mngirl2002's Cancer Blog
October 22, 2007
| Week 3 | Views: 323 |
It’s been an emotional week. Kevin was diagnosed with colon cancer 2 weeks ago. He no longer has a colon or ulcerative colitis. As his dad points out this is good news in many ways. He no longer has colitis, an illness he had to deal with on a daily basis for 10 years. And he may be cured of cancer.
The tumor was about the size of a golf ball and penetrated the colon wall. It was called something like poorly- differentiated adenocarcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer. We are waiting to hear back from the pathology lab next week about whether the cancer is node positive or node negative, or whether it has spread to the lymph nodes. Either way, Kevin will get chemo either as a preventive measure or as treatment to combat the disease.
I thought the hard part would be the day of surgery. I had no idea that recovery would be even harder. The first night the doctors and nurses messed up. Instead of programming 8 ml they programmed 8 mcg into his epidural, a fifth of what he was supposed to get. Mistakes happen but unfortunately they didn’t discover the problem for 6 hours. During this time, Kevin’s pain level was at a 9 out of 10, and all the narcotics the nurses used to try to ease the pain only made him nauseous and incoherent. And Kevin was alone. Figuring Kevin would be resting the first night after his surgery, his parents and I were already home for the night.
After this incident his parents and I make sure at least one of us was with Kevin during normal visiting hours in order to help manage his recovery. Bฺecause apparently there is no central contact person who can make sure all the various players have the same and most up-to-date information. They don’t always review the charts and instead like to directly work with patients—who are high on drugs—about their care.
It has been a tiring process. While Kevin was in the hospital last week, I came every evening after work hoping to give his parents a break. Thank goodness they were there for him during the day when most of the doctors stop by. This weekend, I spent at least 6-8 hours per day in the hospital. It has gotten a little more stressful recently because Kevin’s dad went back to Michigan. So not only am i trying to be there for Kevin but I also am trying to take care of his mom and make sure she is comfortable so she can stay strong. Now i understand why i need to see a therapist and make sure i am making healthy decisions. After less than one week in the hospital, I am tired and achy.
I feel kinda alone. It’s hard because I am his girlfriend and his family are so far away. Fortunately his family is doing what they can to be there for his during these difficult times. But i still feel alone. Which is maybe why i’m writing this blog and sending it to close friends and family.
He leaves for Michigan in less than a year. I have scary thoughts of losing my sanity, my job, my health during the next 8 months and then once he is healthy, losing our relationship because of the distance.
08.16.08 - 
Thanks for your support -