Post-Surgery Diet Restrictions

One of the big changes after Monday's surgery will be my restrictive diet (thank goodness it's a temporary change...I am Italian after all, and food is life and love all rolled into one delicious bite).

Here is a list of foods I can eat for the 4-6 weeks following surgery. Gary is an awesome cook - so if anyone has any great recipes out there, please send them along! Everything that I am allowed to eat is listed below.

Low-Fat, Low-Fiber Diet (aka mostly boring food)

Fats = low-fat or non-fat of the following items: margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing, sour cream, cream cheese

Fruits = canned fruits, applesauce, a ripe banana, fruit cocktail

Meat and Meat Substitutes = tender beef, pork and lamb that are well-cooked and trimmed of any visible fat, skinless poultry, fish, eggs, low-fat tofu

Veges and Potatoes = well-cooked or canned vegetables without skin, lettuce, carrots, beets, asparagus tips, white potatoes without skin, string beans, tomato sauce

Soups = reduced-fat bouillon, broth

Beverages = coffee (THANK GOD), tea, apple or grape juice, cranberry juice

Milk Group = 1% or skim milk, low-fat peach flavored yogurt, low-fat ice cream without chocolate or nuts, low-fat cheese, low-fat pudding made with skim milk (no chocolate)

Breads = white bread or rolls without nuts, coconut or dried fruit; saltines, Oyster crackers, Graham crackers, waffles, pancakes, animal crackers, rye bread without seeds

Cereals and Grains = refined cereals such as Rice Krispies or Special K, farina, cream of wheat, white rice, grits, regular pasta, couscous

Deserts = low-fat plain cakes and cookies, gelatin, sherbet, hard candy, marshmallows, jellies or jams without seeds

Even eating from the above list of foods, I must stay under 40 grams of fat and 12 grams of fiber a day.

There are certainly some obvious meals: pancake with a ripe banana and a tablespoon of low-fat margarine; pasta and tomato sauce with asparagus tips; mashed potato with skinless chicken and string beans...but we are talking six weeks, 5 small meals a day = 210 meals to plan, so any creative recipes or snack ideas will be very, very welcome!

Sloan-Kettering in Criminal Minds

Anyone who knows me also knows that I am obsessed with crime dramas - especially criminal profiling. For all you "Criminal Minds" fans, I was recently watching a marathon and one of the episodes gave a shout-out to my hospital, Sloan-Kettering.

Episode: What Fresh Hell?

Summary: When a young girl is abducted in broad daylight from a playground in a seemingly safe neighborhood, the BAU initially believes her father is responsible. When he is able to provide an alibi, the team is forced to look for clues near where the girl lives to determine who is really responsible. What was the father's alibi? He tells agent Gideon that he was at Sloan-Kettering Hospital, secretly receiving cancer treatments in NYC when she was abducted.

Pre-Surgery Appointment at Sloan-Kettering

On July 8, 2010 we traveled to Sloan-Kettering for my final appointment before my surgery with Dr. Nash in a week. They did the usual: EKG, chest-xray, blood work; standard stuff.

After we left Sloan-Kettering, I reflected a bit on the journey so far. In the last six months, I've had 16 doctor appointments, two lab work ups, one surgery, and six diagnostic tests: MRI (2/17); CT scan (3/18); endoscopy (4/2); anoscopy (4/28); sigmaoidoscopy (5/20); and colonoscopy (6/25). All of these diagnostic tests came back negative - even, unfortunately, the MRI and CT scans which failed to identify the large carcinoid tumor in my appendix prior to my first surgery.

Also, July 19th will be the fourth time I'll be put under general anesthesia in the last four months; however, it will be the first time that I'll also have epidural anesthesia. This will allow me to control my pain with the push of a little button for a few days following surgery, until I can eat and drink on my own.

What is Epidural anesthesia ?

After a sterile prep and draping, local anesthetic is placed to numb the area where the Epidural needle will be inserted. The needle for the Epidural passes between the vertebrae of the Spinal column to the Epidural space. Once the position is verified, a very small catheter(tube) is placed via the needle. The needle is then removed and the catheter remains in the Epidural space. The catheter is then taped to the patients back. Local anesthetics and narcotics are given epidurally via this catheter. The procedure usually takes 10 - 25 minutes.

How do I feel about getting an Epidural?

Initially, I was upset. I always thought the procedure sounded scary and painful; but, one thing you learn with cancer is nothing is as bad or as easy as you anticipate. I didn't think I could ever stand a foley catheter, but after minor complications with my first surgery, when I had no choice but to get one, I realized it wasn't that bad.

One of my favorite artists is Kate Bush, and I'm reminded of her lyrics from "Walk Straight Down the Middle" that sum up the reality of anything tough in life, including my next surgery:

But he thought, he was going to die

But he didn't

And she thought, she just couldn't cope

But she did

And we thought it would be so hard

But it wasn't

It wasn't easy, though.

Anointing of the Sick

On Monday morning, June 21st, Father Larry will bless me with the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick at morning mass (7:15 am EST). Please keep myself, my doctors, my family, and my friends in your prayers during this sacred time of healing.

Para. 1526: "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (Jas 5:14-15).

About the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (from American Catholic website)

Although the sacrament began as a ritual of healing, over time the emphasis shifted to the forgiveness of sins on the deathbed, when such forgiveness would be the final preparation for heaven. The Second Vatican Council returned the original meaning to the sacrament by emphasizing that it is not only for those who are at the point of death, but for anyone who is seriously ill, including mental or spiritual illness. It also helped move the Anointing away from a private service and back toward a community-based one.

Today we are all aware that tensions, fear and anxiety about the future affect not only our mind but our body as well. These illnesses can be serious. They can move us to ask for the healing touch of Christ in the Sacrament of Anointing. Persons with the disease of alcoholism or persons suffering from other addictions can be anointed. So can those who suffer from various mental disorders. The anxiety before exploratory surgery to determine if cancer is present is a situation in which Christ's power can be invoked in the sacrament.

In these cases the person does not have to wait until the illness is so grave that he or she is in the hospital or institutionalized to celebrate the sacrament. Sacraments, after all, are community celebrations. It is preferable to celebrate them in the context of family and parish even before going to the hospital. The sick person has a better opportunity to appreciate the prayers and symbols of the rite when in her or his customary worshiping community.