Probably a little too early, however the chance to work with my friends again was too much to pass up. Up at my usual 0505 AM, light exercise, walk around the block, change, get into the car and there at work by 0655 AM. Takes about 20 minutes to actually get back to the OR as I can't pass up all the hugs, handshakes, and conversations that happen along the 50 or so yards from the front of the facility to the OR area. It feels great to be back. I'm feeling it, the nurses are feeling it, everyone is upbeat and that just makes me feel great. I take the opportunity to console Patty on the loss of her two teenage nieces in the Alabama tornado and Sergio whose father has passed from a stroke. I should have been there for them when they happened, but if not, at least now I can comfort them face to face. Patty hugs me so hard, I think she is about to launch me toward the roof.
A straight forward spine case by Dr. Mark Valente is on deck and we head back and get the patient off to sleep and positioned for the surgery. By that time, I know something is not right. I feel light headed and short of breath. Have to sit down. Finally realize it's the OR mask that makes me feel like I am suffocating. Can't take it off in the middle of the case, so get Parkland creative and hook myself up to oxygen with a nasal cannula. Works like a charm. Case goes smooth and patient does great postoperatively.
On the other hand, I feel like I can't take a deep breath. I have to pass on visiting other parts of the facility to see everyone there. As I am about to leave, the Starbucks regional manager and the barista mentioned below call. Although I should just tell them to call back later or keep the conversation very short, I cannot pass up the opportunity to educate and hopefully inspire the young barista as well as the regional manager. What breath I have left is consumed in the conversations and by the time I return home, I have to swallow more pain pills and use a nebulizer.
Before giving myself time to lie down, I have to take the wife to lunch at one of our new favorite lunch spots, Cafe Elite, a vegan restaurant. Yes I said vegan. Before you carnivores start to roll your eyes and close your mouths, this place has amazed me with the quality of their tofu/plant based meat substitutes. I honestly cannot tell the difference in most of their dishes or if so, only a slight difference. The fact that they are 100% organic, use no MSG, added salt, sugar, meats of any kind, taste great, AND are dirt cheap just adds to my level of amazement of what they are able to prepare.
What did I eat? A sloppy joe. Would never eat a sloppy joe over the past 6 years because of my exercise diet. This sloppy joe was the best I've ever tasted. No sugar, no meat, no processed crap, and still a wow taste. Six dishes, 1 hour, and $26 later wife and I felt satisfied and ready to rest. For people complaining that the only cheap food they can find are chain restaurant food, LOOK HARDER. I only wish I had started eating at this place a lot earlier. I'd have more money saved up and felt healthier.
The rest of the day has been a struggle to breathe. I almost passed out at my older son's concert this evening because of its location in a humid over crowded school gym. That close to collapsing. Left the place struggling to make sense of why I was so short of breath. Regardless, I still think this has been a great day. Spent some time back at work with the people I love to work with and spent most of the day with my beautiful wife. I am still the luckiest guy in the world no matter how my body may feel. Tomorrow beckons and I am looking forward to what challenges that might present themselves to me.
A straight forward spine case by Dr. Mark Valente is on deck and we head back and get the patient off to sleep and positioned for the surgery. By that time, I know something is not right. I feel light headed and short of breath. Have to sit down. Finally realize it's the OR mask that makes me feel like I am suffocating. Can't take it off in the middle of the case, so get Parkland creative and hook myself up to oxygen with a nasal cannula. Works like a charm. Case goes smooth and patient does great postoperatively.
On the other hand, I feel like I can't take a deep breath. I have to pass on visiting other parts of the facility to see everyone there. As I am about to leave, the Starbucks regional manager and the barista mentioned below call. Although I should just tell them to call back later or keep the conversation very short, I cannot pass up the opportunity to educate and hopefully inspire the young barista as well as the regional manager. What breath I have left is consumed in the conversations and by the time I return home, I have to swallow more pain pills and use a nebulizer.
Before giving myself time to lie down, I have to take the wife to lunch at one of our new favorite lunch spots, Cafe Elite, a vegan restaurant. Yes I said vegan. Before you carnivores start to roll your eyes and close your mouths, this place has amazed me with the quality of their tofu/plant based meat substitutes. I honestly cannot tell the difference in most of their dishes or if so, only a slight difference. The fact that they are 100% organic, use no MSG, added salt, sugar, meats of any kind, taste great, AND are dirt cheap just adds to my level of amazement of what they are able to prepare.
What did I eat? A sloppy joe. Would never eat a sloppy joe over the past 6 years because of my exercise diet. This sloppy joe was the best I've ever tasted. No sugar, no meat, no processed crap, and still a wow taste. Six dishes, 1 hour, and $26 later wife and I felt satisfied and ready to rest. For people complaining that the only cheap food they can find are chain restaurant food, LOOK HARDER. I only wish I had started eating at this place a lot earlier. I'd have more money saved up and felt healthier.
The rest of the day has been a struggle to breathe. I almost passed out at my older son's concert this evening because of its location in a humid over crowded school gym. That close to collapsing. Left the place struggling to make sense of why I was so short of breath. Regardless, I still think this has been a great day. Spent some time back at work with the people I love to work with and spent most of the day with my beautiful wife. I am still the luckiest guy in the world no matter how my body may feel. Tomorrow beckons and I am looking forward to what challenges that might present themselves to me.
You've probably had lots of people bombarding you with alternative medical treatment suggestions, but this one is fairly non-toxic, and has some promising science behind it as well as being a new focus of research. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2945664/
ReplyDeleteIf you have any tissue still available from your biopsy, you could perhaps check to see if it responds to this drug. Adenocarcinoma of the lung also relies on glycolysis for energy production ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12242083 ) and for what it's worth, someone has used it for their own Stage 4 lung cancer. See http://www.thedcasite.com/DCA_protocol/Tom_McGhee_story.html though in combination with chemo, and there's a case report http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/jpm.2010.0472 for palliation of pain from metastatic disease.
It's really incredible what people can do with vegan food. Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco is a great place for this fare. When you come visit again, and you WILL (!!), I'll take you guys there. Praying for you and Emily every day. Love, Jennie
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