My doctor was able to identify an early-early stage tumor on the head of my pancreas after routine blood labs showed whacky liver numbers. Dr Alvarez called me and asked me to come in for a sonogram, then a CT-scan. The tumor was perfectly positioned on the head of my pancreas so that it was pressing up against the bile duct from the liver, causing the odd numbers that acted as a warning that my doctors should take a look inside me.
So next came an endoscopy that confirmed both the cancerous tumor AND the physicians' hope that I was a good candidate for the Whipple procedure. Awe and relief coursed through my veins. A six-hour operation to carefully remove all the dicey bits near my pancreas while preserving (by re-inventing) my innards' ability to process food and drink. Long operation, ten days in hospital, six more weeks recovery at home.
Now, having just completed a six-month course of "clean-up chemo," I'm looking back not in fear and loathing, but in humility and profound gratitude. From the receptionists to the renowned surgeons, from the nurse orderlies to the wandering minstrels, every interaction with all the good folks who work at Stanford Hospital happened with positivity and good will.
This Bamboobear doesn't hand out lots of advice. As I care about you, Dear Reader, I'm going to wish you these four things:
•May your healthy living be rewarded with a smooth road into your older years.
••May the medical problems that could arise be seen to promptly by physicians you can give your trust to.
•••And if you are facing hospital treatment and recovery, never forget how vitally important your attitude is in being an active participant in both your treatment and recovery. Be curious, ask questions, and listen carefully. Keep on imagining as vividly as you can your pathway forward, even when setbacks rear their ugly heads.
••••Let yourself be cared for. Open your heart to all who are there for you.
PS Don't worry if the drugs they give you somehow erase your fingerprints.
I'm told they will grow back. Someday. Please?