Deja Vu

Happy Thursday everyone. 

Today is my last day in the office until this whole situation is over. 

Would you believe that this is the second time in my life that I have had to write that line? Not only is it the same line, it was written during the same week of July as this one, just in 2010. The July 2010 line was written just before I had a brain tumor removed on August 2^nd . The brain tumor was found earlier in the year and I was taking off work to have it removed at the University of Minnesota. Now in the year 2015, I write the same line as I prepare for another surgery. Next Tuesday’s surgery to remove my stomach will happen at the Mayo Clinic exactly 5 years and 2 days later. 

I find myself wondering what next week will hold for me. How will my life change once they remove my stomach? Will I feel different without my stomach? I know I will lose weight, but just how much and how fast?  I will be able to eat, but eat what? My sister had some prime rib with us last Saturday, but that was 6 months after her surgery. How long will it take for me to be able to eat semi-normally again? I am both nervous and anxious to get this event done with. I know that in the end the decision to remove my stomach is correct, but as we get closer to the date, the “what ifs” start to creep in. I just keep telling myself that, at the end of the day, my stomach is plotting to kill me. It has come down to me against my stomach, one last time, for all the marbles. 

I have a couple of things to do before we head to Rochester Monday morning.Tonight I am getting together with bunch of folks from work at Sgt. Peppers in Oakdale for a quick cocktail or two. I have one more shift at the store and then the Hanover Harvest Festival on Saturday. I ordered a 1/6 keg of one of my favorite beers for Saturday. It is called Mama’s Little Yella Pils out of Colorado. So if you are in the area stop by and share a cold one with us.

My surgery is currently set to begin at the time “TBD”.  The surgeon has a morning procedure and an afternoon procedure. I guess it just depends on what time he made my reservations for. We will find out what time the surgery is when we meet with Dr. Kendrick’s team on Monday.

Have a great day everyone!

'Cause I have wandered through this world
And as each moment has unfurled
I've been waiting to awaken from these dreams
People go just where there will
I never noticed them until I got this feeling
That it's later than it seems

(Doctor My Eyes  Jackson Browne)