Pretty much everything you need to know

Wednesday, May 17, 2006 12:24 PM

Subject: Pretty much everything you need to know

A note to a few friends who have been asking about my health- 

 

Here is pretty much everything you need to know. I was going to tell you this on Friday night.

 

Everything is solvable, but it might be a less than pleasant summer.

 

I will be having surgery on my throat / esophagus soon.

Approval is at the Insurance company.

 

I don't know how much you know already, so I will try to cover everything.

 

As a result of the endoscopy four weeks ago, I have three interesting rules from the doctor now.

    a. No carbonated beverages

    b. No alcohol

    c. No yelling.

 

It appears they will repair 4 hiatal hernias and possibly remove of part of my esophagus. One hiatal hernia is the classic one where your stomach meets the esophagus. The others are tears in the esophagus above that. Part of this is genetic, and the other tears probably occurred when I had kidney stones in the past and when I got sick on the MS 150 last year. The doctor believes that violent vomiting caused the tears, but no one can ever be sure.

 

The throat problems have caused:

    High Blood pressure

    Sleep Apnea

    Migraines

    Weight gain

 

With High BP, it has become too dangerous for me to ride my bike anymore.

With Sleep Apnea, I am waking a tremendous number of times nightly, and my blood oxygen levels are in the severe danger zone when I get up each morning.

With low blood oxygen levels, I get migraines A LOT.

The Doctor will not allow me to ride my bike, and being tired all the time, I am unable to effectively get much exercise. While dieting has kept me for gaining more than I already have, I am barely able to keep even without exercise.

 

----

 

The surgery will probably be the week of Father's Day. The doctor said I should request at least 4 days off, then work part time for a bit..

 

After the surgery - I get to LEARN HOW TO SWALLOW AGAIN. That usually takes 6-8 weeks. I will be on a liquid diet for the first 3 weeks, possibly up to 8 weeks. After week three, if all goes well. I will proceed to soft foods for up to 6-8 weeks. Usually by month three I can eat whatever I want, with caution, quite slowly. I am currently trying SLIMFAST, and have switched my desserts to Sugar Free Jell-O and Sugar Free Jell-O Pudding.  The nutrionist wishes me to have 60 grams of protein a day, so I will be having a few "Protein Shakes" as well.

 

After the surgery - It is probable I will be without a voice for a few days, possibly longer.  I would expect that to be true, the first week after the endoscopy I could barely talk. I still had a sore throat two weeks after the endoscopy. I was on a liquid diet for the first two weeks after that procedure. At two weeks after that procedure, the doctor returned me to a diet of soft foods for those next two weeks. Yesterday he gave me the OK to return to any and all foods, but there is still a spot from a biopsy that hurts and makes things get stuck in my throat. .

 

I informed my co workers know that I had something done, but I did not tell them the rest until Monday. As things get closer to whatever date is chosen for the surgery, I will tell more folks if needed.

 

I am also being fitted with a CPAP machine for the sleep apnea. This is related to the throat problems. My throat basically collapses at night and I then choke, waking up constantly.

 

The Doctor wishes me to have been successfully on the CPAP for TWO WEEKS before surgery.

 

The Doctor does THREE surgeries in one day. When he has three patients in line, he will set the date. There are 11 others that are just a bit behind me in the process, but they do not have the CPAP issue.

 

Due to the CPAP, I will be spending the night in the hospital after surgery.

 

I am to call the doctor after my CPAP is delivered and I have had a good nights sleep.

 

Of my other friends- I am debating who to tell, so if I am in public, I would ask that the subject not be brought up until I know more and I make some more decisions. As such, I am keeping this private for a while. 

That's about it.

 

JC

 

PS, I discussed this with my god daughter Erica and her mom with MS - Kim, last night. The MS party was to be June 24th. If the surgery is not 10 days before that, odds are I would either postpone or cancel the party. So..... depending on when the surgery date is, will make my decision.  I want at least 10 days after the surgery to have a CHANCE of talking to folks. As Father's Day is the 18th, odds are the party is cancelled. If I am healthy enough, I will volunteer at the MS on July 8-9, but I will probably not be given a medical Ok to ride a bike until September.