There is no type of cancer (appendix cancer) listed for what I had, but since it affected my colon, I will list it here and tell my story.
In late June ‘09, I started having sharp pains in my lower right side of my abdomen. I assumed it could be my appendix, but I did not have any of the symptoms associated with it, aside from the pain, I was good to go.
After a few weeks, the pain continued on and off, so finally I went to see my family physician, he said that it could be a strained abdominal muscle. He did say that it could be my appendix, but I was not running a fever and did not have any diarhea, plus I was eating as I normally do and was excercising every day.
So he put me on some pain meds and muscle relaxers, the pain went away for about a week, then returned a week later, it then went away and came back a week after that.
I then went to see my Doctor again, he then scheduled me for a CT SCAN. I had the CT SCAN done and about an hour and a half later I got a call from the Doc saying that he reviewed my CT SCAN results and that my appendix was ruptured and that I get to the hospital emergency room asap.
So I went in and had lots of blood drawn and was getting pumped with antibiotics right away.
I met with the surgeon on call, he said that my appendix was ruptured, but was walled off and that he recommend that we wait six to eight weeks before taking it out. That would allow all the inflammation and irritation to go down and would prevent having to do more than just remove the appendix. I spent that night and part of the next in the hospital before being released home.
So eight weeks later, I went in to have my appendix removed. My surgeon initially when in arthoscopic, but then he realized that they would have to do an open appendectomy.
My appendix was hard as concrete, so my one hour surgery turned into a five hour surgery. My surgeon said that his hands hurt from scrapping away at my appendix.
After surgery as I was waiting in the recovery room, I knew something was wrong just by looking at the clock on the wall. I was wheeled in just after 8 a.m., but it was now just after 1 p.m..
When I was in the hospital room assigned to me, the Doctor came in and spoke to me and my wife and gave us the news that my appendix was cancerous. Just as he said those words, the wall came down in front of me and it seemed like my life came to a grinding halt. I held it together pretty well until the Doctor left the room, then I broke down. Now there were all the questions and no answers.
I met with an oncologist the very same day, so that was good, that made me feel better. He said that his type of cancer was rare and that he wanted to do some research on it before we figured out what steps we would take next.
So I was in the hospital for another five days, with an irrigation tube in my abdomen suctioning out any possible pieces of appendix that may have gotten away during surgery.
I was released from the hospital on a Tuesday and a week later met with my surgeon, he said that it was possible that I may need to have a hemicolectomy to ensure that the cancer did not spread. I met with my oncologist and he recommended that a hemicolectomy would be the best step to take next.
So three weeks after having the open appendectomy, I had the hemicolectomy, another five hour surgery, I would require some blood as well since I have some blood loss.
I had part of my colon remove and then the remainder attached to my small intestine and had 34 cm of my small bowels removed, along with seventeen lymph nodes removed.
My recovery from the hemi was terrible, I had an incision from mid rib, down to my belly button, around the right side and down to my waist, all that was stapled together, in addition I had four binding straps holding my abdomen together, they went in on one side of the incision and out the other. They were the worst, I had one strap what just hurt all the time, I only found relief if I was laying down or on pain meds.
I was on a liquid diet for a few days, then went on a soft diet, but that did not work out well for me, everything I tried I threw back up. I was running a fever and my heart rate was high. So I had a CT SCAN to see if there was any internal leakage, but all was negative.
I was able to go home the following afternoon which was nice, but I was still in pain, I got up to walk every so often, but I mostly lay in bed. I would tire easily and had no energy at all.
My body was trying to get used to the new “piping” so to speak.
It’s been a little over a month now, I met with my oncologist last Friday and I am cancer free. I’ll require testing every few months to ensure that it has not come back, but for now I’m free.
He commended me for going thru with the hemi, he said that they did find a few cancer cells, but it had not spread.
This entire experience was a punch in the gut for me, the routine appendectomy turned into someting more. And to add to it, I got a case of the shingles about four weeks before my hemi operation.
I lost lots of weight from this and can’t be too far from a bathroom, but I’m learing as the days go by on what I can eat, not eat and what makes me need to go to the bathroom right away. If anyone has any questions on this please feel free to email me and ask I will be more than willing to answer them. Take care all, be well and God bless.
Surgery Description, Dates & Side Effects
Hemicolectomy 17 Sept. ‘09
Loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, high heart rate, loss of energy, vomiting.
Comments:
Hey Eli,
I had to respond to your baseball post to Donna. I am watching the Nats v. Cardinals as I type—top 7, Nats 5, Cards 8 … okay, so the Nats and Orioles both are in their respective cellars, but they are playing some good ball right now. I grew up in LA, a Dodgers fan. Saw Koufax, Drysdale, Wills, play when I was a kid. Life is always better during baseball season.
Andrea
Hi Eli,
I don’t even like clams
Hi Eli,
Thank you so much for your support and encouraging words.
Best wishes,
Jung~*
Good luck tomorrow, Eli! May everything come back good!
Martha
Hi Eli,
Thanks for the compliment. One of my favorite sayings is “don’t sweat the small stuff…life’s too short”. I naturally deal with any stressful situation with humor.
What a crappy (just kidding) story. I had lots of bowel problems throughout chemo and radiation. The pain meds cause constipation, sometimes seven days would pass with nothing. Then like you said, if it was the day I couldn’t even go downstairs to watch tv in my livingroom. I had to stay in my room next to the bathroom cause I no longer can control or hold it for more than 5 or 10 seconds.
I’m finally finished with treatments but I still get a painful stomach cramp during or just after any meal. Hopefully your journey with this monster is over. I can see the end of the tunnel and the light is beautiful.
Be well my friend.
Look to my place here for more humor. It seems to be making lots of people happy :)
xoxo,
Debbie
Hi Eli
what a bad time you had .So glad you are on the mend ,We have to stay positive .Not looking forward to having more chemo s it makes me so ill but thats the price i have to pay .love to you Sally
Wow what an experience, thinking it was basically a routine procedure to find out you have cancer after the fact. Thank you for your words of encouragement too me! I hope you are doing better today and recovered from your surgery:).
Melinda
Hi Eli – thank you for your words and support . . . so much appreciated. Have been poorly this week, crazy fever and swollen nodes (just where I don’t ever want swollen nodes). I think it has just been a skin infection (vulnerability post radio, I guess) and I have a scan appointment in a couple of weeks so I have parked my neurosis (read, am actively managing my neurosis and parking as required)!
Sending you healing vibes and wishes for a lovely day. Thank you again for your care – it makes all the difference. : ) janet
Eli:
Sorry to worry you…just got back from Kentucky today and before that,,,well, have been in a bit of a funk with loosing so many here lately.
How are you doing???? The bluebonnets and primroses are blooming up a storm here. This is my favorite time of year here…so pretty. Now we know it’s all down hill from here on out! The drought will come and the green will turn to summer brown! Ky was prettier than I remembered…I’ll post about the trip once I get settled this week.
Hugs and thanks for thinking of me…
T
PS: Your pics of the pup under the tree makes me smile!
Hello Eli – thank you for your welcome in here. You know how it is, nice to be here – and I wish I wasn’t! Just read through your story – eugh – what an ordeal and shock that all was and so good to see you out the other side. I wish you ongoing healing. with very best wishes, janet
Hi Eli,
Hope you are ready to have a Happy New Year Thanks for the comment on pic…actually we were short two pet rodents in the pic so the animals actually outnumber us. We love our critters
Larissa
Yay Eli,
I am sooo happy you are feeling better. Isn’t it nice to ask people for ideas and know that they get what you are going through? Love to hear it worked for you
Hugs to you,
Larissa
Hi Eli, Hope you will be feeling well soon. I know my flair ups can take a few weeks, but they are shorter now that I know what to do for them. Hoping it works for you. Do the massage yourself, suck it up and get on it! :)
Happy Thanksgiving, I hope your mending well,
Connie
Eli:
Lets see if your profile post works…know Jill has had problems with it.
I stumbled across this link on in web tonight and thought you’d like to read it….http://crmagazine.org/archive/Fall2009/Pages/AudreyHepburnAppendixCancer.aspx
Did you know that Audrey Hepburn had Appendix cancer? I didn’t…Anyway, keep the faith…we do need to talk about Corpus some time.
Hugs
Teresa
Hi,
Uncanny how many likenesses we have on this journey…nice to have someone who truly gets it. Take care and talk to you sooooon.
Larissa :D
Oh, you poor guy. I’ve never had a roomie, and I think I am happy about that. It is busy enough in a room just dealing with the staff. Isn’t it crazy to remember the stuff you have been through? I too have an amazing pain tolerance but cannot stand the tape pain. It is horrible beyond words My doc always looks at me like I am being such a baby and I want to wrap her in tape and see what she thinks when I pull it off of her! Oh well, it gives us something to complain about…he he he.
Take care!
PS, I’m glad you never had bats, they are soooo scary. :D
Larissa
Hi,
Wow how lucky for you to be the first one in for surgery. I have only had one morning surgery..the rest were late afternoons and one was at 5:30 at night. Horrible to wait in the hospital for a room to open up.
Oh well, it always passes and you get to the other side so it’s all good.
Hoping you are feeling better and better.
Take care!
Larissa :D
Hi Eli, first let me say thank you for your kind words and thank you for serving our country! Boy, you sure had a rough time didn’t you? It makes me feel like my problems were so minute compared to what you had to endure. I commend you on all you went through
Big hugs and praying you stay cancer free!
Amy
Interesting on the OJ…I craved Kale soup, full of vit. C and oranges, not the juice after my first hemi.
Holidays,,,turkey great, mashed potatoes, yams, winter squash, roll, a small amount green beans, all great foods, just eat a SMALL amount. This is actually a good holiday for our kind of eating. Nice and bland. lol. You sound like you are doing well…keep it up.
Larissa
Crazy,
You just don’t meet that many people nearby in the same boat you are. Suggestions…nooo caffiene, easy on refined sugars, no whole grains or gassy, fibrous vegies…artichokes, lettuce. CHEW your food well! Canned fruits and vegies tend to do better. Carrots, green beans, winter squash, sour dough bread, creamy peanut butter, lean meats…Milk should be ok, start with yogurt especially yoplait whipped…then work to just small servings. Oatmeal actually works well, strange but true. Hope it gives you some ideas. Take good care!
Larissa
Hi Eli,
So, we are neighbors! Did you have your surgery at Kaweah? My first surgery was there by Dr. Manuele, it is a bummer of a surgery…I know cause I have it 3 times. lol. 3rd times the charm I hope! I pray that your recovery continues to go well and am happy you discovered this site so early on…good for you. I look forward to hearing how you are doing!
If you wish to become an sponsor please see our sponsor page. All proceeds will go back into building a better system.
Thanks for your support - Jill, Founder, Cancer Survivor
p.s. If you have any suggestions on how to improve Blog for a Cure, send me some feedback. Keep in touch & let me know how I can make this the best system possible for you.
01.08.10 
Thanks for your support - 
Hey Eli,
I had to respond to your baseball post to Donna. I am watching the Nats v. Cardinals as I type—top 7, Nats 5, Cards 8 … okay, so the Nats and Orioles both are in their respective cellars, but they are playing some good ball right now. I grew up in LA, a Dodgers fan. Saw Koufax, Drysdale, Wills, play when I was a kid. Life is always better during baseball season.
Andrea
Hi Eli,
I don’t even like clams
Hi Eli,
Thank you so much for your support and encouraging words.
Best wishes,
Jung~*
Good luck tomorrow, Eli! May everything come back good!
Martha
Hi Eli,
Thanks for the compliment. One of my favorite sayings is “don’t sweat the small stuff…life’s too short”. I naturally deal with any stressful situation with humor.
What a crappy (just kidding) story. I had lots of bowel problems throughout chemo and radiation. The pain meds cause constipation, sometimes seven days would pass with nothing. Then like you said, if it was the day I couldn’t even go downstairs to watch tv in my livingroom. I had to stay in my room next to the bathroom cause I no longer can control or hold it for more than 5 or 10 seconds.
I’m finally finished with treatments but I still get a painful stomach cramp during or just after any meal. Hopefully your journey with this monster is over. I can see the end of the tunnel and the light is beautiful.
Be well my friend.
Look to my place here for more humor. It seems to be making lots of people happy :)
xoxo,
Debbie
Hi Eli
what a bad time you had .So glad you are on the mend ,We have to stay positive .Not looking forward to having more chemo s it makes me so ill but thats the price i have to pay .love to you Sally
Wow what an experience, thinking it was basically a routine procedure to find out you have cancer after the fact. Thank you for your words of encouragement too me! I hope you are doing better today and recovered from your surgery:).
Melinda
Hi Eli – thank you for your words and support . . . so much appreciated. Have been poorly this week, crazy fever and swollen nodes (just where I don’t ever want swollen nodes). I think it has just been a skin infection (vulnerability post radio, I guess) and I have a scan appointment in a couple of weeks so I have parked my neurosis (read, am actively managing my neurosis and parking as required)!
Sending you healing vibes and wishes for a lovely day. Thank you again for your care – it makes all the difference. : ) janet
Eli:
Sorry to worry you…just got back from Kentucky today and before that,,,well, have been in a bit of a funk with loosing so many here lately.
How are you doing???? The bluebonnets and primroses are blooming up a storm here. This is my favorite time of year here…so pretty. Now we know it’s all down hill from here on out! The drought will come and the green will turn to summer brown! Ky was prettier than I remembered…I’ll post about the trip once I get settled this week.
Hugs and thanks for thinking of me…
T
PS: Your pics of the pup under the tree makes me smile!
Hello Eli – thank you for your welcome in here. You know how it is, nice to be here – and I wish I wasn’t! Just read through your story – eugh – what an ordeal and shock that all was and so good to see you out the other side. I wish you ongoing healing. with very best wishes, janet
Hi Eli,
Hope you are ready to have a Happy New Year
Thanks for the comment on pic…actually we were short two pet rodents in the pic so the animals actually outnumber us. We love our critters
Larissa
Yay Eli,
I am sooo happy you are feeling better. Isn’t it nice to ask people for ideas and know that they get what you are going through? Love to hear it worked for you
Hugs to you,
Larissa
Hi Eli, Hope you will be feeling well soon. I know my flair ups can take a few weeks, but they are shorter now that I know what to do for them. Hoping it works for you. Do the massage yourself, suck it up and get on it! :)
Happy Thanksgiving, I hope your mending well,
Connie
Eli:
Lets see if your profile post works…know Jill has had problems with it.
I stumbled across this link on in web tonight and thought you’d like to read it….http://crmagazine.org/archive/Fall2009/Pages/AudreyHepburnAppendixCancer.aspx
Did you know that Audrey Hepburn had Appendix cancer? I didn’t…Anyway, keep the faith…we do need to talk about Corpus some time.
Hugs
Teresa
Hi,
Uncanny how many likenesses we have on this journey…nice to have someone who truly gets it. Take care and talk to you sooooon.
Larissa :D
Oh, you poor guy. I’ve never had a roomie, and I think I am happy about that. It is busy enough in a room just dealing with the staff. Isn’t it crazy to remember the stuff you have been through? I too have an amazing pain tolerance but cannot stand the tape pain. It is horrible beyond words
My doc always looks at me like I am being such a baby and I want to wrap her in tape and see what she thinks when I pull it off of her! Oh well, it gives us something to complain about…he he he.
Take care!
PS, I’m glad you never had bats, they are soooo scary. :D
Larissa
Hi,
Wow how lucky for you to be the first one in for surgery. I have only had one morning surgery..the rest were late afternoons and one was at 5:30 at night. Horrible to wait in the hospital for a room to open up.
Oh well, it always passes and you get to the other side so it’s all good.
Hoping you are feeling better and better.
Take care!
Larissa :D
Hi Eli, first let me say thank you for your kind words and thank you for serving our country! Boy, you sure had a rough time didn’t you? It makes me feel like my problems were so minute compared to what you had to endure. I commend you on all you went through
Big hugs and praying you stay cancer free!
Amy
Interesting on the OJ…I craved Kale soup, full of vit. C and oranges, not the juice after my first hemi.
Holidays,,,turkey great, mashed potatoes, yams, winter squash, roll, a small amount green beans, all great foods, just eat a SMALL amount. This is actually a good holiday for our kind of eating. Nice and bland. lol. You sound like you are doing well…keep it up.
Larissa
Crazy,
You just don’t meet that many people nearby in the same boat you are. Suggestions…nooo caffiene, easy on refined sugars, no whole grains or gassy, fibrous vegies…artichokes, lettuce. CHEW your food well! Canned fruits and vegies tend to do better. Carrots, green beans, winter squash, sour dough bread, creamy peanut butter, lean meats…Milk should be ok, start with yogurt especially yoplait whipped…then work to just small servings. Oatmeal actually works well, strange but true. Hope it gives you some ideas. Take good care!
Larissa
Hi Eli,
So, we are neighbors! Did you have your surgery at Kaweah? My first surgery was there by Dr. Manuele, it is a bummer of a surgery…I know cause I have it 3 times. lol. 3rd times the charm I hope! I pray that your recovery continues to go well and am happy you discovered this site so early on…good for you. I look forward to hearing how you are doing!
Larissa