Fuck yeah. Good news.

My fondest wishes for the fullest recovery possible, FM Gramsci. Also, Tyler Dead Pine, I wish your wife the same.

Today would have been my mother's 83rd birthday. She died of metastatic bladder cancer in 2015.

My stepfather currently has lung cancer and has been getting blasted with radiation for the last six months. He will not survive it. I have decided, as I did with my mother, not to confront him in these waning days, for .... all the stuff. I do not know what would be accomplished.

My wife continues to be cancer-free. Her recovery is ongoing. She is on a drug that blocks the production of estrogen and on a mild maintenance chemo drug. She is tired a lot of the time but has returned to her usual breakneck work schedule. She has six months to go on the chemo drug that causes all of the fatigue.

My daughter is healthy and tall and a little nerdy and is a giant ball of feelings like her dad.

dontfeartheringo wrote: Wed Feb 07, 2024 3:53 pm My fondest wishes for the fullest recovery possible, FM Gramsci. Also, Tyler Dead Pine, I wish your wife the same.

Today would have been my mother's 83rd birthday. She died of metastatic bladder cancer in 2015.

My stepfather currently has lung cancer and has been getting blasted with radiation for the last six months. He will not survive it. I have decided, as I did with my mother, not to confront him in these waning days, for .... all the stuff. I do not know what would be accomplished.

My wife continues to be cancer-free. Her recovery is ongoing. She is on a drug that blocks the production of estrogen and on a mild maintenance chemo drug. She is tired a lot of the time but has returned to her usual breakneck work schedule. She has six months to go on the chemo drug that causes all of the fatigue.

My daughter is healthy and tall and a little nerdy and is a giant ball of feelings like her dad.

Sorry about your mother and stepfather This fucking thing can fuck off

You might want to keep an eye on your daughter, nerd-ness can metastasize and it's tough to get rid of once it has. I've been through a lot of it

Oh boy, my 12 year old daughter had transformed into the coolest dork recently. All gangly and clumsy but still with little girl mannerisms. It’s hilarious and only getting “more” by the day.

Her new nickname is The Goober.

my 9 yo son is a jock, so he definitely didn't get whatever genetic trait I have that's: "cower in fear when a ball is approaching you"

Alright so spouse who is in super duper remission had maint. chemo pause for two weeks then “routine, easy laparoscopic surgery to remove a benign ovarian cyst, we do it all the time”

But because fucking cancer, and immune system being reduced from the chemo (but did come back up), last Tuesday, 1.5 days after surgery Chris had immense abdominal pain, docs says swelling. Wednesday more pain and developed a fever, so we go to ER. White blood count is 13 - One doc says not possibly infection this soon, other says must be something. They start broad spectrum antibiotics - boom WBC goes down to 7, no more fever, yay. Three days later Come home - more pain, stomach cramps, then diarrhea. Back to ER - shouldn’t have infection because of antibiotics, except now you have C. Difficile, causing pain/cramps/diarrhea. Different antibiotics. I start bleaching house.
It’s now Wednesday a week later from original ER visit, Chris is still there, now quarantined because of cdiff but at least responding and luckily very likely no abscess at surgery sight.
Original problem? Hematoma + infection.


Sorry for the medical rant, felt good to get it all down and hopefully if anyone needs a procedure while immunocompromised this might help. If you’re taking heavy antibiotics because it kills your good bacteria you’re at risk for cdiff - so start your bleach cleaning (CDC has good guidelines) before you get it cause doing it after SUCKS. I wish the doctors made me more aware of the risks at the time. They were pretty flippant about it “oh yeah so we can treat it no biggie” but unless you’re super diligent in the way you clean EVERYTHING, it’s a re-infection risk in the home - would’ve loved to not have to do that, thanks docs.

Also, I miss my gender desired non specific but attractive female looking spouse, their suffering hurts my heart.

I’m also posting a LOT all over the board, I was in the hospital non stop for the week and climbing up the walls before getting kicked out due to the cdiff, apologies all around.

Man, so sorry. I’ve only had a glimpse of the impact of chemo and it’s fucking horrible.

Never apologise, this thread is a dumping ground for all of us affected, vicariously or directly. Post away, you’ll always have an ear, and support.

Love to you both.

TylerDeadPine wrote: Tue Feb 06, 2024 4:19 pm That is beautiful

Photo not working… imagine beach

Gramsci wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 2:13 am Man, so sorry. I’ve only had a glimpse of the impact of chemo and it’s fucking horrible.

Never apologise, this thread is a dumping ground for all of us affected, vicariously or directly. Post away, you’ll always have an ear, and support.

Love to you both.

Biggie ditto.

(Keeping my fingers crossed...)

Thanks folks, really really appreciate it. Also a reminder that when it comes to health things, the internet can be a real echo chamber of bad news - as soon as I knew Chris had C.Diff I started looking up what to do about it, seeing horror stories etc. and then once I talked to a number of the nurses they were able to give me a lot more confidence in managing our environment to prevent re-occurrence.
But definitely, definitely avoidance is better so if you're in hospital on antibiotics, wash your hands, with soap, like a doctor for a couple minutes anytime you touch something in public spaces. None of the disinfectant products like hand sanitizer, do anything, and even the hardcore wipes like Oxivir does little. Soap is effective to remove it from skin and the water washes it away, so on a fixed surface bleach is the only option.