Well, we were so excited being able to come home from Houston, but a little naive regarding the recovery. Healing from the surgery has been harder than chemo and radiation combined.
Cindy struggled with extreme pain for the first two weeks, and was limited to pain management. The medicine she used before and after surgery only exacerbated the recovery and digestion of food. Cindy lost a lot of weight with a very limited diet. After several trips to the ER, Tx Oncology, and GI offices, we were off again to Houston to bring out the big guns at MD Anderson.
Well it turned out that Cindy was stuck in a vicious cycle. She would crash, and we would take her into the ER or Tx Oncology for extreme lethargy and lack of energy. There, she would receive an IV to stabilize her hydration and electrolytes, then go home to resume the recovery. She was on a very limited diet, unable to eat fiber, fat, grains, nuts, or vegetables.
Once she was seen at MDA, they recognized that she was hypoglycemic, causing her blood sugar to skyrocket after eating the recommended diet. This would cause her body to dump fluids and electrolytes, resulting in the extreme lethargy.
We have now added low carbohydrates to the list and changed her diet. She is back on her feet and feeling much stronger. She is very confident that a full recovery is just a few months away! It's amazing how bad you can feel when your blood sugar spikes over 200.
These symptoms should only be temporary, the doctors said that as she heals, her body will resume normal functions seen in over 90% of cases.
Some have asked, "How many stitches did it take to put her back together?" Almost 100! The doctors said that she is in the top 10% of patients who recover this well at this stage. GO CINDY!
As always, thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers.
-Paul
