Stomach / Gastric Cancer

[Anonymous]

Hi Rick,

It is now two weeks since my operation, and I am very happy about the results. During my stay in a hospital all doctors and nurses kept telling me about my quick recovery. I was in the intensive care unit only for two hours, then moved to a general ward the same evening. I was two days on a ' nil by mouth' diet, then started fluids on day 3, then semi-solids on day 4. I was discarged on day 7.

My wound is healing, but my digestive system is yet to be settled... I am eating small amounts quite well, but indigestion is a permanent issue so far... hope it will improve with the time... 

Will have a follow up appointment with my surgion next week, he is going to tell me the histilogy results of my removed stomach. I will be allowed to drive by that time. My biggest concern at the moment is ti avoid any possible post-operational cimplications such as blood clots. Having everyday injections of blood thinners that help to prevent this. 

Overall, I am very happy that my operation and my hospital stay is now a matter of the past!

My best regards to you,

Eugene

[Anonymous]

Thanks again Jo,

Thanks God, I am back home and feel quite well!

My best whishes to you,

Eugene

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[RJG]

Hi Eugene,

Great to hear about your positive progress. I took a bit longer for all stages of my recovery, but "everyone's different" - I am just so fed up with hearing that statement, and I just can't stomach it any more.

Warning - I get into some detail about bodily functions below.

Interestingly, the only real way of telling what is going on in your intestine is by inspecting what comes out at the other end. Poo became my friend and told me how I was progressing. I would talk about it to the doctors ans nurses at every opportunity. It actually took quite a while for my intestines to settle into a standard diet and for my poo to settle in to a new normal. I haven't actually had a firm poo since the operation over a year ago now, even following periods of constipation.  But maybe that is a consequence of the museli I have every morning and nut bars that I eat as snacks to keep my energy levels up.

There is a really fantastic book about titled GUT: the inside story of our body's most under rated organ by Giulia Enders - get it, read it, laugh and learn.  And then pass it on to others to read.

Best wishes for your continuing recovery.

Rick

[Anonymous]

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@RJG wrote:

Hi Eugene,

Great to hear about your positive progress. I took a bit longer for all stages of my recovery, but "everyone's different" - I am just so fed up with hearing that statement, and I just can't stomach it any more.

Warning - I get into some detail about bodily functions below.

Interestingly, the only real way of telling what is going on in your intestine is by inspecting what comes out at the other end. Poo became my friend and told me how I was progressing. I would talk about it to the doctors ans nurses at every opportunity. It actually took quite a while for my intestines to settle into a standard diet and for my poo to settle in to a new normal. I haven't actually had a firm poo since the operation over a year ago now, even following periods of constipation.  But maybe that is a consequence of the museli I have every morning and nut bars that I eat as snacks to keep my energy levels up.

There is a really fantastic book about titled GUT: the inside story of our body's most under rated organ by Giulia Enders - get it, read it, laugh and learn.  And then pass it on to others to read.

Best wishes for your continuing recovery.

Rick

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Hi Rick,

I ordered that book and recrived it today.

Thank you.

Now have to concentrate on my eating, as I have some indigestion problems, colicky pain and watery stool sometimes, but my surgeon says no medications are recommended - I have to be patient. Will probably have a rest until x-mas, then a second chemo treatment. Everyone says it will be more difficult, compare to my first chemo. What about your chemo experience? Was your post-operational chemo more difficult to cope with? 

I found it easier to eat dinner than breakfast or lunch. Even some swallowing problems in the morning, but not in the evening. Will keep watching...

My best regards to you,

Eugene

[RJG]

Hi Eugene,

I had very irregular bowel movements for quite a time following surgery. I took Coloxyl if I had gone for 3 days without a movement.

Warning, you might regret reading further...

My post-operative chemo was a slightly different mix of poisons. Instead of cisplatin (caused hair to fall out and made my tinnitus significantly worse and is unlikely to ever get better) I was put on oxaliplatin. This causes extreme sensitivity to cold (unfortunately I had this during winter - I wore gloves pretty much full time including to bed at night) and periferal neuropathy (tingling in the fingers and toes - the fingers are better now but the toes are still suffering). The other difficulty that I had with the oxaliplatin was during the actual infusion. About 3/4 of the way through the transfusion it became quite painful - I described it as being like someone dragging a wad of steel wool through the vein from the point of the cannula through to my bicep, and then soothing it by draping bluebottle tenticles over the top of the vein. Remember, "Everyone is different" so this might not be what others experience. I ended up not having the 3rd infusion (thank goodness).

I hope that you have a much smoother and less painful experience.

Best wishes,

Rick

[Anonymous]

Hi Rick!

That was really bad experience for you... I was first very scared reading about this, but then I realised I was on that Oxaliplatin drug four times furing my first chemo! And without any pain! I think I was lucky to have a so-called "picc line" installed. It is a long, thin, flexible tube (catheter) inside the vein, inserted above the bend of your elbow. I guess you didn't have it? It delivers all drugs inside the vein and not via the vein, so it is painless. As for the first drug you mentioned, I have never had it, but still lost my hair after the second cycle out of four...

Hope to have that intravenous picc line installed again for the next chemo.

Rick, would you please confirm that you didn't have that picc line (catheter) installed for your chemo? 

Best regards,

Eugene

[RJG]

Hi Eugene,

No picc line for me. Just standard cannula. 

Best wishes,

Rick

[Anonymous]

Hi Rick.

I have just come across some information regarding tinnitus problem (I belive you mentioned this earlier). Just in case you want to check it out, please go to "mysoundtherapy.com/infopack" or call 1300 557 796. It works by "creating new auditory pathways" in the brain, so that the brain "no longer needs to keep firing the tinnitus pathways".

Best regards,

Eugene

[Madass]

Had a streptococcus pyogenes in my throat and been on antibiotics for a whole month. My stomach started to hurt(mild and dull),cramps and lound noises from my bowels. No changes in bowel movement,poop seems normal,no fever or loss of appetite. My weight pretty much the same. On couple of occasions a pain in my butt woke me up. The pain started around tail bone and spread to the butt cheeks and lasted no more than 15 min. Also when I am in a sitting position I feel discomfort on my buttocks. All of this scarred me and did some test for blood in poop but turned out negative. Also did regular blood test and everything was normal. But yesterday I did notice for the first time blood on the toilet paper and I am freaking out. Haven't been to the doctor yet. Suggestions? 

[Stonechairshelf]

Hi Rick, have been reading your comments online. I was diagnosed with Linitis Plastica (a type of stomach cancer) in April 2019. Have had 4 FLOT chemos and due to have my stomach out. What I would like to ask you is have you tried any beer or wine yet or have you tried to eat belly pork? Thanks

Col