Okay, that was one weird and unexpected detour on my road to kicking cancer. I try to find that balance between anxiously waiting for symptoms to recur and being aware of symptoms if they do occur. Vigilant, but not freaking out; I guess that is what I’m going for. Thanks to my friend Shannon I have a new way of thinking about this irritating little coil. She said she was imagining a pearl forming inside of me. So, just like the grain of sand is irritating to an oyster and will form a pearl over time; my coil is an irritant and the scar tissue is forming a pearl. I like it. Easier and prettier to visualize than the wall of my duodenum!

I am on a low residue/low fiber diet. Eating nearly the opposite of what I usually eat. I usually eat lots of fresh veggies, fruits, lots of salad, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains. NO, not right now. All of those are no-nos.
I can eat a few fruits and veggies, cooked well or canned or very ripe. I can have white bread (they still make that!), white rice, white pasta anything without any of the forbidden foods made with enriched flour. Not even fake white bread made with regular wheat flour. I can have lean meat and fish (thank goodness, salmon and chicken are ok!). I can have eggs. I can have dairy (but limited to 2 cups a day). It is the same diet I was on when I was released from the hospital 2 years ago (nearly to the day!!!).

I am gradually building my strength and stamina. Prior to my side trip to the hospital, I was up to about 40 minutes a day with Wilson, walking hills and stairs in the neighborhood. I tried to keep up my walking in the hospital. I walked figure eight laps around the two sides of the 12th floor, listening to Radio Lab. One day I took over 10, 000 steps! Pretty good for a day in the hospital! But, it was so flat! Walking in the neighborhood with my high strung pup is a little different, it takes a different kind of energy!

And now…back to our regularly scheduled programming! I was supposed to get a Keytruda treatment on the Thursday I was admitted to the hospital. I get to have that infusion on Tuesday next week. I’m so relieved that we are getting back to the main event: fighting this cancer!

November is Stomach Cancer Awareness Month and my friend Gaby and her family are organizing another trivia night. Our family is helping out a bit procuring some food and some trivia prizes (any leads for donated salad, pasta, dessert or prizes?) Last year we were in a bar on Capitol Hill and we really didn’t have the room we needed. This year we have a hall so we’ll have plenty of room to fit and be able to sit with our friends! So, save the date: November 20, 2016. I’m including the link to the evite below. I’d love to see you there!

http://evite.me/5JN9ZJYjKj

Thanks for all your emails, texts, posts, walks, visits and calls. We feel very supported! Thank you to all who have offered to help with the painting or to just finish it for us! (Thanks, Matt!) But the truth is I am very capable, I have the time and am getting the energy back and I actually like to paint! Mike and I finished the primer coat in Michael’s room today, so we are well on our way!
Thank you all!

On to Keytruda, on to kicking cancer, on to life!
With love
Janet