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.
Back in March, I wrote a post about Dumping Syndrome Signs and symptoms of dumping syndrome generally occur right after eating, especially after a meal rich in table sugar (sucrose) or fruit sugar (fructose). Signs and symptoms might include: Nausea, Vomiting, Abdominal cramps, Diarrhoea, Flushing, Dizziness, lightheadedness, Rapid heart rate If that wasn't bad enough, there's also Late Dumping Syndrome! Late … Continue reading Late Dumping Syndrome
On Monday 22nd October, I awoke to pain in my abdomen in the lower left side, a pain that I'd never felt before. It was in a specific area and felt tender to touch. In the early hours of that morning, I had wolfed down half a Big Mac (a stupid thing to do when … Continue reading Trust Your Gut
November is Stomach Cancer Awareness Month 💜 Did you know that there are 1,000,000 new cases of stomach cancer diagnosed globally in 2018? Unfortunately, Stomach Cancer doesn't get as much recognition or funding compared to other cancers... My original plan was to raise money this month by doing a sponsored hike, but those plans are … Continue reading Stomach Cancer Awareness Month
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!
🔪🔪🔪 Proud to show off my battle scar! Healing nicely after a few hiccups along the way 🙈 The top part kept splitting open so it's a lot redder than the rest. I don't think it looks bad to say it was done almost 6 weeks ago!
Weight lost from the 26.09 - 26.10 = 7.7kg My new plumbing! Before and After Photo taken from: https://www.nostomachforcancer.org/ It's been one month since my surgery and I've experienced a few hiccups along the way. I anticipated problems from my new "plumbing" but not the issues I've encountered... Problems with my incision Debilitating back pain … Continue reading One Month Update
On the 26th September, I kissed goodbye to my stomach. Why? Well, to cut a long story short, I inherited a mutation in the CDH1 gene - which means I have an increased chance of developing diffuse gastric cancer and lobular breast cancer. After a routine gastroscopy in April revealed one of the biopsies to … Continue reading Kissing my Stomach Goodbye
One year ago today, (gosh that went quick) I opened a can of worms / was the day I embarked upon this journey / was the day I stepped onto this crazy rollercoaster ride... Today I'm feeling positive - but realistic (hence me describing it as a crazy rollercoaster ride) On my down days, I tend … Continue reading A Year of Knowing
June 21st: The Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day of the year For me: My first PET/CT scan, which felt like the longest day of the year! So, before I get the final go ahead for my surgery in September, my surgeon decided to refer me for a PET/CT scan to … Continue reading June 21st – The Longest Day (in more ways than one)
So here it is, my very LONG, open and honest blog post about my 104 interesting days on Escitalopram (aka Lexapro/Cipralex) 💊 💊 💊 Timeline 7th February - 10mg 23rd February - 20mg 16th March - 10mg 20th April - First appointment with Psychologist 11th May - 5mg 21st May - Last 5mg pill Mental health is still a … Continue reading Happy Pills – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!
Still feeling a little bit blurry headed after the 17th May Celebrations in Norway the day before (which, by the way was fab!) I struggled to comprehend the news that I had just received on the phone. The surgeon, that I had met with just a week earlier, had just called to let me know … Continue reading The Dreaded Phone Call
