Medical Status of Boardmembers

Started by Ball Hopper, December 19, 2019, 03:25:19 AM

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whitey

Quote from: Ball Hopper on July 12, 2020, 11:15:07 PM

Great News...the MRI and CT scans in the second week of July produced outstanding results! 

The sentences that made the best reading were:

"Patient's known primary malignancy is not measurable on the current examination" (from CT report)

and

"Near complete treatment response" (from the MRI report). 

All that was picked up was scarring and slight swelling that result from the radiation...and nothing else.

We will still proceed with surgery (scheduled for 5 August) to clear out the areas of concern of any deeper rogue cells plus some lymph nodes.  I will have an ileostomy bag for 2 months after the surgery (till early October).

Weight up 8 pounds/3+ kg from the end of radiation to right where I need it to be.  Glucose levels continuing to drop as well.

I will update again the week before surgery.

As you can imagine, I'm delighted with the scan results that resulted from an obviously excellent treatment plan.  Focus now turns to preparing for a much less concerning surgery in just over three weeks' time.

Thanks again for all the notes and words of encouragement.

Made my day reading this. Currently have 2 buddies fighting the battle

quit yo jibbajabba


Never beat the deeler

That's great to hear BH, keep her lit.

I'm always glad to see this thread back up near the top to read your latest update - it has been illuminating.
Hasta la victoria siempre

balladmaker

Superb news BH, keep truckin, you'll be having one hell of a celebration later this year!

Taylor

Hell of a result BH - well done

illdecide

Brilliant news BH and fair play to you. If anyone has cancer and reads your posts they could not be anything but positive and you're an inspiration. Good man...C'mon the Kingdom ;)
I can swim a little but i can't fly an inch

macdanger2


Milltown Row2

This stuff is inspirational...

I've been chatting to ball hopper during this and the one thing everyone needs to do is get screened regularly if you are of a certain age or more importantly if there's history of a cancer in your families.

You need to follow up things that are different (health wise) as some cancers don't actually give you Obvious indications.

On a personal note I'd love to have pushed my dad when certain things started to change, questions were asked at the time but never followed up. What I wouldn't do for a time machine now

During this lockdown,  screenings may have been less but I can't fault the hospitals for their efforts. Just hope things can get back to the standard of testing/screening it was before lockdown.

Keep us posted BH
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea

laoislad

When you think you're fucked you're only about 40% fucked.

Ball Hopper

#174
Hi all,

Weight back up to same level as on 2 Jan this year, although I'm sure I'll lose some or most of that 10 pounds/4.5 kg over the next few months.  Glucose levels very close to the upper limit of normal now, which is pleasing.

For my 5 August surgery, this week will see me have pre-op meetings, as well as a Covid-19 test, after which I must self-isolate until going into the hospital.  Items of importance in these meetings will include training on the care and maintenance of the ileostomy bag, which I will have for about 8 weeks after surgery, plus what diet and exercise guidelines will lead to better outcomes.  I expect to leave the hospital within a week...with a 3-night stay very possible if everything goes smoothly.

Hopefully, I will have a brief update from home around 9-12 August to let everyone know how it went.

Thanks again for all the good wishes...I've added a little piece below on my surgical procedure, Robotic Low Anterior Resection (LAR) purely for educational/informational purposes.  If I knew how to phrase them, I'd insert a bunch of medical and legal disclaimers here.


Robotic Low Anterior Resection (LAR) using Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)'s "da Vinci" equipment/system.

In a traditional open surgery approach, the surgeon uses a large single incision to perform the surgery.  In laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon makes several small incisions into which he or she inserts small surgical tools and a camera. The camera allows the surgeon to see inside the body to perform the surgery.  The surgeon stands beside the patient and manipulates the tools and camera manually.  However, there are some limitations to laparoscopic surgery such as 2D images and tools that offer a limited range of motion, which can make it difficult for the surgeon to work in small spaces.

Robotic surgery is similar to laparoscopic surgery in the respect that they both use small incisions, a camera, and surgical instruments.  Both are minimally invasive surgery techniques having similar benefits, such as less blood loss, reduced pain, smaller scars, shorter stay in the hospital, and faster recovery times.   
However, instead of holding and manipulating the surgical instruments his or herself, during robotic surgery, the surgeon will sit at a computer console and use foot and hand controls to manipulate the robot. The console provides the surgeon with high-definition, magnified 3D images, which allow for increased accuracy and vision inside the body. Compared to traditional or laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery provides the surgeon with a greater range of motion and precision, which usually leads to less bleeding and post-operative pain.

I have attached a short YouTube video of the Robotic LAR surgery.  The patient in the video had the exact same cancer and treatment as I've had as outlined in the second slide - even as far as the same chemo cocktail recipe and an identical chemo/radiation course.  Pause the video at 18 seconds to see what the surgical set-up looks like from the outside – I think it's a really cool photograph.  The rest of the video shows views from inside the body and, while interesting, doesn't really add much for the non-medical person.

The video is safe to view, but probably advisable to do so discreetly at home if fellow workers (or children) may become alarmed as they walk past and catch a glimpse of your screen! 

Any surgery with less stitches and less pain, together with a shorter recovery time than traditional "open cut" procedures, is very acceptable in my book. 

I think most will view this video with a sense of awe...I know I did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBMnNCk6mG4

Rois

Robots are amazing - my brother in law works with a robot in urology on cancer patients (not quite LAR surgery but in similar area - prostate cancer).

The Belfast Trust has a robot but it is grossly under-used as there's not enough doctors with the experience to use it.  Meanwhile, my BIL commutes to Edinburgh to use their robot on their patients despite being willing to work here in the north...madness.

Best of luck with it. 

magpie seanie

Good man BH....best of luck with the surgery.

Taylor


Jeepers Creepers


Ball Hopper

Still in the hospital folks.  Issues with low blood pressure after a lot longer surgery than expected - it was just under eight and a half hours. 

Things much improved today.

I expect to be home by the weekend though and will update when I can.