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#J09 (30Sep00) Peg Replacemant

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Subject: Watched One #09 (30Sep00) Peg replacement improves life!
From:     Jennifer Perlman

Hello Watchers,

As most of you know from following Karl's missives, I had by G-tube replaced (finally), on Thursday. This stupid thing has given me a host of problems, each different, and each entailing some new and more annoying impediment to as normal a life as I can have right now. Problems ranged from infection, to stomach acid leakage onto raw skin (sorry squeamish-ones), to the pooling up of my lovely goop-food onto my stomach whilst having to lay prone on the ground to eat anything. I have ranted about the dreaded "Peg-Doc" endlessly.

Well, some stories have a happy ending. Peg-man may have heard from on high that I was smearing his name with you know what. I called him to tell him about the newest kind of leakage on Wednesday, and he called me back a few (read 7) hours later and had me come in on Thursday morning. There, he was more than nice and accommodating, although you could tell it was a stretch for him (Mom says his hands were shaking). He agreed with Karl's and my assessment of the etiology of the problem (it had all just gone horribly wrong...), and replaced the tube with a new and improved model.

To say that this has improved my life is about the understatement of the year. I now don't have to dread taking medicines (had to lie down prone and pray for no leakage), eating (had to lie down and mop up a cupful of goop off myself and my clothes), and am much more comfortable. It has made a world of difference. Yesterday, my parents and I went to a movie, something I haven't don't since June! We saw "Nurse Betty" (cute, but rentable) at the Metreon, and I was basically fine. Tonight, I am planning on going with them and some friends to "tashlich", a Jewish tradition wherein you cast your last year's sins into the ocean, at Baker Beach (after my acupuncture, that is). So basically, I feel much less encumbered, and more like I can live a normal life.

On the slightly down side, the mouth sores are finally beginning to appear and hurt more. I am hoping that a brief respite of the weekend will give them time to heal a bit, but it makes it harder to talk and more uncomfortable in general. So, phone calls may be scarce for the next two weeks of radiation, but who knows. I do seems to heal quickly, so perhaps the sores I have will get better. And I always have that leftover marijuana from the chemo if things get really bad! I am two thirds of the way (treatment 22 of 33) through radiation on Monday, and I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. Time feels like it is on my side now in terms of the treatment going by. I am tempted to set up an end of treatment party for after it's all over, but am held back by the unknown of how I will be feeling. We'll see.

Anyway, just wanted you all to know the mostly good news. Hope you are all well and happy. Happy Holidays. L'Chana Tova.

Love,
Jen

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Page last updated: Monday, 05 March 2001 05:43:32 Eastern Time.