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CANCER: An Uncensored Journey

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Bill Sable	Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 10:17 pm
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259	Another week down and done...and it all went pretty well. I am not quite certain whether this rebuilt orifice is getting used to me or I am getting used to it but it seems to be an increasing predictability to things, a greater ease of operation, a synthesis of interests. Not 100.% yet (and may never be)but a touch better. The real good news is that, according to the shelf-talker at my shop, they have started marketing DEPENDS in colors and prints (for men, at least). Wow.!! Can I hardly wait or what.. I have this vision of a "Men of Night Crew" Victoria's Secret kind of catalogue and TV show showing all of us aged male beasts modeling these new and exciting DEPENDS. Prints and colors. Damn...gotta have it.. Wonder if they have a Speedos version...or would that be a contr4adiction in terms. Another week of stories, of peoples' lives, as well...one of the things that keeps my shop a constant fascination. >> A 96-year-old lady I've known for years (hell, decades!) in with her daughter and just approved for cardiac surgery (..."and would I tell her son he needs to lose weight but don't tell him I told you to tell him"..) >> A young lady I haven't seen for quite some time (the pastry chef at a tres upscale SF restaurant) who has been etage training in Europe for over a year (in Copenhagen, Paris, and Barcelona/San Sebastian)...told her I would be pleased to be her "quality-control" person when she opens her own operation. >> One of own, young checkers who is experiencing hand-numbness/wrist sensation...told her to get to a doc pronto - she does not want or need advancing carpal-tunnel syndrome. >> The usual number and quality of wacked-out middle of the night consumers including the one who responded to the request for ID when buying beer that "I am an American." A tad unclear on the concept...we don't care which planet you are from when buying liquor, just how many "earth-years" (not "light-years") you have under your belt. And of course, the cusine...the details of which i shall not go into in order to spare Sharyn more anguish...except to say that the store is now carrying Israeli couscous (which I have wanted to try for quite awhile). Quite nice when cooked with sauteed onions, chicken broth, thyme, pepper, etc. I have plans for a very special dish including this form of couscous but more on that another time. Stay well, y'all...
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Bill Sable	Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 10:19 pm
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259	Another week down and done...and it all went pretty well. I am not quite certain whether this rebuilt orifice is getting used to me or I am getting used to it but it seems to be an increasing predictability to things, a greater ease of operation, a synthesis of interests. Not 100.% yet (and may never be)but a touch better. The real good news is that, according to the shelf-talker at my shop, they have started marketing DEPENDS in colors and prints (for men, at least). Wow.!! Can I hardly wait or what.. I have this vision of a "Men of Night Crew" Victoria's Secret kind of catalogue and TV show showing all of us aged male beasts modeling these new and exciting DEPENDS. Prints and colors. Damn...gotta have it.. Wonder if they have a Speedos version...or would that be a contr4adiction in terms. Another week of stories, of peoples' lives, as well...one of the things that keeps my shop a constant fascination. >> A 96-year-old lady I've known for years (hell, decades!) in with her daughter and just approved for cardiac surgery (..."and would I tell her son he needs to lose weight but don't tell him I told you to tell him"..) >> A young lady I haven't seen for quite some time (the pastry chef at a tres upscale SF restaurant) who has been etage training in Europe for over a year (in Copenhagen, Paris, and Barcelona/San Sebastian)...told her I would be pleased to be her "quality-control" person when she opens her own operation. >> One of own, young checkers who is experiencing hand-numbness/wrist sensation...told her to get to a doc pronto - she does not want or need advancing carpal-tunnel syndrome. >> The usual number and quality of wacked-out middle of the night consumers including the one who responded to the request for ID when buying beer that "I am an American." A tad unclear on the concept...we don't care which planet you are from when buying liquor, just how many "earth-years" (not "light-years") you have under your belt. And of course, the cusine...the details of which i shall not go into in order to spare Sharyn more anguish...except to say that the store is now carrying Israeli couscous (which I have wanted to try for quite awhile). Quite nice when cooked with sauteed onions, chicken broth, thyme, pepper, etc. I have plans for a very special dish including this form of couscous but more on that another time. Stay well, y'all...
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SharynS	Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 4:51 am
Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 2883 Location: the 'puter	Couscous is legal? _________________ Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself. - Salman Rushdie
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Bill Sable	Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 2:04 am
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259	Honey...this is San Francisco. Couscous is legal...but only between consenting adults.
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rogead	Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 3:13 am
Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 412	Quote: Couscous is legal...but only between consenting adults. I remember the last time I had couscous in SF, but I won't go into that right now. I had my rectal ultrasound, and I can honestly say it was the most painful thing I've ever felt. Any cancer that might be in there was too small to show up on the ultrasound...which is a good thing. I consulted with the surgeon about the next step. He isn't even sure there is any cancer left, but he would like to surgically remove the scar tissue left from the polypectomy. I have a long road trip scheduled for the first three weeks in June, so we have decided to do a surgery in the last week of June. I'm taking off the entire month from work. One complication that might occur is that we are on the verge of a nurses strike here. If it happens, it will be the largest nurses strike in US history--about 15,000 RNs. The nurses could end up going out on June 1st. If they do, and the strike is not settled by the end of the month; I don't plan on having my surgery here. The nurses in question represent virtually all of the hospitals in Mpls-St Paul and Duluth. Luckily, I can drive an hour south to the Mayo in Rochester if needed. It really does look as though early detection has saved me from a lot of pain and difficulty.
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Bill Sable	Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 4:04 am
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259	Amen to that last, Brother Rogead...and thank you for sharing your experience. With any luck at all that ultrasound is the most uncomfortable procedure you will have to go through - it certainly was for me. I still don't know why they have to insert the entire "boom box"...just one speaker or set of headphones would suffice. IMHP.
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Bill Sable	Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 5:22 am
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259	Another week of life...and a damn fine thing it is, mes enfans.. It is necessary (if awkward ) to report that the campaign for complete bowel continence is continuing...and continuing without (so far) the DEPENDS in colors and/or prints. The surgeon, when we were discussing the possibility of re-hooking the plumbing versus a permanent ileostomy, said that there would be "challenges" in coping, adjusting, etc. to the refurbished equipment. Now where I come from (i.e. SAFEWAY) the word "challenges" is corporate double-talk for "Clerks, you are about to get screwed"). The Doc did not lie. There are "challenges". They are not comfortable. They can be awkward and embarassing (although, as a night crew person, embarassment is exactly in my vocabulary). it is an issue that, should be have the fortune to live along enough, we will likely face at some point in the operation. "Bowel incontinence" for those among us who are unclear on the definition means incomplete (greater or lesser degrees of control) over the evacuation of fecal material from your colon...or, as we might say on night crew, taking a dump. Newborns lack the motor (and conscious social) skills to control this natural process; likewise older people, oftentimes. My Dad, back a few years when I was taking care of him, had to be switches from boxers to DEPENDS (white, no colors or prints ). It was a bit of a fight - he simply did not want to go that route even though it was necessary. Personally, while I appreciate DEPENDS, I, likewise, would rather not be compelled to use them. Tough. That's the way it, at least for the moment. For the record, I also use a cut-up piece of "bed pads" (or whatever they are called) - which SAFEWAY did not carry when I was caring for Dad but does carry now - a personal invention, and a couple of paper towels folded over. A little cumbersome, but it works. And paper towels are less expensive. These plus one IMMODIUM a hour or so before work and I am basically good to go (or, pardon, not go...at least for several hours). I have an "emergency pack" of gear in my locker at the store and another I take with me when out of the house. As with the ileostomy, it helps to know where the restrooms are. Now, you can avoid all this - as, hopefully, Brother Rogead has - by getting a colonoscopy. Do it and get your hands off my DEPENDS.
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SharynS	Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 3:45 am
Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 2883 Location: the 'puter	That sounds like a little bit of positive news from here rogead. You've a lot of people cheering you on, of which I am one. I had a bit of a tussle with cancer years back. Once I got my head back around me I spent much of my time mentally bombarding the disease. I don't know that it works I just know I'm still here. Give it hell! WJ I can't imagine you're back to feeling somewhat invincible yet, it takes time but it does happen. I do like the way the nasty disease puts a perspective to life and what's important. I don't know of any other way to truly get it without actually taking the challenge. _________________ Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself. - Salman Rushdie
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Bill Sable	Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:40 pm
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259	I wonder if there is a "reality" TV show in all of this.?? If you are up for real reality by all means continue to read this post----if you are squeamish or easily offended, skip it. Honest. OK, you had your chance. I kid you not, after the last post re DEPENDS and all of that, the very next day, I had an appointment with my dentist to finish off some work. It took about an hour-and-15-minutes to get to her office by Muni (on the other side of the city). I started "depositing" in the DEPENDS rig about 2 minutes after getting on the bus; it continued periodically and often for the whole time (and for quite a while after...damned if I failed to include a spare IMMODIUM in the emergency kit). I was honestly depressed, annoyed, irritated, pissed off , you name it.....until a guy sat down next to me. I could not help it - just about busted out laughing aloud, thinking about what a surprise he was in for, looking over my shoulder at the folks behind me like one of them was responsible, etc. As Jimmy Buffet wrote: "If we weren't all crazy, we'd just go insane." Sometimes you just got to go with the flow.
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rogead	Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 11:49 pm
Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 412	I hope your recovery is progressing well, Bill. I Had surgery yesterday. Things went well and they let me out this morning. I'll still need to follow up on the pathology of the removed tissue, but the surgeon said it looks normal. I had some good conversations with some of the nurses about their impending strike. They had set a date of July 6th. I'm hearing this afternoon that a settlement has been reached, although the nursed still need to vote on the agreement.
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Bill Sable	Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 2:33 pm
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259	Brother R...I am genuinely pleased, not to say tickled pink, re your surgery and outcome. Bravo! It's about time you caught a break. My bet is that the biopsy comes back in your favor. Great anesthesia these days!! Not too much going on here - which I guess is a good thing. I saw my oncologist last Monday...ten minutes of medicine packed into nearly two hours of waiting (although we did discuss the Giants' pitching and hitting woes). The doc did take me a little by surprise - yes, it has been a year since the first/primary surgery. Damn, time just flies when you're having fun. Anyway, among other items, he drew blood for the quarterly lab work/CEA markers; if it looks OK then we go to 6 month checkups. Works for me...and thanks to you all.
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Bill Sable	Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 2:13 pm
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259	And the top of a foggy morning to you all, especially those of you sweltering in the summer heat pretty much everywhere but San Francisco (where it is a cool, grey 58 degrees F - did I mention the blanket of fog ) In any event I have yet to hear back from the lab work/blood work done by my oncologist. I've emailed him with a request for a copy of the report; meanwhile my mantra is "no news is good news". Speaking of good news, it is my pleasure to report that my crew, unequivocally, have (or are) the most expensive assholes in the city. Along with my own $600,000.00+ butt, one of our other guys, rather older than me, was experiencing some problems,: weight loss, loss of appetite, diarrhea, etc. Finally, after several months of this, he went in to have it checked by the docs. Result was a growth that was blocking his intestines almost 100.% He had surgery and the docs removed a couple of feet of bowel; biopsy was negative - non malignant. Bad news was he caught an infection in the hospital and had to stay there for 12 days (frankly, I was goinf effing berserk after 5 days - don't know how he did it). He is back to work, looks great, tons of energy - a happy guy again...and the two of us compose about a million $$$$$$$$ worth of butt. Do I see a "reality TV show" in our future
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SharynS	Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 3:45 pm
Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 2883 Location: the 'puter	That kind of investment, the temptation to show them off has to be overwhelming. Reality TV to Madame Tussaud's wax museum, it's too obvious WJ! Always nice to hear the good news BTW. _________________ Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself. - Salman Rushdie
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Laboryes	Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:44 pm
Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 1959	Hey Bill, a little birdie told me it was your birthday today so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! _________________ "When people refuse to obey, then democracy comes alive." Howard Zinn
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Bill Sable	Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 3:03 am
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259	One big-assed turkey, more likely, Brother LY. That and (next week) the 40th anniversary of my initiation into the UFCW (actually, Retail Clerks Union, Local 648) ansd my employment with Safeway. What a month..
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CANCER: An Uncensored Journey


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