There’s No Place Like Home

I came home today without fanfare but grateful to be on my way to recovery untethered by the hospital. I can get up at will, won’t have my sleep disturbed and forgo the constant blood sugar monitoring. I can sleep in my own bed, lay about on my own sofa but I am on my own to manage my pain which can be intense.

I, of course, still have the worlds best nurse at my side and can enjoy all the comforts of home.

Day 2 at home

With all that said, pain control eludes me and removes my appetite. The pills help but make me sleepy and I only need them every 6-8 hours. Eating is a challenge. A bowl of cereal sends my gut into rebellion, bloating and discomfort.  Nothing  sounds good to eat while just a few days ago I downed an Arby’s roast beef.
Nights are fine and I have deep restful sleep but mostly on my back and cannot sleep much past 4. Brenda and I are learning the fine art of appliance placement as waking up dry is always the goal. So far just one mishap after a long nap.  Just takes time. Trying not to get too debilitated to get up and move but it’s easy to do for sure.
As soon as my gut realigns itself I will be fine. Looking for mostly bland, non interactive food but protein intake has to remain a priority to heal all these wounds.  Tried the shakes and even Ensure and Boost. Not appealing even if it’s made blended with ice cream. Right now, I am the incredible shrinking man. 

A Weekend of Family and Friends

On Friday there was a cancellation that allowed me to move my surgery up to Monday, the 22nd. I scrambled to get all my ducks in a row as we planned to entertain friends for the weekend.

Matt and Lori arrived Saturday about noon bearing gifts and well wishes. Nick stopped by to say hello before we ventured out to lunch at Local Kitchen then on to an art opening downtown. All designed to keep me occupied and distracted from what lies ahead.

That night, Ben, Hannah and Mackenzie stopped by for dinner and dessert with the Fangman’s. We had a nice late evening filled with laughter and solving the worlds problems before settling in for the night. I got up early this morning to make a breakfast casserole, although I was on clear liquids all day. We lingered over cups of coffee before finally sending them on their way back to DesMoines.

Later tonight, after I began the process of deep cleaning my insides in preparation for tomorrow’s events, Ellen and Mark stopped by as well as Nat from Brenda’s work. More laughs and distraction for me  as the evening winds down and I hope to sleep tonight. Lots of texts and emails from well wishers. Going to be a tough week but looking forward to getting back home and recovering. Kind of dreaming of cheese burgers but hardly ate much all weekend. Maybe I will be hungry by Wednesday or Thursday.

So...here we go.

Bladder Cancer Facts and Realities

Just because I was interested in this type of thing, I found the American Cancer Society has some facts and figures regarding these types of cancer.

About 62,000 men are affected each year, 18,000 women.
About 12,520 deaths in men. Three times that of women, 4720.
More likely a white man's aliment, over 55 average diagnosis is 73.
Men have a 1 in 27 chance of developing this type of cancer.  Women have a 1 in 89 chance.
50% are confined to the bladder, inner layer. 1 in 3 will have invaded further but still in the bladder, most of the remaining cases have spread outside the bladder and 4% of the cases are spread to distant sites in the body.

General survival rates run about 77% at 5 years for all stages. 70% at 10 years and 65% at 15 years.

Stage 0 is 98% survival
Stage 1 is 88%
Stage 2 is 63%
Stage 3 is 46%
Stage 5 which has spread throughout the body is only 15%.

I am currently diagnosed at T1 without looking at my lymph nodes which will be taken during the surgery, biopsied after the surgery.

So according to Tim McGraw, what happens when you get that kind of news? Well, I really have no interest in going sky diving or riding a bull named Fu Manchu. I think we tend to think romantically about what we could do or spend to see specialists. In reality, I appreciate everyone's concern but I have no interest in going to Mayo (nor could I afford it) or Rochester, NY.  I am going to trust what God has in store for me here in Omaha.

I am not about to take about to take a trip around the world but am interested in having the most minimal impact of my life and my family's. I don't like a lot of fuss or bother and chose my diversion accordingly. I tend to look for low maintenance, easy care solutions with lower overall risks.

I do intend however, to take the time off allotted to me and not rush back to work or even think about work. We have had plenty of time over the years to investigate the "What if Tom gets hit by a bus" scenario and nothing came of it so people will have to learn to survive without me for a bit. It will be a little rough because folks have no idea how far my reach goes in getting the daily machine to operate.

Consults and Doctor Visits.....

Finally, the day arrived for me to speak to the surgeon and oncologist in detail. Mackenzie and Brenda came with me today after Mackenzie had stopped by my office and brought me some décor.

There was a discussion early this morning with the Tumor board where my case was discussed and decisions were made on my behalf.  The team consists of surgeons, radiologists,  oncologists and pathologists. All my case information was reviewed in detail and the final word was that the bladder has to go.

There was no doubt in our minds that this path was clearly going to be taken but I think a glimmer somewhere inside me hoped for a simple resection. The surgeon visited us at length regarding diversion options (where I am going to pee and how) and left me with a few decisions to make. The surgery is scheduled now for early February and I will need a good 8 weeks off to recuperate and learn my new normal. After the surgeon was done with us, we met a very nice oncologist who discussed possibilities most of which don't apply to me, thank God.

There will be no chemo or radiation unless a lymph node comes back positive which they believe is unlikely. So far so good. Things, believe it or not,  are looking better considering I still have a major surgery to get through and I will have a grand life style change. On the bright side, I can take long road trips and never stop to pee. Right?

On A Cold Winter's Night...

It’s really not even that cold out tonight. Around 40 which is a heatwave compared to recent weeks but I had picked up a few items that needed to be used. Really, there were quite a few things that had to be cooked in the fridge and I am tired and bored with food right now but...this was delicious and easy.  

On hand was a nice leftover 4 ounce block of white cheddar, a smoked beef sausage from Hillshire and a pound of baby fingerling potatoes that were starting to sprout so time was of the essence!

First I roasted the little spuds with salt, pepper and a glug of olive oil. I did this in our our new little Breville toaster oven. After about 25 minutes they were soft and ready to be smashed then added to a greased casserole. Just a little guy big enough for the two of us plus a bit for lunch tomorrow. 

Next I sliced the sausage and gave it a quick sauté in the skillet to add a bit of color. No oil necessary for this, I place these slices on top of the spuds. Grated white sharp Cheddar topped the dish with about a half cup of cream then back into the little toaster oven for 20 minutes again. The top bubbly and  browned, just what we needed for a quick bite on a winter night. The cream had thickened and mingled with the cheese. The tender potatoes against the smoky sausage...yum. 

Eating Omaha..Over Easy Redux

We are unforgiving patrons and when things go wrong we just don't go back. Such is the case here, we had a bad experience 5 years ago and never returned. I mean really bad. Would not seat us, no coffee refills etc.

We met Mackenzie and my sister and brother-in-law today for another shot. Smart move as things have changed. Prompt seating, great service (but my water was not refilled) and delicious food. A new menu and we did not try the homemade pop tart that was a big disappointment last time.

This time,  chicken and waffles were amazing. Crispy chicken and a delicious puff waffle with a smattering of fresh fruit. The eggs benidect that Mackenzie ordered looked great with real hollandaise and Brenda and Ellen ordered an Egg Boat that looked tasty. Mark had a breakfast burrito that looked yummy and disappeared quickly so it must have been good.

All in all, highly recommended but it’s a tiny place so be prepared to wait a few minutes as folks linger over that last cup of Joe.

alla Vodka

Our meatless night tonight called for pasta. I stopped briefly at the store on my way home to pick up some key ingredients then proceeded with an easy and very tasty sauce.

So simple and the addition of the vodka adds an extra pull on that tomato flavor. I used the Barilla thick spaghetti although the dish is traditionally made with penne. It is sublime and oh so easy.

Vodka Sauce

Medium onion, chopped
2 Tbls butter
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 28 ounce can tomatoes. I love Glen Muir brand and used crushed, fire roasted.
A few ounces of plain vodka, Sobieski is the house brand here.
1/3 to 1/2 cup cream

Sauté the onion in butter till lightly brown then add the garlic. A pinch of salt helps breakdown the onions. Add the tomatoes and vodka and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. A bit of pepper and more salt, no doubt then add the cream. Serve over the cooked pasta with a good grating of Parmesan. Simple and delightful.

Celebrating New Year's

 

Fried olives anyone? We had quite the eating adventure this year and if you were invited ad didn't show, you missed out. I had a nice half a roast NY strip sliced thin for sliders with horseradish cream. Stone Crab claws that were phenominal. Assorted charcuterie. Bacon candy and old fashioned Rotel and velveeta dip.  Plenty of good food, good drink as there is always a well stocked liquor in our house, especially if you're a fan of gin and scotch. Champagne was flowing and babies were fussing. Happy New Year's everyone! 

Fried olives

Beaten egg

Flour

Panko set up in 3 stations

1 jar of stuffed olives  we used blue cheese

Roll the wet olive in flour, then egg and finally panko

Fry in shalow hit oil till golden and enjoy hot and melty. 

Yum