By: Pat Jacobs

I thought I had gained a few pounds; I tried all kinds
of diets, and it seemed that a few even worked.

But I never totally lost all the weight; eventually I
chalked it up to the fact that sometimes you DO gain
weight over any period of time. And so I coped quite
successfully.

For several summers, my left leg would swell up like
crazy; I always attributed this to the heat or "that
time of month."(During winter, I never even noticed
any change. I stay bundled up 99% of the time!)

One particular day, it seemed that my left leg had
ballooned and the bloating had now occurred in my left
foot. I thought it was unusual, but since I didn't
have any pain, I didn't worry.

My mother, however, was a different story! Through
the early part of the summer, Mom noticed the leg and
started nagging me about getting it checked out.

I finally and reluctantly went to see a doctor. I was
so sure it was just a bloating condition; I was
confident that I'd be given an oral solution,
everything would clear up and life would go on as
usual.

Wrong! I explained what I thought was a minor
problem; after a series of initial tests with no
results, my doctor decided to thoroughly check my
stomach. And from there, a diagnosis was made.

I had a large tumor! I was shocked and stunned, yet
strangely relieved. At least it wasn't a weight
problem!

I was referred to an area hospital for preliminary
X-rays and cat scans (the first of many) and then
referred to a specialist who confirmed the first
diagnosis. I was definitely going to embark on a
one-of-a-kind adventure.

Thus began for several weeks a seemingly endless
round of X-rays, cat scans, exams, and shots (always a
shot!) with the longest needles I've ever seen.

The three days before surgery were particularly
grueling ones; I had to go on a liquid diet and use an
enema (these procedures clean out your bowel and
bladder; if you're having abdominal surgery, it's a
necessity.) The enema was easy, but not eating for
three days really makes you edgy. I would gaze
longingly at other peoples' meals and contemplate
grabbing their food.

But I controlled myself. I had to. Finally, the big
day. I thought I'd be in a heightened state of frenzy
and terror, but I wasn't. Three days of non-eating had
just left me numb; I didn't care anymore! (I was
nervous, just not as much as I should have been.)

I went into the pre-surgery section first; here,
you're prepped (you get naked, but you're given a
hospital gown; and your private parts will be shaven.
I strongly suggest removing your body hair yourself at
home first. Nair is an excellent product for this;
it's easy, you'll be smooth as a baby, and your
surgeons will be impressed!) and you're asked
questions about your pre-surgery preparations (they
want to make sure you did them) and you in turn, can
ask your operating team any questions.

The time came; I was wheeled out on a gurney to the
operating room, the entrance to it, actually. An
anesthesiologist came up, spoke to me, and gave me a
shot of something that he said would relax me.

It sure did! The last thing I remember was talking
and pausing a moment to check out some overhead
lights. I heard a chorus of voices, then I was OUT!
(It wasn't a gradual process at all; you're talking
one minute, the next, you're just unconscious.)

When I woke up, I was so groggy. A nearby nurse
assured me, "It's over, honey. Your operation's done."
I then recall asking my mom if I had colostomy bag
attached on me. (There was a possibility that I would
need one if I had my bowel couldn't be saved. I really
didn't want one; if I had awakened and found one on
me, I would have ripped it off immediately. Damn the
consequences!)

I passed out again; when I came to, I was in this tiny
hospital room. And yet they somehow managed to squeeze
an additional bed, TV, etc. in the cubbyhole. This was
to be my home for a week. What a long week that turned
out to be! I didn't like being around total strangers
or sick people. No home cooking, familiar sights, or
smells. No homey touches. (But I hung in there,
adaptable slug that I am!)

On the plus side, I did get some rest, except for
those constant shots. And an emergency blood
transfusion. And a continuation of that liquid Diet
(for another week!) And my roommates' nearly 24-hour
running of the other TV. And the hollering and
screaming from the other rooms. (But I did have
constant morphine!)

Finally, I was allowed to go home and was released.
There was still at least six weeks of recuperation,
but I'd be at home! Those first three weeks, I didn't
feel like doing anything; even eating's a chore!
(You're so tired; it takes mighty effort to simply
wash yourself. I had to rest after each meal or
cleaning. Sink wash-ups. No showers or baths right
away!)

I couldn't even go up and down stairs, work or
anything. There was a catheter tube attached to me and
a stint inside me (the former, to aid and ease my
urine flow; the latter, to repair damage to my left
kidney. Eventually both these devices were removed.)

By week four, I had regained some strength back and
was taking tentative trips up and down stairs. By
weeks five and six, I was outdoors, and was authorized
to return to work by week six; I actually returned by
week seven.

I've since discovered that many people have large
tumors in them and aren't aware they do; the common
reaction, if there's no pain, is "Oh, I gained a few
pounds. Oh well, I'll just diet or do more exercise."
I'd like to help those in a similar position; that's
the purpose of all this. Eventually I'd like to start
an international foundation.

There were several connected tumors all attached to
one central one. Amazing, isn't it? And the whole
thing was 25-30 lbs.! My particular situation was
actually life-threatening; my kidneys were shutting
down. (Still no pain, though; go figure, huh?)

Had I not had the surgery, I'd be on a kidney
dialysis machine, or just plain dead. My first
hospital roommate was a woman on kidney dialysis. I
didn't know the origins of her condition, but it
didn't matter: This was my future right across from
me! (And there was still the death option.)

She had large black marks all over both arms. Why? As
a result of requiring constant shots almost around the
clock. Several of her veins had already collapsed from
all this. She advised me: "Honey, you don't want all
this. My husband's on kidney dialysis, too. (Whoa!)
Our whole life is now this."

As I left the hospital, I ran right into the same lady
being wheeled back in (she had no strength to walk;
were they now giving shots in her legs? Or other
places?) She practically lived in the hospital; she
had to be on the machine three-four days a week,
several hours a day. Ouch!

Basic Medical Info
A tumor is a swelling or abnormal growth of tissues in
the body. This occurs whenever anything interferes
with the reproductive control of cells. The cells
multiply and gradually build up a mass of tissue.
(They can go wild, as mine did.)

Tumors have their own growth patterns independent of
the surrounding tissue and are characterized by
gradual development. A cyst is a tumor; tumors are
also called neoplasms. Some tumors are caused by
viruses. (I don't think mine was.)

The word itself means "to swell." Tumors occur more
in women than men; this could be due to there being
more fibroid tissue in women. (One woman in four may
have a tumor, but recent research has indicated a
higher figure; more than three in four may actually be
affected.)

Men tend to develop lipoma, a tumor made up of fat
tissue that grows on their side. Some tumors are
benign. They usually do no spread elsewhere in the
body. Once benign tumors are removed, they usually do
not grow again.

Malignant Tumors (cancer) that are not completely
removed can spread throughout the body, often
destroying other tissues. Only doctors can determine
if a tumor is benign or malignant. Tumors may grow
from any kind of tissue in the body and may develop in
the skin, in muscles, nerves, bones, or any organ.

About the Author:

Pat Jacobs is currently the writer/producer of "The World Of 1960s Music" blog on Yahoo 360 (degrees). She also writes features for ehow.com (how-to articles) and www.associatedcontent.com (various non-fiction).
She can be reached at Patj25@yahoo.com.