Stress is Effecting My Weight Loss
I don’t know why when things are running smoothly, I always encounter a bump in the road. My husband was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. He only had one polyp with Doctor #1 removed during a colonscopy. He came out and told me it was less than a centimeter and he thought everything was fine but that they would test the surrounding tissue.
Three days later Doctor #1 calls and says Alex is going to have to see another doctor as the surrounding tissue was effected. My heart dropped. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The next week we were off to see Doctor #2. He looked at all the various tests and xrays and set up and appointment for surgery the next week.
I was a nervous wreck waiting and waiting while Doctor #2 was removing 12 inches of his colon. He went through the surgery fine and the doctor came out to talk with me. He says it was so small, he was amazed Doctor #1 even found it. He says it was less than a centimeter and that it looked like they had got it all. Doctor #2 says they took out 12 lymph nodes to test to make sure. Three days later, the bombshell fell, 2 of the lymph nodes are effected. Now he is going to have to go through chemotherapy.
During his week stay in the hospital, my weight loss efforts were out the window. I was like the lady in the picture. Alex had a morphine pump the first few days so he slept a lot. I spent my time down in the cafeteria eating. I had an hour drive to the hospital everyday and would stop on the way up and back at fast food resturants. I had a hard time sleeping during that week and found myself raiding the refrigerator and 2 am. I gained 3 pounds in a heartbeat.
It’s been three weeks since his surgery and he’s recovering quickly and is now able to drive . I’ve gotten back on track with my food intake and have been not gained anymore weight. Today we meet with Doctor #3 to see when Alex is going to start his chemotherapy.
I’m nervous and scared for him. I’m praying God gives us both strength to endure this battle. They say they caught it early and it’s treatable but every time I’m given good news…..the bottom drops out and we’re back to square one. It’s time for us to head off to Doctor #3.
Please keeps us in your prayers.
November 4th, 2008 at 1:54 am
I will have you guys in my prayers my friend. Remember that through God all is possible and to let God do his job. After prayer you should let it be and know that it will be OK. Keep your focus and all will be fine.
Best regards,
Mr. Meltdown
November 6th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
i will send you my positive thoughts. i know how hard that can be for weight loss. last december, just 11 months ago, i was diagnosed with a brain leision. It happened right after i lost 45 pounds. the doctors had no definite answer to what it was. after 10 months of stress waiting and gaining about 50 pounds, i had brain surgery. thank god i am fine now, it was a long rough road. the most important lesson i have learned, is that family and friends are a good support system, if they do not know how it is to deal with health issues such as these, be patient with them. also, keeping your thoughts positive is difficult, but once you see the faint glimmer of hope, grab ahold. and last, you need to be patient with yourself. these journeys are awful, yet wonderful things do come from it, please watch for them.
god bless.
An enlightened 20 year old brain surgery survivor
PS
my father went through chemo. it is sometimes the ones who love the chemo patient who have the hardest time… but stay strong, and take care of yourself as well.
November 7th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Thanks for the words of encouragement Mr. Meltdown. I’m praying daily and thanking the Lord for all He has given me during my life. I find myself too often praying for what I need and not being grateful for all I have and miracles He has performed in my life. Thanks for reminding me.
November 7th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Laura,
I am so glad to hear that you have recovered from your brain tumor. The waiting had to be terrible. I’m so glad to hear you are doing so well after 20 years. I don’t have much patience so all this is really hard for me. I find my husband and I are growing closer so that is a good thing coming from this cancer surgery.
I’m trying to be strong. I haven’t cried in front of him and he has no clue how worried I am. He starts the chemotherapy this Monday and it will last for 6 months. I’ve got to just take it a day at a time and keep praying.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing with me. It’s helped me.
November 10th, 2008 at 4:54 am
Wow, what a tough time you are going through at the moment - Wasnt the kind of post i was expecting to read when i came onto this blog and it really puts things into perspective. I dont know how you are being so strong. I know how hard things like having to wait to hear something during an operation can be. He might not say it, but im sure he appreciates you being strong more than you know. I pray things get better for you soon.
November 13th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I feel sad for you. Hope that your husband pass all the trials he have. I do pray for both of you. Keep strong. God is always there to support. Good luck
November 17th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
chris, i just had the surgery on sept. 23rd. and i am 20 years old. haha, i didnt mean to come off like it had been 20 years since the surgery. the emotions are new and raw still.
same with my father. the weeks leading up to chemo was hard for him, but once in the room, with other patients undergoing the same treatment, and the great nurses, it was not as bad.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Stress can absolutely affect weight loss. My problem is that I can’t sleep! I’m up all night with thoughts running through my mind. Luckily there are some great herbal remedies for sleep!
November 18th, 2008 at 6:13 am
Laura, I’m sorry I misunderstood the first post. I will keep you in my prayers. You are so so young to have endured so much. Sharing your experience with others will encourage others. As your strength grows emotionally and physically and you share your story, so many people will be helped. God Bless you.
In regards to my husband, I noticed how the people seems like a family in the chemo room. His side effects haven’t been too bad yet. He was up most of last night. His legs were acting up and he had to keep walking around.
November 26th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I am keeping you both in my prayers. I have a hard time not stuffing my face when I am stressed, but riding my bike gives me relief without bad consequences.
Hope you find peace.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:30 am
First, I want you to know that you and your husband will be in my prayers! I am so sorry to hear about the cancer, and I know what you are going through. My father was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer in the spring. It is the rarest and fastest-acting form of lung cancer with no cure. My father never even smoked so it was a shock for us when it was accidentally discovered during testing for diverticulitis. They noticed three tumors on his liver, so it had already started to spread. All the weight I had lost and all the progress I had made went right out the window! Before I knew it, I had regained 40 lbs and added 10 more. Comfort eating is a real problem for me. Hang in there and focus on being as healthy as you can - you are going to need all the strength you can muster, but don’t beat up on yourself during this difficult time. God bless you and your family!
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:43 am
I wish you both all the luck and all my best wishes. I hope to see an update soon!
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:23 am
How devastating for you! My husband has a kidney transplant, an operation to move the piping around, another operation to stop bleeding caused by operation number two and a nephrectomy this year.
You have to remember to take care of yourself to. You can’t be strong for him if you’re running on empty. I know how unbelievable tough it is. I spent many nights bawling at drive through windows, but eventually you make it trough.
Your family will be in my thoughts.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:07 am
I’ll say a prayer for your husband. It is a very treatable condition. Thank God.