Come for the Modern Day Miracles, Stay for the Pain.

I have survived my sixth round of reconstruction surgery following the fall, 2020 diagnosis of cancer.

It was an all-day event for the team of UCSD surgeons who operated on various parts of (mostly) my upper body. There is a Velveeta-slice size of grafted skin taken from my left thigh, but if you’re rating things based on how much they hurt, it’s hardly worth mentioning. 

My memories of the last time skin was swapped around more than a decade ago do tell me that this may be a faulty assessment. It’s all relative, I suppose. Stitches and slashes and such heal in a few weeks. Skin grafts are the gift that keeps giving.

The hangover from the anesthesia seems like it lasted longer this time. The oxy-type pain reliever made me more stupid. And, the pain! It was [chef’s kiss]... How else can I explain away standing in front of the toilet pissing my pants and going back to bed unaware of the stinking mess I’d made?

The pain may fade; I’m not so sure about the shame.

My higher cognitive powers appear to be returning, though spell-check is my new best friend and multi-tasking is my new worst enemy. If I can think it, “it” will appear in the middle of whatever I’m typing at the moment.  (Don’t try to type that sentence three times fast!) 

Unlike getting your car fixed or getting your computer upgraded to whatever version of Windows it won’t support, there is no immediate way of determining whether the surgery I experienced was successful.

The fact that I’m here to complain about the pain is about as much validation as that thought will get for a few days.  I’ll update you in a few weeks when we know more.

Thank you to all the well-wishers who chimed in via email, social media, and various exercises in spiritual yearning. As always, my #1 fan, aka Lisa, made a huge difference.

I don’t think I’ll be back up to writing five days a week for a while. Mundane things like remembering my med schedule and eating sandwiched between various naps are going to be my first priorities for a bit.

Email me at WritetoDougPorter@gmail.com