Author Archives: admin
Lorazapam Free!
John and Clarence, from the pool, have been hounding me, again, to post something on the blog. I keep telling them there isn’t anything to report and if they wanted to know how I’m doing they could just ask. After … Continue reading
Wood Pile.
People keep saying I should post something to this blog, but there really isn’t much to say. So I’m going to write about my wood pile. Every year we get a cord of wood which I stack into a neat … Continue reading
Clarence is upset.
Clarence, one of my swimming buddies from the pool, is upset because I haven’t posted to this blog for awhile. I pointed out this was because everything was fine and there wasn’t anything to post about. He wasn’t satisfied. John … Continue reading
Door Number Three!!!!!
Everyone knows the stories that involve three doors. The hero of the story is faced with three doors. He gets whatever is behind one of the doors. Two of the doors have something awful behind them, the third something wonderful. … Continue reading
A really good week.
I had a really good week. Admittedly, when most people say they had a good week their week didn’t include fatigue, retching, and vomiting. But I live by a different standard. This week was good because I just overall felt … Continue reading
Looking pretty darned good, all things considered.
I’ve been grumbling a lot lately about how difficult things have been. I figured I’d post this picture to show you I look in better shape than I sound. This is what I look like after not having had my … Continue reading
Ups and Downs.
There have been some ups and downs recently, but I’m doing pretty good now. My energy level is up, digestion is OK, and I’ve got more of an ability to drink water than I’ve had in months. That is really … Continue reading
Iron Man.
My last post on getting the IV iron infusion prompted Marcia to observe she was surprised I missed the obvious Iron Man reference. Embarrassing. None-the-less, I figure it is not too late. I’ll just pretend I was saving it for … Continue reading
Live Update – Hooked to a tube again.
Here I am again at the Knight Cancer Center (Pacific Oncology) attached to another IV drip. As you can see, it had to be plugged into my arm since there is no longer a port. I had the port removed … Continue reading
Strawberry Waffles
I know, most of you don’t give a rip about what I eat. But in Linda H’s last comment she said “Please post more food fantasies-turned realities as the weeks goes on. It helps us enjoy our food more!”. So … Continue reading
I ate a hamburger!!!
I know, for you eating a hamburger is nothing. An every day experience. But for me it was a milestone. When I was being fed through a tube sticking into my neck, not taking any calories by mouth, hamburgers were … Continue reading
Feed Me!
I was suddenly hungry. I haven’t been suddenly hungry in over ten months. It was a full fledged low blood sugar attack. Light headed, wobbly knees, ravenous appetite. I stopped gardening and headed for the kitchen. I actually scarfed food, … Continue reading
A week in LaGrande.
We just got back from spending a week in our house in LaGrande. This was the first time I’ve felt up to the trip in over ten months. It was a wonderful trip. It was difficult keeping my calories up … Continue reading
Swimming.
This week I was back to swimming 40 minutes a day. I didn’t have a picture of myself in my swim suit since I lost so much weight, but I look pretty much like the picture to the left. Oh, … Continue reading
Hair, Hypnotism, and Belly Fat.
As you can see, the hair is starting to grow back. It seems to be starting with the mustache which is now bushier than ever, followed by the beard which is getting longer, and, finally, the hair on my head … Continue reading
Hypnotized.
As I mentioned, I got hypnotized. Every time I hear the word orinthophobia I have an uncontrollable urge to quack like a duck. Of course, I quacked like a duck every time I heard the word orinthophobia prior to getting … Continue reading
A New Direction.
Linda, Hugo, and Sarah have all expressed concerns because I haven’t posted in a few weeks. I guess that’s understandable considering in the last episode I was chained to a chair with no chance of escape. Things have gotten better. … Continue reading
Chained To A Chair.
I am probably the only person in Western Oregon not depressed by the record low temperatures and persistent rain. When you’re feeling crappy, sunshine just reminds you of all the fun things you could be doing if you had any … Continue reading
Thank You Marcia
I figured it was past time to thank Marcia for keeping this blog going when I was too out of it to post. She took over the blog and kept everyone up to date while I lolly gaged at the … Continue reading
Bullet holes
There is a hole in my gut where they took out the feeding tube that looks exactly like a bullet hole. This is almost as cool as owning a car with the fake gangster bullet holes that hip little old … Continue reading
Tube free.
We visited Dr. Tseng today. He appeared astounded that I was eating 2000 calories a day by mouth and only taking in 500 through TPN. I suspect many people would take much more time to get to where I am. … Continue reading
TPN dependency. A tough habit to break.
It looks like it’s going to take a little longer to get off of TPN than we had hoped. We were hoping to be off after an additional week but that isn’t looking too realistic. To get off TPN … Continue reading
Getting better all the time.
Though I still feel pretty crappy, things are getting better. Last night was my first night on 500 calories of TPN. Actually, it was 250 calories because the pump malfunctioned at 11:30, 1:00 AM, and 1:30 AM. After the third … Continue reading
Things are looking up.
When you measure the quality of life by the number of times you’ve retched or thrown up during the day, you have no where to go but up. Things are looking up. The stomach is acting up less, I have … Continue reading
Convert that gift card to cash.
I strongly recommend if you get a gift card for a total gastrectomy you take it to one of those places that redeems gift cards for cash. Dump that sucker as quick as you can. I know, a gastrectomy is … Continue reading
Strawberry jam – it’s a good thing
Hi, Marcia here with an update and a list of things that are going better for the Olsons. Although he is still extremely tired, Gary had enough energy to walk around the yard. Yesterday he consumed 866 calories by mouth. … Continue reading
No balloons allowed – yet
Hi, Marcia here with a quick update. Unfortunately, the Olsons are not quite ready to do any celebrating. There is a certain amount of relief that came with Gary having his LAST chemo treatment last Wednesday, but he feels really, … Continue reading
Gary decides it’s time to whine. Just a little.
When I first started this blog my friend Clarence observed that he thought my positive approach downplayed how difficult what I was experiencing really was. He believed I wasn’t telling the whole story about what a nightmare I must be … Continue reading
Cancer makes a lousy straight man
Hi, Marcia here with an update. Gary was able to receive his second to the last Picard chemo treatment today. If Anne and Gary weren’t so exhausted, they would be elated. When you have had your second to the last … Continue reading
The manicotti is a hit
Hi, Marcia here with an update. After my previous post you’re probably worried that I’m going to suggest your comments be written in iambic pentameter. Don’t be – just your well wishes for Gary are enough. Gary and Anne … Continue reading
What we need is a nice Haiku
Hi, Marcia here with a quick update on the Olsons. I would have loved to do something creative with this post (a nice Haiku comes to mind), but you’re getting the following instead. Anne and Gary met with Dr. Tseng … Continue reading
News and update
Hi, Marcia here with an update. Gary finally had the test today to check his tube feeding tube. Going into it he was extremely nervous as numerous health care professionals had told him that he would need to drink the … Continue reading
Light at the end of the tunnel
My friend Carl sent me this picture to remind me there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. According to past experience, today will be the worst day of this round of chemo. So far, that’s pretty much … Continue reading
White blood cell count dance in clinical trials
Hi, Marcia here with an update. It appears that Louise’s white blood cell count dance did the trick. Gary was able to have his next mega dose of chemo today along with the chemo he was previously receiving through Picard. … Continue reading
Farmville.
The picture to the left is of my farm. My farm has two orchards, a turkey roost, pig pen, bee hive, two fruit stands, an animal trough, a dairy, and a bakery. It also has a tractor, seeder, and harvester … Continue reading
Picard gets his pink slip
Hi, Marcia here with an update on Gary’s appointment with Dr. Ey. Because of Gary’s low white blood cell count, Dr. Ey has fired Picard. They’ll wait a week to determine whether or not he’ll need the bazillion dollar shot he … Continue reading
Brie, crackers, pears repeat…
Hi, Marcia here with a Monday update. Gary is feeling slightly better and they are going to hold off talking to Dr. Ey until their scheduled appointment on Wednesday. Gary is attempting to eat 250 or more calories every … Continue reading
After Christmas update
Hi, Marcia here with an after Christmas update on the Olsons. Christmas dinner was at their house yesterday (remarkable, I know!). Their house looked wonderful and Anne prepared a lovely meal complete with delightful party favors. On the health front, … Continue reading
News past and present
Hi, Marcia (Anne’s sister) here. Those of you coming to this site for the first time likely arrived via a link in Anne and Gary’s Christmas Greeting. For you, here is the Reader’s Digest version of the events of the last several … Continue reading
Stepping off a cliff
Hi, Marcia here with an update. Starting chemo again must be like jumping off a cliff because you know there’s something good at the bottom. It’s that first step that’s the hardest. Gary did, however, take it today and is … Continue reading
Last term at CU
Hi all, Marcia here. As most of you know, Gary starts the last phase of his treatment tomorrow. It’s kind of like starting your last term of college. You’re almost through, but you still have to endure nine weeks of … Continue reading
Lose 30 pounds in 30 days.
I always scoffed at those signs posted on telephone poles reading “Lose 30 pounds in 30 days”, but that’s exactly what I am doing. Since I’ve gone off TPN I’ve been losing about a pound a day. This isn’t necessarily … Continue reading
Free at last
Hi all, Marcia here with an update. After two months of needing to be hooked up to bags, bottles, tubes, and any number of other devices, Gary is officially unhooked. No more TPN. This means he is on his own … Continue reading
Life is just so daily…
Hi, Marcia here with an update on the Olsons. Those of you who are Mary Engelbreit fans may recognize this image. It is one she has used on several of her calendars. It also seems a perfect description of the … Continue reading
More Good News.
We visited with Dr. Tseng today. It went well. To bring you up to speed, I enjoyed a great Thanksgiving dinner where I ate a little bit of everything and seconds of some things. Unfortunately, my GI tract rebelled over … Continue reading
Turkey.
I can eat turkey! I have to cut it into itty bitty bites, chew it until my jaws cramp, but I can eat turkey. We visited with Dr. Tseng yesterday. He said he thought it was time I graduated to … Continue reading
Has my stomach forgiven me?
As I speculated in my last post, I think my intestines have been giving me so much distress because they are pissed off I didn’t consult with them before having my stomach surgically removed. This is entirely understandable, though I … Continue reading
Breaking in the new stomach.
No hamburgers, Hawaiian pizza, meaty chili, or macaroni and cheese drenched in catsup allowed. Only soft foods. Butterscotch pudding is soft, so I made some. (See picture) Made it from scratch. Added extra butter. It is so good. Now that … Continue reading
Ice cream is exquisite. What a pity it isn’t illegal. ~Voltaire
Hi, Marcia here with the Tuesday update. The Olson’s saw Dr. Tseng today. They decided that Gary would stay on TPN feeding and work towards the goal of him getting all of his nutrition from food he actually eats. … Continue reading
Hamburgers, Hawaiian Pizza, and Meaty Chili.
I have become obsessed with food. Not to complain, but I haven’t had a substantial meal in two months. For the most part I’ve been fed through a little tube, which isn’t as bad as it sounds. But I don’t … Continue reading
No leak
Hi, Marcia here with an update. I saw the Olsons today. Gary couldn’t visit for very long because he was off to take his swallow test. He is such a gadabout. The test had been postponed from yesterday so … Continue reading
Dr. Tseng is more than happy
Marcia here with a quick update. Gary and Anne saw Dr. Tseng today and he was more than happy that Gary was not in the hospital. When he arrived home from his vacation on Sunday (at midnight), the first thing … Continue reading
Was it the dancing cows?
Hi, Marcia here with an update. I saw the Olsons yesterday. Gary seems to have avoided the infection Dr. Tseng was so very worried he would get. KNOCK ON WOOD. Was it the antibiotics he is on? Was it … Continue reading
Another day…
Hi, Marcia here with a quick update. Another day, still no signs of an infection. We’re liking this.
Not Borg material
Although we are not quite ready to breathe a collective sigh of relief, we have let out just a bit of the collective breath we’ve been holding. The weekend passed and Gary didn’t end up in the ER with an … Continue reading
Saturday update
Hi, Marcia here with a quick update. There have been some encouraging signs at the site where the drain tube was, but we are still holding our collective breath. Apparently tomorrow or any of the few days following is … Continue reading
Delivered in 30 minutes or it’s free
Delivered in 30 minutes or it’s free – oh wait, that’s pizza. Marcia here with an update. Gary and Anne’s latest adventure started yesterday when his TPN was not delivered by 5:00 as it was scheduled to be. The … Continue reading
Another visit with Dr. Tseng
Hi, Marcia here with an update on Gary and Anne’s visit with Dr. Tseng. Please don’t worry that it is me, not Gary, doing the posting. We’re taking turns. Dr. Tseng was reassuring – a good quality in a physician. … Continue reading
Using toenails to measure progress.
I measure my progress by the number of little tasks I am able to do that I previously found overwhelming. I’ve been meaning to trim my toe nails for the past three weeks, but it was more that I could … Continue reading
Saturday update
Hi, Marcia here with a Saturday update. I saw Gary (and Anne and Molly) yesterday. Gary’s color is better than the last time I saw him. For English majors like myself, that’s the scientific way of determining how someone … Continue reading
Thursday update
Hi, Marcia here with a quick update. Although tired, Gary had a good day yesterday – lots of sleep the night before, energy for two walks (he’d only been doing one for the past several days) and, since is GI … Continue reading
Would you like sauce with your rigmarole?
Hi, Marcia here again with an update. Anne reports that Gary felt pretty good last night. They are getting used to the new routine of administering the antibiotics with a gravity drip (bag hung from pole) through his port for … Continue reading
Things go better with Coke
Hi, Marcia here with an update. Gary and Anne started their day with a plugged feeding tube. They were told by one medical professional that a mixture of baking soda, meat tenderizer, and water was what was suggested in the … Continue reading
This is not it…
Hi, Marcia here with an update. In Gary and Anne’s world of recovery from surgery, medical devices, complicated tube feeding, antibiotics, and crummy side effects, suffice to say that they’ve had fun before, and this is not it. Please keep … Continue reading
Batteries not included
So, you know how when you were a kid and you got a really, really cool toy for Christmas, and you were so excited, and then you discovered that the batteries were not included, and since it was Christmas all … Continue reading
Tuesday update
Hi, Marcia here, guest blogging for Gary. Here’s a bit of an update on the situation. It’s unfortunate that Gary’s new stomach did not come with an owner’s manual, as eating is a bit more challenging for him this … Continue reading
A day in the life.
For those of you who are curious about my post surgery life I wrote this post. If you’re looking for something light and funny, you might want to skip this one. For starters you need to understand that I returned … Continue reading
An eyewitness report…
Hi all, Marcia here with an eyewitness report on all things Olson. I saw Gary today and you know, he looks darn good. I’ve seen people look worse after a particularly difficult Western Civ final and a bit too much … Continue reading
One peach slice at a time…
Hi, Marcia here with a quick update on the Olsons. It seems that every day is a little better. Complications today were mechanical rather than medical and related to pumps that wouldn’t prime. They can put a man on the … Continue reading
Home at last. If I only functioned well enough to appreciate it.
As you know, I’m back from the hospital. I’m not functioning at my usual 100%, more like 1.2%. That’s a rough calculation, so don’t use it for analysis of my professional abilities. Truth be told, I can barely make this … Continue reading
Sunday update
Hi, Marcia here with an update on Gary. After a not so good day yesterday, he slept better last night and feels pretty good today. He is getting used to being hooked up to the TPN machine, which apparently makes … Continue reading
One more day…
Marcia here again. Gary was not released from the hospital today, mostly because of administrative issues. I suppose if one has to stay in the hospital an extra day, paperwork is the best of all possible reasons. One, for example, … Continue reading
If it’s Wednesday…
If it’s Wednesday, things must be better. Gary is feeling better and plans are that he will go home tomorrow. They did a CAT Scan today to check for fluids, and although there were small amounts here and there, it … Continue reading
Tuesday
Marcia here again. Overall it was a better day for Gary. The new way of giving him his nutrition through his port is alleviating some of the problems he was having. If all goes as planned, he will be able … Continue reading
A mad scientist and a descendant of Euell Gibbons
Hello all – Marcia here with the latest news on Gary (via Anne). Although he still isn’t having a lot of fun, he has, off and on, had times when he is feeling better today. He slept well last … Continue reading
Another day…
Lots of fine tuning for Gary today as they try to adjust his tube feeding and pain and anti-nausea meds. It was not his best day. Please send him all your positive thoughts, prayers, and good energy.
Pudding and ice cream
Gary will be spending a little more time in the hospital. I personally believe it’s because word of his sense of humor has spread and they are keeping him longer so everyone on the floor can experience it first hand. … Continue reading
Friday news
One sip at a time… Gary got to try out his new stomach today by sampling a number of clear liquids. There are still some hurtles to get over, but things are moving along. Hopefully he’ll be able … Continue reading
Update day four
Things Gary has done today: Passed the swallow test. Had some of his tubes removed. Walked numerous times (close to 2o) around the nurses’ station. Got busted for not wearing nonskid socks on one of his walks. Pleaded drug induced … Continue reading
Update day three
It’s another day of good news for the Olsons. Gary has walked down the hall and made at least one lap around the nurses’ station area. This may or may not have something to do with the fact that he … Continue reading
Update
A quick update on Gary – He was kicked out of the ICU about noon today. Understandably, he’s not feeling all that well. The nurse told him that this would be his worse day – possibly because they would … Continue reading
A job promotion
Hi all, Marcia here with some additional details on the events of the day. Gary was in surgery about six and a half hours. Somewhere in that time a part of his small intestine was notified that, due to … Continue reading
Out of surgery…
Gary is out of surgery and doing GREAT! Film at 11… p.s. Molly is doing better too.
Going Fine
This is Gary’s niece, Jennifer, posting. Here is an update I received from my Aunt Anne: Surgery began about 7am Operating Room reported at 8:15am that things were going well 13-year old Molly (dog) was hospitalized yesterday Cats are a … Continue reading
Surgery – Two days and counting.
On Monday September 20th I go into the hospital to have my stomach surgically removed and rebuilt. As you know, this is similar to having the engine in your car rebuilt, except the time in the shop is shorter. The … Continue reading
A visit with Dr. Tseng.
We met with Dr. Tseng today. This was a pre-surgery consultation prior to having him and his robot rebuild my guts on Monday. We anticipated this might be one of those meetings where the doctor scares the bejeezus out of … Continue reading
Change in date and venue of surgery.
Dr. Tseng suggests we switch the surgery from St. Vincent to Good Samaritan Hospital and from Thursday September 16th to Monday September 20th. He gave two reasons. He is more comfortable working with the staff at Good Samaritan because they … Continue reading
Guest blogger
Hi – this is Marcia, Gary’s sister-in-law. While he is off having fun in the hospital in a few weeks, I have been asked to be a guest blogger – in other words to post to this blog to keep … Continue reading
The CAT scan results were fine.
The CAT scan results didn’t turn up anything nasty. We didn’t think they would, but it’s nice to have that confirmed. If I had it to do over I probably would have skipped this test. After the very positive results … Continue reading
More good news!
We just got the results of the biopsy from the endoscopic ultrasound. The results were negative! There were no cancer cells! I will still need the stomach surgery to remove any possible microscopic cancer cells, but the biopsy not finding … Continue reading
Another endoscopic ultrasound test.
Today I went in for another endoscopic ultrasound test. This is the test where they take a garden hose with a camera taped to the end of it and cram it down your throat. And they say doctors don’t have … Continue reading
Picard takes a vacation.
Today I completed my first round of chemo. Picard is taking a well deserved vacation from me, which he totally deserves. He will probably spend time on some tropical island, or perhaps just hang out in a drawer at Pacific … Continue reading
Dr. Tseng launches me into the future.
God I love big boys with toys. And Dr. Tseng, the surgeon we interviewed today, has all the other boys with toys beat. No mere cool black helicopter or Maserati for him. He uses a robot, which you can see … Continue reading
I’m prepped for the alien invasion.
As I mentioned previously, if aliens infect Earth with a deadly virus a high white blood cell count could immunize me from their dastardly intentions. Being immune I would be free to mount a super hero offense, saving humanity. I … Continue reading
Super Duper Chemo can get nasty.
There are times in this treatment process where it’s difficult to find much that is funny or even amusing. This is particularly true after the Super Duper Chemo treatments. Since the Super Duper treatment last Wednesday I’ve felt pretty awful. … Continue reading
Slice and dice – choosing a surgeon.
Now that I’m nearing the end of the chemo it’s time to give serious thought to a final choice of a surgeon. We’ve already narrowed it down to two. Dr. Cook and Dr Tseng. Dr. Cook is a traditional surgeon … Continue reading
Third Super Duper Chemo Done.
Yesterday I had the third round of super duper chemo. This will be the last super duper one for the first series. After this, I will have several more Picard refills to do, then I’ll be done with round one. … Continue reading
Another week of good news.
We went in to get Picard refilled again. My blood work was great. The red blood cell count is back to normal and those pesky white cells are still looking good. Those $5999.99 white cell booster shots seem to do … Continue reading
The End.
Just as all good thing must come to an end, so too must bad things. I have completed cancer treatment and by all measures things are going well. Presuming there are no nasty surprises lurking in the future, I am … Continue reading →