Post Surgery Update

"The cancer is gone."

Hearing those four words from my urologist two days after my surgery made me think that this was the greatest man in the world.

On Monday, May 17, I was put under in order for Dr. Sprunger to remove my right kidney due to a growth which turned out to be cancer. The removal, or nephrectomy, turned out to be a piece of cake for me... I slept through it. The wife had the hard part. She had to remain awake and entertain the family members and friends who had come to the hospital that day.

I don't remember much of Monday after the surgery. A morphine-like pain killer made sure of that. I do, however, remember waking up and not being happy about the placement of more than a few of the tubes that were now in and on my body. Pure oxygen tends to dry out my throat.

I was told later that I talked to several people that day but I don't remember any of it, so I apologize to those I spoke to.

I do remember insisting on getting up to walk to my window that night. I was told that amazed my nurses. It's nice to know I can still be amazing into old age.

By the way, just a word about Community North Hospital in Indianapolis... Wow! If you must have surgery or be placed in the hospital, make it Community North. We all swear that it is supposed to be a Hotel but somebody let the doctors come in.

I had been given an epidural in order to make my pain that much less during the surgery and recovery. One of the possible problems with this was that it could cause itching. In my case, this was magnified to the point of distraction. It was then that I knew there might be a problem.

My wife was my rock throughout the entire stay, remaining at the hospital and sleeping in a chair by my bedside. Without her, I don't know if I would have done as well as I did.

By Wednesday, I was sitting up and walking three times a day around the ward. The tubes had all been removed and I felt I was ready to go home... then the sickness started. After the first bout of sickness, I was taken off of the morphine and put onto a lighter pain medication. I did fine but the food you get to eat on a liquid diet leaves much to be desired.

On Thursday, I was REALLY ready to go home. Luckily, the doctor agreed. I went home with a prescription for Percocet. This was all good and fine but I couldn't understand why I was still throwing up. The wife also learned how to give me my daily blood-thinner shot of Lovenol.

After two days of battling my system and thinking there was something wrong with me, we finally called and were told that I am a "medicine lightweight". I got a prescription for a Tylenol based pain reliever and learned that only one would make me feel better.

So now, I sit at home watching MacGyver on DVD and trying to get better. Thank you to everybody who has sent me well-wishes and know that I am getting better little by little.

We're making a film entitled "Disorient" at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center on June 5th and 6th and I want to be as clost to 100% long before that.