernia”!
I had a CT scan in late October; it showed no sign of cancer, but revealed a “cavity” in my right upper lung. My surgeon believes it’s from the pneumonia I have inn the hospital, and is nothing to worry about. I’ll get another CT scan in January to confirm that.
I’ve put on about two pounds since the surgery; it’s always slow-going. I’ve been gradually increasing my strength and fitness, but still have a long way to go to get back to where I was.
My brother Bill and his wife Jane came for a 10-day visit in early November. That enabled Jen to go on a four-day backpacking trip with our friends Jay and Kathy Freeman. She had a great time!
Jen and I made a trip to New Orleans right after Thanksgiving. We delivered a lot of Natalie’s stuff that was still at our house. She is working as a waitress at B.B. King’s; she’s making good money and seems very happy!
Both of our children are coming home for Christmas; we’re very happy about that! We have a nicely-decorated tree, and are hoping to have a memorable holiday season.
I was scheduled to have surgery to correct a diaphragmatic hernia October 1st.
It took a while for me to get my CT scans forwarded to my Mayo Clinic surgeon. After reviewing them, he convinced me that since my hernia is large, I should get it taken care of. I’m now scheduled to get that done at UC Health October 1st.
Meanwhile, my stamina has deteriorated noticeably in recent weeks, likely due to the hernia crowding my lungs. I hope to get some answers on that soon. In the meantime, I’m dialing-back on activities that could worsen the hernia.
I was scheduled for surgery to correct the diaphragmatic hernia July 2nd, but it was delayed due to concerns by the anesthesiologist. That’s been resolved, but I’ve decided to postpone the surgery at least until after my October CT scan because I’ve been symptom-free for almost three months.
The decision was also based on a long-term study of patients having diaphragmatic hernias following esophagectomy surgery. The study seems to indicate that many patients with diaphragmatic hernias are able to avoid corrective surgery, and a significant portion of patients getting the surgery have had the hernia recur.
Meanwhile, Jen and I paddled the Hiwassee River in Tennessee last weekend with some of our paddling buddies. Jen paddled a sit-upon both days; I paddled on a double-ducky on Saturday and moved up to a sit-upon on Sunday. We had to deal with some heavy rains in the evenings, but got lucky and had good weather while on the river. It was great to be on the water again! Many thanks to Jay and Kathy for inviting us!
I’m continuing to gradually put weight back on. In 12 months I’ve gained-back almost 25 of the 40 pounds I lost.
I will not be having surgery today. The anesthesia doctors at UC Health have some concerns. I had a Stress Test on Thursday; follow-up is in progress.
I got the results of my PET scan today: there is no evidence of disease! So, for the time being, I remain cancer-free. That’s a relief!
My Journey with Cancer of the Esophogus 