Just before starting chemotherapy and radiation treatments in June (June 25 entry,) I invited four couples to come to my house, who are our very important friends. Rachel Naomi Remen, the author of “Kitchen Table Wisdom,” wrote about the r…

（日本語は後に続きます）For the past two weeks I have been trying to decide whether I still have a stricture even after the dilation. I am not throwing up like before, but I still have a slight discomfort and spit out the remnants of food …

My Santa Claus came in the morning. My neighbor, Manik, an Indian woman, came over in her red jacket with a bag of Christmas cookies. I visited her a few days ago with a few stems of flowers as an offering for her gods, along with a can of…

(日本語は後に続きます）The only thing on my calendar was to go to the Christmas Eve church service at 5:30 p.m. Since the afternoon was bright and warm, I took a walk before going to the service, and ate a whole Klondike bar (!) to repleni…

Klondike bar, Haagen Dazs ice cream, Ghirardelli chocolate, Lindt truffles, and Ritz crackers are part of my daily essentials. These are the food items that provide a lot of calories, even if you only nibble. I was quite chubby when I was …

“Please contact me sooner next time. Your stricture was pretty bad. The opening (to the new esophagus) was only pin-hole size. It is dangerous to dilate a small opening like that. Get in touch if you feel any stricture in the future, even …

I drove for the first time in six months today. Am I too self-conscious or what? I drove like an old lady, 5 miles below the speed limit to the drug store. Another milestone toward normality and independence is accomplished！

（日本語は後に続きます）One of the biggest concerns I had when I had the esophagectomy at BWH was the Fox TV Program “Vanished,” which originally aired on Monday from 8:00 to 9:00 in September. Even on September 25th, the day before the su…

（日本語は後です）No matter how many times I go through it, I cannot get used to the needle, the coldness of the IV fluid, and the moment before being wheeled into the operating room. Rather, the more you experience the operation, the more…

12/04/06 （日本語は後に続きます） I went to the BWH today for the first check-up with the surgeon after the surgery; everything is normal! I will go back to the hospital on Wednesday and Thursday this week for an endoscopy examination and …

11/27（日本語は後に続きます） It is truly interesting that exactly two months after the surgery I started having a serious infection with J-tube. Suddenly the foul smelling pus started oozing out of the insertion site, soiling my clothes. …

11/21（日本語は後に続きます） By the time I can write a paragraph about my emotions and frustrations, I am almost through with that phase. Usually writing brings that process to the surface of my consciousness, and I am fine by the time I …

11/16（日本語は後に続きます） The weather in New England has been gray and dark, and it is affecting my mood a lot. I have had difficulty dealing with cold and dark weather every year, maybe because I was born in a subtropical climate in J…

11/8 （日本語は後に続きます）One of my important rehabilitation routines is to go to church every Sunday. Since the discharge from the hospital, I have never missed the service. Last Sunday, on 11/5, our church had a special music Sunday c…

11/3 (日本語は後に続きます）One difficulty I am facing is that I do not know my health base line yet. Pre-cancerous days, I sort of knew whether I had a serious symptom or not, because I knew my 50-year-old body well. If I had shoulder pai…

10/30 This Blog is about eating, sleeping and walking, which are occupying my days recently. It has been full two weeks since I started eating “somewhat” solid food. I have been feeding only two cans of food for the last few days, and expa…

10/17/06 (日本語を後にいれました） On Monday I went back to BWH for the post surgery check-up. The infection has cleared nicely, and everything else is going well. It is amazing how quickly the scars are healing. “You can eat anything you …

10/13 It is such a surprise that today is already Friday. Compared to the past two weeks, this week has passed slowly and eventless, even though I had to go back to BWH to treat an infection. On Tuesday I went to see my oncologist. It may …

On Sunday I went to church service, even though it was only the third day after being discharged from the hospital. Throughout the hospital stay I felt a high level of energy and strength, and continue feeling the same way. On Saturday (se…

I am back! Thank you very much for your prayers and thoughts. I truely beleive that your thoughs gave me energy during the past 10 days. Thak you very much.

Yesterday (October 4), her surgeon told Mayumi that she will probably be discharged from the hospital on Friday (October 6). The medical staff spent the morning monitoring her as she was given small amounts of grape juice and other liquids…

Still no word today (October 3) on when Mayumi will be discharged from the hospital, but her body appears to be almost ready. Her surgeon stopped by to tell her the results of her pathology report: following her surgery, there is no sign o…

Today (October 2) has been busy and eventful. As further signs of Mayumi's progress, the doctors removed her epidural, so her pain medication will be administered orally from now on; they also removed the staples from the incision below he…

Today (October 1) Mayumi spent her second full day in the Intermediate Care Unit of the hospital. The doctors have removed her chest tube, and she has resumed using her J-tube to take in a small amount of (liquid) nutrition. Using a walker…

At 6:30 this evening (September 29), Mayumi was moved from the Intensive Care Unit on the 7th floor of the hospital, to the Intermediate Care Unit on the 11th floor. This is a sure sign that her condition is improving, although it comes at…

This morning (September 28), the hospital staff removed the ventilation tube from Mayumi's throat, one day later than originally forecast. Her surgeon was concerned that persistent swelling around her throat could make breathing difficult,…

We arrived at the hospital this morning (September 26) at 6:00 a.m. By 7:30 Mayumi was signing consent forms from her bed and being prepared for her operation, so I said good-bye and went to the waiting room. Nine hours later I received a …

Tomorrow is the surgery day, and I am ready. During the past few days, Mark and I spent time in Maine. My esophagitis is cured almost 100%, and we could go out to restaurants and enjoy meals. According to Mark, I have been eating like a ho…

9/18 Almost 70 hours after leaving Boston, I received an Email from Scotland; “Dear Mom, Sorry I didnt call, I cant get the phone card to work, and I dont have internet here yet, Im using someone elses computer for this message. Everything…

9/17/06 I have to go to BWM for pre-admitting test tomorrow, and I am reading fat information packets that were mailed to me. I have postponed reading them till now, and I am feeling that I should have read them before, the same feeling I …