Well, it is now official, I am back to stay. Thankfully, most of the ordeal, since the surgery is
rather a blur, I remember that a few days before the surgeon giving me my options.
One, chime, with a lot of chemo associated misery and pain, and of course no cure, just a
remission.
Two surgery, promising a 100% cure if successful, my odds according to the surgeon, with 6
years experience of doing this sort op surgery with ZERO fatalities were 40 to 60. only a 40%
change of survival. But I liked the alternative, figuring in `the surgeons track record and the
promise of a 100% cure better than the chemo route. So surgery it was.
The date for surgery was twice postponed, first time because the surgeon did not like the
“clothing factor” in my blood, This came about 20 minutes before the actual surgery. I was
given two liters of blood, which for some reason I failed to understand. had to, according to the
doctor and nurses, be “cooked” first. Well, he still did not like the readings , postponed again,
and I was given 3 liters of a substance called “blood plasma”, that looked like vanilla pudding.
Finally surgery was scheduled for July 24th. at 7:00 AM.
All I remember about the ordeal is saying a final goodbye to my family. The surgery took an
unprecedented seven hours. But I did not regain conciseness until the afternoon of July 25th. I
was during this time interval that the Doc told my family to start making arrangements.
On that day I remember waking up and asking my daughter Heidi, when they were going to go
ahead and do the surgery. She informed that is was done “yesterday” and the doc got every
thing out. No chemo necessary WOW. Nice Doc.
I do not know many details about the surgery, other than the surgeon removed two ribs, and
another bone on MY back plus 3/4 inch of scar tissue from previous infections. I know that
things probably did not go 100% as planned, Witness the facts that I spend 14 days in ICU
rather than the customary three or four. And the doc prescribed me morphine for the pain up
until about a week before I was discharged. 2 Mg every four hours on top of the usual 50 MG
after surgery. It went like this. Morphine allowed: 50Mg in 5 Mg intervals whenever the patient
pushed the button. After the morphine is gone, no exceptions no excuses I was told, all you get
after the morphine was gone is percoset.
I was finally discharged on August 19th 2006. almost a month after the surgery. While
recuperating, I had two more brief hospital stays, one for a torn rota tor cup in my right
shoulder, caused by pulling myself up in bed, and the second one for a blood cloth in the same
shoulder,
All in all I lost 110 lb. of what turned out to be mostly muscle, beer belly remains to this day
I have regained 65 lb. and of this morning I weighted 175 lb.. up from 110 lb. when I was
discharged.
It has been a long hard road, lots of pain even now I still need a percoset every four to six
hours. I would not wish this experience on my worst enemy.
On top of all this I have developed diabetic neurapoty, which is no fun and also causes a lot of
pain. But in between I go grocery shopping with Heidi pushing my wheel chair.We go out to
eat now and then and my PEG tube is being removed Tuesday. And, as of this morning I am
even able to go potty all by myself. Yes sir I am a Big boy now.
George.
January 8, 2009 Update: »[Info] Progree / regress report 
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