I haven't posted in a bit, sorry about that, but no news really is good news in this case. Dad is doing awesome!!! Can I just take a minute to say how amazing that is!? I'm talking miracles. Due to my slightly controlling and obsessive personality I have done my fair share of research on the subject of esophageal cancer and heard all the statistics and the complications and all the "what ifs" and have sufficiently freaked myself out on a number of occasions. To this I say to myself, "I should have listened to my dad". It's true, I don't say that sort of thing all the time because frankly, I try not to listen to him, but he was right about all of this. From the very beginning he treated this all like an inconvenience and a bump in the road and thus far, that's exactly what it's been. Maybe the miracle was that Dad was right.
Recovery wise, the man is a champ. He goes on outings each day, runs errands, etc. He is eating... and I am not just talking a bite here and there, he has been wolfing food down!! He does need to eat smaller meals (probably the size the rest of us SHOULD eat regularly) and he feels pretty dang full if he over eats, but he wants and needs to eat more often. So, about every two hours he is on the hunt in the kitchen for something to dig into. Since his whole digestive system has had a bit of a shock (taking out a portion of it could do that), he is still adjusting to its new...'schedule', but I think that would be typical with any major surgery... just adjusting to the differences in your body. Dad is still getting fed through the feeding tube at night but plans on asking them if he can be finished with it at his next appointment because he is getting plenty of nutrition.
Dad has also been hitting the gym with us on some mornings. Sadly, he isn't in racquetball condition yet but he walks the treadmills. It's good to see that he is being so proactive in his recovery. It still makes me laugh how the nurses kept telling me that Dad must be in really good shape or when they asked me if he was an athlete. SUUURRRRRE he is. Yesterday he wore some running pants that I had not seen him in since New Years. Something mysterious happened... Dad lost his butt. Someone must have stolen it... it may have been me.
His incisions look good-- I made sure to check them out myself last night during our dominoes marathon. They hacked him up good but all the scabbing (ew) and stuff is all but off so I think the scars will be minimal eventually. I still think they look awesome and wish I could get some scars but not have any surgeries or be hurt or in any pain to receive them. Cosmetic scars? Yeah, I doubt that will ever turn into a 'thing' people want.
Last week my uncle and aunt came to visit... I will post more about that next time (have to get some pictures from my mom) and I will also post about my parents new addition--- a new addition equipped with two remotes. I know, I've got your mind reeling.
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