A northern lass living in Bergen – Norway. Blogging about experiences in Norway, Lifestyle and Health. A carrier of the CDH1 mutation – living a stomachless life.
It's crazy to think that this time last year, I was laying in the operating room having my stomach removed. The past 12 months have flown by so quickly - it feels like it was only a few months ago since I was in hospital. It's been a challenging 12 months - both physically and … Continue reading 1 Year Stomachless
On Thursday 26th July, 3 days into my vacation on Fjørtoft and exactly 10 months since my TG, I was admitted to Ålesund Sjukehus, after going to the Emergency Room. I was only one day into my vacation when I woke up with swollen tonsils and had difficulty swallowing. This got progressively worse over the … Continue reading 10 Month Update…
Read Checking the Tatas - Part One! Before leaving the hospital after the biopsy was taken, I was told that I would receive the results within 1-2 weeks. On the 18th May, I was informed that the small lesion was a fibroadenoma (as they had suspected), but that there were ALH cells present also (atypical lobular … Continue reading Checking the Tatas – Part Two!
About last night... At 22:15, I had some mild deep abdominal pain (right side under my ribs). Initially, it felt like sore muscles but I couldn't sit comfortably anymore so I got up to get ready for bed. In less than five minutes, the pain went from 0-100 and it felt like I had been … Continue reading Pain in the…
In January, I began my next stage of cancer screening. Since I'm at an increased risk of developing lobular breast cancer (thanks to this pesky CDH1 mutation), I have been advised to have both annual mammograms and MRI scans from the age of 30. When I met with my gastro surgeon back in November, he … Continue reading Next Steps – Checking the Tatas!
Has it really been six months already?! -- Food One of the biggest things that I was surprised to discover, is the variety of foods that I can consume. Eating is different now (I have to take my time, take care to chew and eat smaller portions) but I'm not living off soups like I … Continue reading TG Recovery – 6 Month Update
Most mornings, I start my day with a coffee followed by a smoothie. My usual favourite consists of 1 banana, a handful of strawberries, almond milk and a few generous dollops of coconut milk (the thick stuff from a can). It's my favourite because not only does it taste delicious, it is also lactose free … Continue reading Dumping Syndrome
On the morning of the 26th September, before heading to the hospital, I stepped onto the scales to find out what I weighed. The number glaring back at me was 76.8kg - the heaviest I had ever been. Fast forward to today: 20 weeks later and I'm now 58.8kg... For a long time, my weight … Continue reading 18 Kilos Later
After a Gastrectomy, it's important to take certain supplements to help prevent deficiencies and other issues. After finding out that I'm unable to absorb calcium carbonate without a stomach, (I have degenerative problems in my lower back so the last thing I need is osteoporosis) I went online to search for calcium citrate as I … Continue reading A Tough Pill To Swallow…
So today I met with my surgeon and received my results! During my gastrectomy, they removed 27 lymph nodes from my abdomen. I'm pleased to report that all of these were clear! (Surprised at how many were removed - I'm actually curious as to how big/small they are!) In my stomach, they found 2 foci … Continue reading Pathology Results!
