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6/22/06

We went to BWH to retrieve CAT scan film, PET scan film, ultrasound picture, surgeon’s notes, and pathology report. I needed to get them for my appointment with a radiology oncologist on Friday. Again we had to drive 3 hours round trip, and spend another 3 hours to locate all the documents, even though I arranged everything to be ready to pick up over the phone previous day.

Since I changed my surgeon from the local hospital to the one in BWH, my records are scattered in many different places. In a way, I made the situation more complicated; if I had stayed with the original surgeon, all the examination and scans would have stayed in one network. Well, you have to go the extra mile to get a better result, no matter what!

Even though the collection of these documents took some time, I obtained the surgeon’s operation notes, as well as disgusting-looking ultrasound pictures. They looked pretty bad. The surgeon’s notes state “the tumor nearly obstructing (esophagus), but not completely.”

No wonder why they repeatedly ask me if I have trouble swallowing liquids. Now I understand why they opted to insert the J-tube before the chemo/X-ray and surgery. It is a wonder that I can still eat most everything if I chew well and take my time.

Human is an animal of adaptation.

I felt that it was difficult to swallow some food (particularly Swedish meatballs) in the middle of March. I must have adapted quickly, however, by changing my eating habits unconsciously, and I stopped feeling discomfort in a day or two. In hindsight, I started eating more fish and pasta and started to prefer yogurt drinks, instead of meat and chicken that are chunkier. So it never occurred to me that I was having trouble swallowing. It may sound strange, but even now I am not experiencing any swallowing difficulty. Why? Because I eat soooo slow, and chew like a caw, and I am not aware I am choosing food and taking three times longer than before to finish eating. Discomfort alone could not have taken me to the physician’s office.

Luckily in my case, however, it was the cough that made me aware something was not quite right, because it started causing problems during my interpretation assignments. There was a time when I coughed over a sip of water in February, and had to stop the meeting for a while. Also, I coughed violently over Sushi at a restaurant in Berkeley, California in April. It was not because of Wasabi (green horse radish)!

When you realize something is wrong, your cancer is already at the very late stage.
Early detection is a key, and I hope that everybody diligently goes through a regular mammogram, colonoscopy, and etc!!

In Japan, where esophagio cancer is prevalent, upper GI X-ray with barium is a part of the annual checkup menu. It is like mammogram after age 40, and colonoscopy after age 50 in the US. I cannot deny that there are times when I ponder if my cancer would have been detected early if I was living in Japan.

At home front, it was my second son Dana’s turn to cook yesterday. He grilled Haddock, barbequed chicken, made salad, boiled corn, cooked brown rice, and reheated Miso soup.
It was a pretty complete meal!