Hi Friends! I hope all of my New Englanders didn’t get too buried in the snow. I was fortunate to have both yesterday and today off due to the Blizzard. Thanks Juno! The blizzard also brought about a couple acts of kindness:

1.) Sheila and Andy live down the street from me and knew digging out my car would be a hardship so they just came over and dug it out/cleaned it off, no questions asked. THANK-YOUUUUU!

2.) When my neighbors got locked out because our front door froze shut everyone came together to “rescue” them. Luckily another neighbor with much more size and weight than my frail self came and body checked the door. That prompted us to all talk more than just a “hi” in passing. My downstairs neighbors later invited me over for dinner 🙂

So that is Juno in a nutshell. I really hope everyone stayed safe.

I want to follow up on a piece I wrote recently (https://boldbaldbattle.com/2015/01/15/swimming/). It was super difficult to write because asking for help when you’re trying your best to be normal is incredibly hard. The response to that entry was unreal. I had numerous offers for people to hire housekeepers, send me food, sign me up for food services, take me out to dinner, etc. It is so heartwarming and I am grateful for all of these offers. Here is an update on what I need and what has been decided:

1.) Cleaning: I looked into a service for cancer patients but unfortunately they are not taking any more patients in my area. My parents have graciously stepped up (as they always do) as my resident housekeepers. Every now and again if they are in the area or traveling to the Cape that have made themselves available to help me with some household tasks. Thanks Mama and Dad! This also cuts down my anxiety of having a stranger in my apartment when I’m not home.

2.) Healthy Meals/Groceries: So many awesome offers! A lot of them came in the first week of posting. To keep everything organized and ensure that I have some consistent help I set up a CaringBridge page. This has a planner where I can post what I need and when, then you can log on, accept the task and we can make arrangements from here. I asked for one meal donation per week (just a dinner for one or something I can take to work for lunch). I have also included all of my crazy, stupid, dietary restrictions.

In addition to this I have my amazing cousin, Sara Kaplan, on the case. She has done a lot of research on my dietary needs (going as far as making a pinterest board just for recipes for me haha) and will be sending some individually portioned meals that I can just thaw and throw in the microwave or oven. Knowing Sara, this will go a long way! (I see a future business blooming Sara, just sayin’). I also have a lot of soup. Stack Bundlezzz Goldman made me some incredible veggie soup before I went into the hospital and her “twinnie” Alita Perez Garvey (all the way from Thailand) has arranged for a local Whole Foods Soup delivery.

Finally, my downstairs neighbor is a Johnson and Wales culinary student and I have hired her to prepare one healthy meal per week as well. So between that, everything listed above,  the CaringBridge meal donations, and weekends with the ever dapper Cory Tysoe, I’ll be all set.

So from my family, to my boyfriend, to my friends, to my entire bear family, to my personal trainer to EVERYONE else in between that is making an effort to help me be well, THANK YOU! If you were not mentioned by name, you are certainly not forgotten.

If you are interested in helping please go to: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jess.sultaire/planner

Here is a screen shot for an example. If you would like to bring me a meal on one of the days that I have designated, or travel with me to MGH, etc. simply hover your mouse over the task then click “accept task” and you can type in your information. Now I know who is doing what, when, and it leaves out the guess work for everyone 🙂

There is a donation thing on there called tributes but honestly I don’t know if it just goes to the website or me so to err on the side of caution I would just avoid it because I don’t know where that money is going. Honestly, I think it just goes to the website as a whole.

Thank you again for all of you love and support through these challenging times. I wish you all happiness and good health!

Since getting released from the hospital I am certainly happy and more comfortable at home. Unfortunately I’m not totally out of the woods with this bowel obstruction. I had an appointment with a GI immediately after I was discharged and when she felt my abdomen she said I was still blocked and distended. She seemed a little surprised that I was discharged. She told me if I run a fever, have extreme pain, or throw up even once to take a U-turn back to the hospital. She also recommended I go back on a mostly liquid diet for a few day. So I’ve been pushing water, juice, ensure, broth, etc. Today I may try to eat some soft peaches, without the skin of course.

I still have some discomfort in the abdomen but it is certainly not as extreme as when I was admitted. As long as I am careful about what I am putting into my body, little by little, this little bugger should resolve itself slowly. I have been doing a great job of wrapping myself into a heated blanket burrito, resting, and watching an excessive amount of bar rescue.

The other concern that the GI and I discussed was the thickening of the colon seen on my CT scan. Unfortunately she will have to do a full colonoscopy because the thickening can be seen on both the right and left side of the large intestine. It is not safe to have this procedure done so close to a bowel obstruction as pumping air into the colon could cause a worse obstruction or perforate the colon. She will be waiting 5-6 weeks for this.

If she finds something inside of my colon, like a polyp, she could remove it then. If she does not see anything during the colonoscopy that means the thickening is external and could point to teeny, tiny, tumors studding the outside of the colon. Cancer can also sometimes cause a film (apparently?) so she said that may also be a reason but we will not be jumping to any conclusions until the colonoscopy is done. So for now, I’m taking everything as status quo.

As of right now I still have an appointment to see the oncologists in Boston for Tuesday but I really don’t feel good about going back on drug with a lingering bowel obstruction. I wrote to them yesterday to see if I could reschedule…the jury is out until Monday. Fingers crossed.

So although I’m not pleased to be taking a step backward, I am happy to have sound medical advise that won’t land me back in the hospital. I knew it was way too soon for solid food. So instead of backpedaling let’s just keep it festive and call it moonwalking.

Love & gratitude my friends 🙂

This will be short and sweet. After 5 days at Women and Infants Hospital I am finally feeling well enough to go home.

I plan to go back to work on Monday but I have another appointment on Tuesday at MGH to restart chemo. So much for my chemocation.

I am looking forward to getting cozy in my bed and falling asleep to the gentle sounds of police sirens and pedestrians yelling. It will be a welcome change from getting woken up from beeping IV’s, 1am vitals, and 5am blood work.

Sick right?

My abdomen is still tight and sore but I am no longer in pain to the extent that I was on sunday. I plan to keep my diet light, bland, and mostly liquid for the time being.

Thanks again for the support through yet another hospitalization.

Love & gratitude

Another semi-brief update as I do not trust what I type under the influence of Dilaudid. Seriously I actually sent this cryptic text last night with no idea what I was trying to say:

After 9pm I should be put on digital lock down. When I was talking to Cory I would have mini-moments of altered reality and start talking about absolute nonsense . EX: “and I JUST bought new silverware!” …um okay.

So I’m time limited for all of our benefit. Today improved! I am stretching out pain meds to every 6ish hours instead of every 2. The docs put a stethoscope to my belly and heard good bowel sounds in each quadrant.

I felt well enough to shower and walked up and down the halls of the 4th floor to keep my guts moving. I even popped into the social work office and caught up with my favorites. Showing up in a pink floral johnny, hospital socks, and an IV pole unannounced was a bit comical but they didn’t seem to mind.

I’ll be meeting with one of the SW’s tomorrow with the dietician to strategize for meal prep and services.

So the main event today was the coveted “toot”. One toot to rule them all. If you’ve ever had abdominal surgery or cancer you know what a major deal this. When your guts aren’t working, and you toot for the first time in the hospital, they treat you like you scored the game winning touch down in the Super Bowl.  Out of respect for my readers I try to refrain from talking about bowel habits but I cannot stress to you how important it is.

After my stroll around the 4th floor I heard my little stubborn guts gurgle and shortly thereafter, a tiny toot followed. I rang the nurse station with pride as I delivered the news of my great accomplishment.

This earned me a prize! I can now have small sips of clear liquids. I chose hot tea and it made my tummy flutter with joy. Let us not forget that I have not been allowed to eat or drink ANYTHING since I got here. My last meal and sip of water was on Saturday night. This was a welcome treat.

So tomorrow my fingers are crossed for some solid food. Depending on how the docs feel about my progress I could potentially be discharged late tomorrow or Thursday.

I want to take this opportunity to thank a lot of people. My parents first for always having my back and making my life easier by going to my apartment, cleaning, and doing laundry so I can come home to a nice space. Not to mention all the hours of driving and sitting by my side in a super cramped hospital room (even when I’m cranky). I also want to thank Cory for traveling 3 hours round trip each day to be by my side and putting up with my incoherent Dilaudid rambling.

Thanks to everyone else that has visited, brought thoughtful/hilarious gifts (sheila!), sent uplifting texts/ comments, and kept me in your positive thoughts. I am truly blessed to be a part of such a kind network and community of people. I leave you with love and gratitude.

Updates to come!

Another semi-brief update as I do not trust what I type under the influence of Dilaudid. Seriously I actually sent this cryptic text last night with no idea what I was trying to say:

After 9pm I should be put on digital lock down. When I was talking to Cory I would have mini-moments of altered reality and start talking about absolute nonsense . EX: “and I JUST bought new silverware!” …um okay.

So I’m time limited for all of our benefit. Today improved! I am stretching out pain meds to every 6ish hours instead of every 2. The docs put a stethoscope to my belly and heard good bowel sounds in each quadrant.

I felt well enough to shower and walked up and down the halls of the 4th floor to keep my guts moving. I even popped into the social work office and caught up with my favorites. Showing up in a pink floral johnny, hospital socks, and an IV pole unannounced was a bit comical but they didn’t seem to mind.

I’ll be meeting with one of the SW’s tomorrow with the dietician to strategize for meal prep and services.

So the main event today was the coveted “toot”. One toot to rule them all. If you’ve ever had abdominal surgery or cancer you know what a major deal this. When your guts aren’t working, and you toot for the first time in the hospital, they treat you like you scored the game winning touch down in the Super Bowl.  Out of respect for my readers I try to refrain from talking about bowel habits but I cannot stress to you how important it is.

After my stroll around the 4th floor I heard my little stubborn guts gurgle and shortly thereafter, a tiny toot followed. I rang the nurse station with pride as I delivered the news of my great accomplishment.

This earned me a prize! I can now have small sips of clear liquids. I chose hot tea and it made my tummy flutter with joy. Let us not forget that I have not been allowed to eat or drink ANYTHING since I got here. My last meal and sip of water was on Saturday night. This was a welcome treat.

So tomorrow my fingers are crossed for some solid food. Depending on how the docs feel about my progress I could potentially be discharged late tomorrow or Thursday.

I want to take this opportunity to thank a lot of people. My parents first for always having my back and making my life easier by going to my apartment, cleaning, and doing laundry so I can come home to a nice space. Not to mention all the hours of driving and sitting by my side in a super cramped hospital room (even when I’m cranky). I also want to thank Cory for traveling 3 hours round trip each day to be by my side and putting up with my incoherent Dilaudid rambling.

Thanks to everyone else that has visited, brought thoughtful/hilarious gifts (sheila!), sent uplifting texts/ comments, and kept me in your positive thoughts. I am truly blessed to be a part of such a kind network and community of people. I leave you with love and gratitude.

Updates to come!

I’ll keep this update brief (mainly because my pain meds cause me to doze off mid sentence).

I have been admitted to Women and Infants Hospital after being diagnosed with a bowel obstruction. In short this means that my intestines are not passing its contents. In some cases there is a physical blockage and in other cases its just the intestines not doing their job right. This is not uncommon for someone that has had abdominal surgery (like me).

The game plan for now:
-Watch and wait. The problem generally just needs time to resolve itself.
-NPO- no food or drink. I’m hooked up to an IV to keep me hydrated
-Pain Management- they have been dosing me every 2-3 hours with Dilaudid (think morphine +)

So that’s it. I’m here at least another night and we will see how it all plays out.

Special thanks to Sarah for dropping everything to bring me to the ER and staying with me for roughly 10-11 hours. Thanks to my parents and my handsome boyfriend for making the trek from CT to be with me last night. Lastly, thanks for the kind texts, calls and fb comments! I truly have the best support system.

.. OK good I only managed to fall asleep while typing 4 times. It’s a record.

I’ll be updating as info unfolds.