Corrected date for Steve's surgery and some updates

Terry and I spoke with Steve on Friday and he corrected the date for his surgery.  It will be August 26, at Stanford University Hospital.  Steve had several questions for us as he looks to that date, but all in all, he and his wife seem to have a good handle on what to expect, and they both have positive attitudes and a good sense of humor.  So, put a hold on those Good Vibes for a few weeks and send them to Steve and Sandy as the 26th approaches.

I continue to mend slowly but surely from my own surgery.  My jaw feels great and I can eat more and more kinds of foods every week.  The drop foot is getting slightly better, but still hinders me from doing some things that I'd like to.  I would really like to walk more for exercise and start running a bit, but that's going to happen anytime soon.  Wearing the foot brace and walking with a lopsided gait has led to some issues with my back, which also limits my mobility.

Sometime after the surgery I noticed that my left arm was weak and had a very limited range of motion.  The doctors and the physical therapist are not sure if it's yet another side effect from the surgery, but it's for real and I'm doing extra PT for that issue.

So, let's take some inventory.  I go in for jaw replacement surgery and expect that I'll have a huge divot out of my left calf from that.  In addition to those expected outcomes, I now have a bad left foot, a bad back, and a bad left shoulder.  As Roseann Rosannadanna would say on SNL, "It's always something."

But, as it has for 5+ years, it sure beats the alternative.

Mike

Green Chili Cheeseburgers are Back! Need good vibes for Steve

I passed a significant milepost today in my recovery from the jaw surgery.  I was able to eat most of a green chili cheeseburger at the Grindhouse!.  I can't take in a full bite so had to nibble around the edges, go very slow, and wash down every bite.  But I did manage to eat about three quarters of it, along with a few onion rings--so life is good!

In other signs of progress, I am still making a shift from mostly liquid foods to mostly solid foods, but need to make sure I keep my daily calorie count up so I don't lose any more weight.  The way I figure it, green chili cheeseburgers and onion rings are medicinal at this point, so no reason to slow down on them.

Since several months before my jaw surgery I have been in contact with Steve from California, who was tracking his own ORN development a little behind mine.  I met Steve on the Cancer Survivor's Network and we have exchanged emails and phone calls along the way.  He is scheduled for his own mandibular resecting at the end of July--and his procedure will be very much like mine.  This is a call for Team Mike to send him our best Good Vibes.  I can only hope that he comes through with no complications, and gets on the road to recovery faster than I did.  We have promised to get together sometime in the future to have a beer, and to share...you guessed it, a green chili cheeseburger!

Mike

Recovery update

After a slow start on my recovery, due to complications during and after the surgery, I am glad to report that the pace has picked up a lot lately.  I am expanding my food choices a little at a time, and slowing weaning myself off liquid foods like Boost.  I lost a lot of weight right after the feeding tube came out, but with a better appetite and more choices lately I am gaining some of the weight back.  I can drink beer (limit is 2 a day so the government doesn't classify me as a heavy drinker), but wine is still a bit too strong for my taste buds.  Reuniting with Mr. Daniels is not in the foreseeable future.

The drop foot problem is slowly getting better, but still a long ways to go.  My physical therapist is pleased with my progress, but I still need the brace for stability and the compression hose to keep the swelling down. 

I am now able to get through most days without a nap, but don't fight it when one is needed.

My facial swelling is way down but still noticeable.  I don't know how much permanent swelling I'll have, but will ask the oral surgeon about that next week. 

We had a series of visitors who gave us a lot of help and were good company while we were mostly house-bound due to the IV schedule.  Thanks go out to Melissa, Marie, Phantom, Janet, Dan, Peg, Jim, and Mo.  We are now getting settled into a more-or-less regular routine, and enjoying our nightly Deck Time that has included some spectacular firefly displays in the last 3 weeks.

The only disappointment is that I won't be able to walk the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th.  But, we'll enjoy the holiday at the Rupp Ranch Resort in the GA mountains, and then I will get to work on running the race next year.

Happy 4th of July and check back from time to time.

mike