Category Archives: Updates

Bullet holes

There is a hole in my gut where they took out the feeding tube that looks exactly like a bullet hole.  This is almost as cool as owning a car with the fake gangster bullet holes that hip little old … Continue reading

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Tube free.

We visited Dr. Tseng today. He appeared astounded that I was eating 2000 calories a day by mouth and only taking in 500 through TPN.  I suspect many people would take much more time to get to where I am.  … Continue reading

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TPN dependency. A tough habit to break.

  It looks like it’s going to take a little longer to get off of TPN than we had hoped.  We were hoping to be off after an additional week but that isn’t looking too realistic. To get off TPN … Continue reading

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Getting better all the time.

Though I still feel pretty crappy, things are getting better. Last night was my first night on 500 calories of TPN.  Actually, it was 250 calories because the pump malfunctioned at 11:30, 1:00 AM, and 1:30 AM.  After the third … Continue reading

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Things are looking up.

When you measure the quality of life by the number of times you’ve retched or thrown up during the day, you have no where to go but up. Things are looking up. The stomach is acting up less, I have … Continue reading

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Convert that gift card to cash.

I strongly recommend if you get a gift card for a total gastrectomy you take it to one of those places that redeems gift cards for cash.  Dump that sucker as quick as you can. I know, a gastrectomy is … Continue reading

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Strawberry jam – it’s a good thing

Hi, Marcia here with an update and a list of things that are going better for the Olsons. Although he is still extremely tired, Gary had enough energy to walk around the yard. Yesterday he consumed 866 calories by mouth.  … Continue reading

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No balloons allowed – yet

Hi, Marcia here with a quick update. Unfortunately, the Olsons are not quite ready to do any celebrating.  There is a certain amount of relief that came with Gary having his LAST chemo treatment last Wednesday, but he feels really, … Continue reading

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Gary decides it’s time to whine. Just a little.

When I first started this blog my friend Clarence observed that he thought my positive approach downplayed how difficult what I was experiencing really was. He believed I wasn’t telling the whole story about what a nightmare I must be … Continue reading

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Cancer makes a lousy straight man

Hi, Marcia here with an update. Gary was able to receive his second to the last Picard chemo treatment today.  If Anne and Gary weren’t so exhausted, they would be elated. When you have had your second to the last … Continue reading

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