In February 2004, Marty had surgery to remove a large pelvic sarcoma from his lower abdomen. The surgery was long and complicated, and performed by 3 excellent surgeons. The tumor was removed intact with clean edges and minimal damage to his organs. After days in the ICU and several weeks in the hospital, Marty was sent home to regain strength before beginning radiation treatment.
In late March 2004, Marty began 6 weeks of daily radiation to make certain all cancer cells were obliterated. When he was released from Radiation Oncology, the chances of the cancer returning were termed "statistically insignificant". Tests, scans and exams have supported that prediction, thankfully. Other than his digestive issues and weight loss, he is in surprisingly good health.
Initially, Marty recovered strength and energy reasonably well. However, about a year and a half after radiation, he began to experience occasional bouts of severe digestive discomfort. Intestinal cramps and vomiting were the most distressing of the symptoms. Thinking this was a dietary issue, we made many changes to his food intake. No dietary change seemed to improve the symptoms. As months and years progressed, his discomfort increased in regularity from every now and then to nearly every day. The past two years have been particularly challenging for him. He has lost alarming amounts of weight, inches in height, much of his muscle mass, as well as his stamina and energy. Life has become quite unpredictable for us, as we never know how well or ill he will feel on any given day. Incredibly, he continues to work, although there are many days when he goes to work late or comes home early. We are beginning the daunting task of applying for disability so that we are prepared should he be unable to work.
Marty's spirits have been remarkably resilient for most of this arduous journey. Lately, however, his optimism wears thin, understandably. He remains the World's Sweetest Man, in my opinion, but sustaining good cheer in the face of frequent nausea and painful intestinal cramping has worn him down.
We continue to enjoy the details of our life together. Our cat Carmella, who came into our family just previous to radiation treatment, is a great source of daily joy and nightly company. In the warmer seasons, we garden at our community P-Patch, growing vegetables that he can eat with some degree of ease. Our local nieces and nephews provide continuing delight. We laugh when we are so inspired, and take each day as a gift.
Yes, of course, this has been very hard for me. The experience has, however, given me confidence not only in my own strength and resilience, but in the wonderful support from friends and family that has been so generously and lovingly provided. I am conscious of my limits, and will request assistance when needed.
I do emphasize that the issue is NOT a recurrence of cancer, but the cumulative effects of treatment for cancer.
I will be posting on this blog to inform everyone as to any significant news. Although we love hearing from friends, please understand that I haven't the time, energy or attention span to attend to emails or calls with any frequency. Any comments left on the blog will be seen by both of us.
And so, good wishes for health and ease to all who are reading this blog!
No comments:
Post a Comment