I am so happy to have been able to spend the weekend at home with family. It feels so go good to get out of the hospital. I must say the surgery feels a little bit like being hit by a truck and trying to keep any energy up is a real chore due to the difficulty with eating due to the tonsil surgery. We are doing a lot of experimenting with food and drugs to try to make eating possible. The ENT thinks that in another week it should be a lot easier to eat. The neck wounds seem to be healing well and today the exterior stitches were taken out of my neck! So for now lots of ice water, mighty soft food, lots of DVD’s on the couch and no pie for a while !!
I must say that both Peggy and I have been really impressed with the care we have received at the Newark Wayne hospital in Newark NY. Peggy met the president of the hospital setting up breakfast things for the ICU lounge on Thursday morning. I was impressed with that but we had just returned home on late Friday afternoon and the hospital called to let me know that they had just received some flowers for us right after we had been discharged. They had a nurse from the hospital deliver them to our house, 45 minutes away. We tried to tip her but she would hear nothing of it. Now that’s dedication ! There is a lot to be said for the personal touch in health care !
Our good friends and fellow musicians, John Kirk, Trish Miller and Dan and Nancy Berggren made the trip over from the Saratoga region yesterday to have a visit. It was so wonderful to see them and have a chance to a say hello, although right now I don’t have any voice. John brought a few pics and video greeting from the Galway concert on Saturday night that Peggy and I were scheduled to perform at but had to cancel due to the surgery. It just reminds me how thankful I am for this wonderful circle of friends surrounding us with so much love and concern. Thank you all so much !!
Thursday we will meet with the ENT and have the biopsy results from the neck surgery and tonsillectomy done last week. This will determine our radiation and chemo treatment course in the next few weeks. So I will keep you all posted as soon as we know. In the meantime I look forward to the 7.00 pm vibe.
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Hey Dan, I'm sorry you are still having difficulty eating. I hope it gets better soon. Also, I wanted to say that I, too, felt like I was hit by a truck after my cancer surgery, and it takes a while to get your energy back, even when you can eat whatever you want. Your body has been through a major trauma, and it will take a while to get back to normal. Try to be patient, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, eat as much ice cream and pudding as you can, and enjoy those DVDs!
ReplyDeleteI will be keeping my fingers crossed that your news on Thursday leans towards the needing less chemo direction, and I will be praying that whatever you need to do next for treatment, that you and Peggy will continue to feel comforted and supported by your community.
It's great that John, Trish, Dan and Nancy were able to visit.
As always, please let me know if there is anything I can do.
So rest already! Now I know for you, you bundle of hopping energy, taking it easy must be a foreign concept but take this as a learning challenge. You may get to like it. And it will make it easier on Peggy.
ReplyDeleteYour body cells have their own intelligence and they know just what you've been through a very short time ago. It will take a while for them to get over the cellular memory of the surgery.
So breathe, relax, laugh, be grateful - and take your pain pills.
love to you and Peggy,
Cara
Hi Dan and Peggy
ReplyDeleteAll of your friends from the Oneida Chorale send their love, prayers and best wishes. We are all "with" you both!!!
Kim
I know from 20 years ago [don't you LOVE numbers like that!] how much of healing is about being home and being embraced and loved by family and friends. With all the love - and good vibes - from home and Peggy, family and friends, you will be up beating out the tempo of the Energizer Bunny soon - and eating PIE!
ReplyDeleteIt was exactly 20 years ago that I had my diagnosis and only a month more that I sat on the sofa - after surgery - watching spring return to the landscape outside the window near the sofa where I was ensconced with journals, books, the movie remote, and ginger ale. I dreamed then of the Biblical healing pool of Bethesda where I was escorted into the rushing waters at the instruction of an angel [my first angel dream ever!]. This week I sat in a hotel room in Bethesda, MD, reading through pages and pages of recently completed studies on botanicals associated with healing. The synchronicity of the overlays of an ancient dream of Bethesda in 1990 - and sitting in Bethesda in a city of Greek Revival columns and medical institutes - reading and thinking about the incredible healing capacity of our mind/body/spirit working together in harmony - was not lost on me.
The music of your healing is within, without, around, above, before and beside you. You are loved greatly,
Wanda and Ron
Thanks for all the updates and photos. Claire and I have been thinking about you a lot and hope the recovery continues to go smoothly. I must admit, I feel helpless. If there's anything we can do for you or Peggy, let us know. I can only imagine that this experience will increase your power of being and your capacity to love, appreciate and experience life. Stay tuned, for life!
ReplyDeleteLove, Jamie and Claire
PS Heal!
Hi Dan and Peggy,
ReplyDeleteSo glad you were able to enjoy the weekend at home, and with good friends. Hang on to your patience, and keep healing...
I'm crossing everything that crosses, and sending out positive, hope-filled vibes, that the biopsy results you are getting tomorrow will be the best possilbe under the circumstances.
Love, Jess
PS... knowing how you love fruit pie, have you thought of trying pureed pupmkin pie? (without the crust, of course!)
Hi guys
ReplyDeleteJust another attempt to get through the blogging to your heart...
I'm thinking about you, and trusting the sky to keep you safe...
here's to a warm February day to bring the hint of promise...
deeply felt like a song...
love you both
Randy
Hi Dan and Peggy
ReplyDeleteThinking of you. Your positive attitude will help you through the treatments and should go a long way with your recovery. You are in our prayers.
Dan and Peggy,
ReplyDeleteThinking of you a lot today. Keep resting and healing!
Claudia
Dan and Peggy,
ReplyDeleteSending vibes throughout the day.
Donna and John
Continuing to hold you in the Light, for hope and healing...Keep the music playing in mind, body and soul. We're singing with you!
ReplyDeleteMusic makes pictures and often tells stories
All of it magic and all of it true
And all of the pictures and all of the stories
All of the magic, the music is you...
(John Denver)
Dan and Peggy,
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely on our minds and in our hearts today. I am eager to hear what the treatment plan is, and eager for you to start it so that you can finish it and get back to your lives. I love what Wanda wrote about the music of your healing being all around you. I have an affirmation I picked up after I got diagnosed last year that I think of often:
"Each of my cells vibrates with loving energy" or something like that, and another one:
"I am grateful for the gifts of today and look forward to the gifts tomorrow will bring"
I also have some meditations in iTunes format for visualizations during chemo, and some guided visualizations by Bernie Seagal on boosting your immune system and dealing with pain. I would be happy to share all of these with you.
Love to you both
The music of Karen Drucker might bring comfort as well. She has some beautiful and melodic affirmations.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.karendrucker.com/
She's going to be in my hometown of Hershey in May!
Carol