caveat: steps forward steps back

i was ecstatic earlier this morning. first the doctor drained a bunch more goo from my neck, which feels better and less worrisome. then, preliminary to removing my c-line (a sort of iv stuck into a vein in my upper chest near the collar bone that is used in major surgeries as opposed to the more familiar iv stuck into ones arm or hand or foot), they had removed the drip line entirely and so for a brief hour i was free of external tubing entirely. with no iv cart to have to trundle around, i was practically dancing the corridors of my familiar orbit and chatting animatedly with several men about our respective cancers and possible discharge dates. the removal of the c-line presaged a good prospect, as that indicates that the doctors dont anticipate any possible need to readmit me to surgery.

but then reality took some countermeasures. a conventional iv was sunk in my left hand, much less comfortable than by my collarbone, harder to work around. with only that one functional hand, it felt exceptionally onerous. then the actual c-line removal was more difficult than i anticipated – though not painful, i was required to lie still, on my back, for more than an hour. andrew kept me company.

finally, during lunch, due to tongue failure i choked on some food item so badly that i began to vomit slightly. most people know thats umpleasant. i lost my appetite quickly. so now i just feel exhausted.

while lying still for so long for the c-line removal, i composed a new bucket list.

jareds bucket list (post cancer first draft, short version):

1. learn korean.

caveat: pre breakfast

the charm of the hardcore, strictly korean menus of the hospital food has worn off. partly, since im still avoiding spicy food, that means the food thats left to me ends up pretty bland. but the big problem is that it turns out that the “tiny grains of rice” model of food is singularly maladapted to the demands of retraining my tongue. i do better with creamy substances or with things in discrete bite sized chunks. the grains of rice drift around my mouth uncontrolled and sometimes end up in my airways.

so yesterday we brainstormed some things that might be easier to eat, and andrew tromped off to homeplus and shopped last night.

this morning on waking i had a mini pre breakfast of a sliced plum and some yogurt. it was much less stressful than rice.

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caveat: medical horror genre (graphic image may prove disturbing)

for the sake of completeness i include the following. im NOT playing around – this is not for the squeamish.

in reverse order, i underwent two procedures today that indicated supposed progress or at the least a battle against retrogression.

second, they drained around 200cc of pus from the somewhat infected wound on my neck. it was painless, since severed nerves in that region leave everything numb.

before that, first, i had the splint removed and wound redressed on the donor site on my right forearm. it looks pretty gross but theres zero infection and its healing well. now instead of a cast i have just a loose bandage – just when id gotten used to using my forearm as a table.

here is a picture of my forearm. the round scoop of skin and muscle were used to build my new tongue. modern medicine is amazing.

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