jenny's belly

Symptoms

I've described the symptoms to a few people, but tell me if you had any of these problems you would think "I have cancer":
* Heartburn
* Discomfort or pain in abdomen
* Nausea and/or vomiting
* Diarrhea or consipation
* Bloating after large meals
* Loss of appetite
* Weakness and fatigue

So you can understand why my surgeon called stomach cancer especially "nasty"-- at what point would you notice you have any of the above and decide you need to go to the doctor? And when describing these symptoms to your doctor, at what point would your doctor order emergency surgery and not bed rest or chicken soup? Because really, you might have cancer... Or an ulcer... Or a stomach bug. Dr. Osteen still can't believe I don't have symptoms.

Stomach cancer is rarely caught early. It's found when it has moved beyond the stomach to other organs, such as the heart, pancreas and liver. Patients are often told about their chances for remission, but not a cure. By the time symptoms are felt or the patient receives the attention he or she needs, it's sometimes too late to do much but discuss those wonderful words "quality of life."

Let me tell you how it felt when my first surgeon told me those words. It's life-changing. "Quality of Life" is not a happy phrase. And considering it was preceded by commentary on where my incisions might be (abdomen, chest *AND* neck), how many tubes would be sticking out after surgery, whether they'd need to take my entire stomach out, attaching my esophagus to my colon IN MY NECK, etc etc etc...

I have been through a ringer.

My friend Dan (Hi Dan!) thinks part of this is a change from "just relax and we'll take care of it" to a more patient-friendly warm fuzzies policy. But for awhile there I think I was part of the surgical team deciding my plan of action. "Gosh, can we leave as much of her stomach as possible? Mammals kind of need those."

I'm feeling much more in control of the situation now, but I have a consistent knot in my stomach from dawn to dusk. It's probably there when I'm sleeping, but it doesn't wake me up. I know it's anxiety (or as I like to call it- vomiting butterflies) but it's annoying that I can never stop thinking about the cancer, EVER.

And I'm so clearly in a risk group for stomach cancer:
* Most often found in people over 55
* Twice as often in males as females
* More common in black people than white people
* More common in Japan, Korea, Eastern Europe and Latin America... than in the US
* Foods which are preserved by pickled, smoked, salted or dried may play a role.
* Exposure to dust and fumes in the workplace

I proably should have quit my job in the Latvian coal mine years ago, but I'm sooo close to retirement, and you really can't beat the free pickled pigs-feet sandwiches.

[Credit: National Cancer Institute.]

posted by Jen at 9:06 PM