Mets Day 37 - Slowly recovering

I have not been terribly active these past couple of days.  The doctors reiterated that for at least a month after surgery I should avoid lifting anything heavier that 5 pounds, so when Jennifer got it in her head yesterday that she wanted to clean out the garage, I had the best excuse ever.  Even better, she was the one shooing me back to the recliner.  Twist my arm, ok, ok, I'm sitting down.  I did direct traffic and sort through stuff a bit.  It's amazing how much stuff we accumulate.  We'll be making a sizable donation to Goodwill. 

In medical news, my tissue is being analyzed to see if I qualify for the clinical trial I referenced on Thursday.  We'll know in a week or so.  I have an appointment with Hopkins on Tuesday, where I will seek their counsel on further treatment options.  I hope that they will remove the Foley catheter, and start my neobladder physical therapy.

I have been decreasing my use of the pain medication to an as-needed usage.  I did not take an from Wednesday night to about 6 pm Friday evening, when I started feeling consistent twinges from where my SPT exits my body.  There is surprisingly little pain associated with the primary incision, and no pain associated with the cancer.  The doctors told me that the I can expect the most discomfort with the SPT - both pain, and continual leakage.  I continue to pack the SPT exit point with two 4x4 drain sponges, and two other 4x4 gauze pads, plus a large poise pad on top, and a Depends brief to hold it all in place. 

My appetite has mostly returned.  I lost about 10 pounds during the hospitalization.  I could probably stand to lose even more, but strangely enough, my diet is not at the top of my list of things to be worried about.  We continue to be the beneficiaries of the Mormon food chain, with huge meals being delivered at least three times a week.  In the LDS community, starvation is not an option.  We very much appreciate the generosity and service of our community of friends.