(#11) Important Appointment on Monday 11/16

Here’s where we are in the cancer/surgery journey. We’ve gotten through the toughest part, for sure, but this part is also challenging and it seems so loooong. Radiation and Chemo wasn’t bad. Surgery and hospitalization was definitely the hardest. Recovery is sure a lot longer than I anticipated. My stomach-of-limited-quantity requires a whole new way of eating and monitoring. It's a difficult adjustment. Who would ever have thought that I’d be trying to ADD CALORIES rather than limiting them?

Surgery removed my entire esophagus and much of my stomach, so now I have to eat less more often, and require high protein/high calorie intake. It also requires me to move drinking away from the eating. It seems I’m taking longer to digest most anything, and doughy/starchy foods seem the hardest to handle. I still have the feeding tube into my abdomen and will have until I can demonstrate that my weight is stable and I’m not still losing weight. Nutrition at Mayo has required me to be stable for a full month before they remove the tube. I am so eager to be done with the tube, it can’t go away soon enough.

So, here’s where I need my friends to pray. I have an appointment at Mayo on Monday with plan to remove the tube. I’ve taken nourishment and fluids totally by mouth for a bit more than a month; but there have been a few discouraging days, when the scale reads too little. Weight fluctuates from day to day, but I need to hit my goal when I step on the scale in Rochester to get rid of the tube and move on with recovery.

God is faithful, and He’s teaching me a lot about His grace and mercy. I sure don’t deserve all His provision and goodness. It’s frankly, just amazing what my medical team has accomplished and those are God’s good gifts. My greatest spiritual challenge is figuring out (again) what is God’s to do and what is mine to do. That’s never been easy for me – to know what I’m responsible for and what to leave in God’s hands. And this journey is sure a mixture of both. I’m slowly learning how to do my part – by faith and with the strength He provides. I want this to help me grow-up spiritually which is a life-long pursuit. I so deeply appreciate that so many of you are willing to ask God on my behalf.

 

Comments

  1. Grandma Pat FarringtonNovember 13, 2020 at 11:04 AM

    My oh my. You are so brave. A real trooper. We know God will bring you through. It’s been tough I know. I pray fir you, and your family. Thank you sooo much for the update.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bruce and Barbara Jean LapkaNovember 16, 2020 at 1:50 PM

    Dear Steve,
    With confidence in the GREAT PHYSICIAN, we will continue to pray for the baby steps that you are involved in to be completely healed. You have family support and an ARMY of PRAYER WARRIORS who will help you through this journey. GOD is inside of YOU and HE is doing the healing and we ALL know that we can do ALL things through CHRIST who strenghtens us. We also know that we must BE STILL, so we are able to hear HIS VOICE and do what HE wants us to do and let go of what HE will take care of and let HIM do it. We love you and your family so very much and we will continue to pray. Please feel our MASSAGING and HEALING HUGS!
    Love and Prayers,
    Bruce and Barbara Jean Lapka

    ReplyDelete

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