Letter 15: Surgery Rescheduled

Just a short update to let you know that my surgery has been rescheduled to September 29th – bumped from this coming Tuesday (September 20th) by ‘a more urgent case’.

I admit to mixed feelings about this change. I’m glad my surgery isn’t considered urgent, yet a bit miffed because expeditious surgery certainly matters to me. A little deflated as we’d had ourselves girded for this week, yet also glad to have longer to enjoy the pleasures of life after chemo. It’s a funny emotional whipsaw – as the surgery date was initially earlier than we’d anticipated and now isn’t.

In any case, I’ll appreciate the extra recovery time. In the past few weeks I’ve realized that while I finished chemo, the chemo wasn’t finished with me. Still each day I am getting better – a little more stamina, a little less neuropathy and muscle ache. The chemo brain effect has even been quite funny at times. When we had a picnic at the dock one lovely day, Angie asked me what shoes I’d wear down to the river. “Well,” I said, “I think I’ll wear my snowshoes.” Before that, I’d asked Angie if she’d watered the fish. Good thing I’m not influencing undergraduate minds at the moment.

We had a very good staycation last week. Angie and I went to the Health Club a couple of times – I enjoyed swimming and walking around Lake Leamy. Angie was able to work out and also swim. I golfed a couple of times, playing two, 18 hole rounds (with a cart). The thrill on the final hole was to be putting for an eagle after a lovely drive and approach shot over the water. Nothing to lose by going for it! I settled for a birdie.

We were able to spend an overnight at kids’ cottage: a particularly magic moment was watching the harvest moon rise over the lake. We’ve loved sharing some meals with friends. It’s been good to have the energy to plug into your lives a bit more – projects, decisions, travels, good news and less good news.

Over the next weeks, Angie will be in touch with folk around things where we may need after my surgery. Not sure when I’ll get the next update written – but you can check in anytime with Angie. I expect to have meetings with my specialists about 3-4 weeks after surgery. I’ll learn then what the pathology has to say and next steps.

Love,