Recovery-update

So I know it's been a little thin on the blog this month. It's not because we haven't been busy. We have. Kids have been coming and going and coming back and going again. Kind of like yo-yos. Jen has been very busy with the summer activities at Frontier, including leading the summer school program and yearbook prep for the coming school year. I have just been trying to get better. And it's not going well. 

Ever since my reconnection in January, I have been experience mild to medium pain almost everyday while trying to poop. Some days are better then others, but the pain is mostly always present. So are the frequency of bowl movements. Some days I am going 25-30 times. All while trying to run my Frito route. 

Sadly in the last 6 weeks or so, things have gotten worse. As in terrible. The pain I am experiencing is intense. During some of my poop/pain cycles it can take as long as 3 hours or more to empty my bowls. During these pain cycles, the pain is al least an 8 or a 9. Maybe a 10. It is simply awful and hellish. I will then have a good day or two before the cycle repeats. Somehow I have been able to continue to work during this time. We have tried so many pills, creams, lotions and suppositories that no longer help with the pain. Well no more. 

Starting Monday, I am back on short term disability for the rest of the month, maybe longer. I will be flying to Cody, Wyoming on Friday, then traveling to Billings to meet with a new doctor who will hopefully be able to eliminate the pain through a new technology she has started using. If that option isn't successful, then I will have another surgery on Tuesday, August 27 in Denver. This will be the final option, as I will have a permanent colonlostomy bag placed. While I am not very happy with how this is turning out, I welcome the bag over this terrible hellish pain I continue to experience. This cancer journey has been a long and terrible 18 months. I was hoping that I would be healed by now and well into the recovery period. Sadly, it appears that the journey will continue at least another month, maybe as many as 3 or 6 more if I have the surgery. I just want to feel better, be able to run my Frito route without having to poop 20 or 30 times during the day, and ride a bike again. I'll keep everyone posted on the trip next weekend. We should know in about 8 days or so if the new treatment was successful or not. Thanks again for everyone's continued support. Hopefully this hellish nightmare will be over sooner rather then later.