My busy, full and blessed life continues to include fun adventures, family, grandchildren and the management of my health. I've written frequently about the challenges regarding my diet now that I am missing my spleen and gall bladder, my pancreas is still on the mend and my liver has grown back. The list of symptoms I'm reporting is lengthy and complicated. They are: frequent thirst and urination, high blood sugar levels, edema in feet and ankles, bloating and weight gain, fatigue, abdominal pain and diarrhea, head aches and burning, itching, watery eyes. My eye sight has also declined substantially. Prior to the pancreas surgery I was advised that I would probably develop diabetes at some point due to the pancreas damage. I will be seeing Dr. Shaul my primary care physician about diagnosing and getting medication for diabetes if I do indeed have it. My joint pain could be normal ageing and I could have developed allergies causing some cold like symptoms and eye disturbance. It is unnerving not to know when something is related to the cancer as opposed to normal aging or other medical conditions or concerns. My mom had hip pain by my age and went on to have 3 hip replacements. It is likely I need glasses beyond the readers I now use and may have eye strain.
All in all I am managing well. I try to eat mostly organic lean protein and fruits and vegies. I try to drink water all day. I seriously limit my sugar and carbs. I have been walking and swimming daily (thus the concern about weight gain). I should be loosing weight and Peter can attest to the fact that I eat very small portions and have been extremely disciplined.
Two recent trips one a boat trip to Princess Louisa in BC on our 22 foot power boat with friends and one a family reunion in CA for Peter's mom's side of the family were fun. Both took there toll however and because they were back to back I ended up really exhausted by the time we returned. I'm still having grandchildren over to watch Mon-Wed so it took me a few days to catch up on sleep. I'm feeling pretty good today and did a couple hours of yard work and will now go swim laps while my wonderful friend Louise watches Paityn for me. Her assistance again makes it possible for me to help my children out with childcare in this way. I truly adore and love my 3 little darlings. They bring me a great deal of joy and laughter. It is well worth the tiredness at the end of the day.
Due to my intestinal challenges and tiredness I have had to decide not to participate in the annual Native American canoe journey that I love so much. This will be my second year to miss going. I hope to be able to rejoin next summer. We'll see how things go. It has been one year since the liver surgery and only 7 months since the pancreas surgery. I've been told it takes over a year to fully recover. I'm thrilled that the cancerous tumors seem to be staying tiny and not causing any problems with my health. As I fully recover and learn more about how to take care of my digestion and balance exercise with fatigue I expect to feel even better.
I've got lots of fun things coming up over the rest of the summer. A trip to the ocean with my parents, to Vancouver by boat with Peter, to Utah to visit a girl friend with old Evergreen college friends, to the ocean again for our wedding anniversary, to Mason Lake near Shelton to visit my cousins and in September a conference on Neuroendocrine Tumors for patients in North Carolina.
Tomorrow is my monthly Octreotide shot at Group Health which appears to be keeping the symptoms of the tumors at bay as well as keeping them from growing. Also tomorrow I'll see,
Dr. Chad Aschtgen ND (Naturopathic Doctor), American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (FABNO) at the Institute of Complementary Medicine (IC Medicine.com) Integrative Health Clinic located near me in Seattle. I'm excited to see him for the first time and see what ideas he might have for diet and supplements to help me. I feel like I'm doing so much and taking so many supplements all ready but I may not be doing the best thing given my circumstances.
As I said above on Monday 6/30 I'll see Dr. Shaul about the diabetes question too. I've been getting massages, using my sauna and remaining relatively stress free. I'm having a birthday party for my son at our house this Saturday. I enjoy being with his family and friends. I love being grandma to his wonderful children. We've got lots of other family birthdays in July and August with my dads 80th - a big one. We recently updated our deck for BBQ's and look forward to showing it off along with our colorful yard that I've been working in. Life is good!
I am thankful for every day and every relationship. I see love and good things everywhere I look. Thank you for reading my blog and for all the prayers always coming my way. You know they are helping me stay healthy.
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