Pre-Surgery Appointment

I've been feeling good the last week or so and my energy level is much higher.  I've been able to do cardio on a daily basis and my nap time has decreased.

Two days ago I had a follow up with my surgeon.  Looks like he's 90% sure I'll be getting the full removal (to be decided during surgery) and I'm scheduled for the week after Easter.  With two surgeons, he feels I should be all done in 4 to 5 hours.  I'll be in the hospital for a week afterwards and feeling back to my usual self three months later.  Oh, except for the chemotherapy.  That'll go on for 5 to 6 months of wearing the bottle around my hip.  Thankfully, the bottle will only be for two days in three week intervals so I'm expecting to have one bad week on a three week rotation from May until sometime in November.  This really will consume all of 2012.



Kate's last ski lesson involved costumes.
Here she's wearing her dragon costume.



Complete with tail that I pinned up.






















I'm trying to be positive about all of this but the sad reality is I'm in countdown mode until this surgery changes me forever.  However, there is a real risk of not catching all the cancer if full removals don't occur.  I wouldn't want the cancer to reappear a few years down the road and find out it's spread to other, more severe locations where treatment is not as promising.  It can still reappear but I'm confident this will give me a leg up on longevity and if things do reappear in a decade then medicine will have advanced that much further in ten years. 

March is all about resting up and excercising to prepare for the surgery.  Spring weather has finally appeared and it's great to see the pavement drying up.  I'm hoping to ride a motorcycle before my surgery since I won't be able to ride until about July.