Health update: my surgery was on Thursday, and I’m now home from the hospital!

Pain-wise, most of my pain has actually been in my shoulders, especially when I move my arms around. (It’s from the gas put in my abdomen during the surgery rising up.) My shoulders still don’t feel great, but I’m getting around a heck of a lot better than I did yesterday.

I should hear back early next week once the pathology gets back, so we can figure out the next steps of my treatment. I might need chemo, just to make sure everything gets cleared up.

For now, I have to face my next challenge: making sure this guy doesn’t try to walk directly on my stomach all day every day. 😬

Well, this certainly isn’t something I had on my 2024 Bingo card, but yesterday I was diagnosed with colon cancer.

To keep a long story short, I’ve been dealing with GI issues the last few months, and on Friday went in get a colonoscopy, where a mass was found. A biopsy was taken during the procedure, which later confirmed the diagnosis. Blood work was also taken that day, and CT scans were then done on Monday, which, GOOD NEWS, both came back normal and showed no indication that the cancer had spread anywhere else. 

My GI doctor referred me to an oncologist, who I met with this morning, and she then connected me with a surgeon who specializes in this sort of thing so we can take the mass out. The surgeon's office called later today and was able to get me in for a consultation tomorrow morning. The surgery will need to be done ASAP, so after that they'll be able to determine what stage the cancer actually is and what the next course of treatment will be, if chemo is needed.

The last few days have been a total whirlwind. Emotionally I’d say I’m doing fairly well, all things considered, but it’s still been rough. This whole process has been moving super fast, which I’m VERY grateful for, but that also means I’ve barely had time to really sit and process everything.

I’m extremely fortunate to have a great support system with my family and friends, and that my mom has been able to stay with me and accompany me to my various appointments.

So, that’s where I’m at now. Prayers and good vibes are much appreciated! I'm terrible at keeping up with social media, but I'll keep y'all posted, although I'll post more immediate updates on my Twitter (thegoodnaysayer) and Bluesky (bethanysellers).

Happy Birthday, Simon

Hey, guess what: I finally wrote another AT fic! It's been, uh. *looks at my archives* Well, let's not think about how long it's been. Enjoy!