The surgery went great.  A procedure that was expected to take up to 5 hours was completed i 2 followed by a colonoscopy to check the work.

The recovery started off progressing well.  I was up and walking later the same day (Friday) and the catheter was removed on Saturday allowing me to move about more freely. Each day it has gotten easier to get up and out of the bed so my abs are recovering quickly,

My main problem was with eating. On day 1 it was fine but boring but each progressive day it became harder to get anything down.  On Sunday morning came the first breakthrough milestone. After a bought of flatulence and some vomiting, I had my first bowel movement of the year.  At 4:55 AM September 17.

That was the high point of the day and the rest has been less fun.  I felt tired and had nausea all day and vomited intermittently.  Finally after my Doctor got out of Surgery and could be consulted, they decided to place a tube down my nose into the stomach and between the vomit I threw during the tube insertion and the first suction pass, we pulled out 2700ml of the blackest, vilest liquid ever seen by man.

I now sit writing this to you dear reader with said tube in my nose for at least the night pulling intermittently in order to completely void my bowels.  There is a likely chance that I have a post operative ileus which is rather poetic since the misdiagnosis of an Ileus was what got me into the ER back in January where I received my Cancer diagnosis.  Since the colonoscopy did see evidence of diverticulitis it has a reasonable chance.

Rest assured that my spirits are intact and I am as determined as ever to do what it takes to win this fight. I held the tube that was run into my nose as the nurse ran across the building to get the adhesive as proof that I will suffer whatever discomfort thrown at me if it is temporary and gets the job done.

Cheers