Michi

Stan Woo who received the following Email from tmichiyano@hotmail.com asked that it be put on the blog

This is Michi. I have troubled. This is report. Two days after I came home from Hawaii I went to the doctor for a checkup. My usual doctor wasn't in so I ended up with a young doc who asked me to have a blood sample taken and a few additional tests and examinations in the afternoon.

The doctor who examined me in afternoon told me I had symptoms of Jaundice and that I'd have to stay in the hospital. For the next eight days I went through a series of tests including CT Scan of the duodenum.

As the results came in, I learned I needed to be transferred to a larger hospital in Tokyo which could perform further testing. There I was told my gallbladder was affected and that I'd need an operation. However, the doctor said he couldn't operate until the Jaundice had subsided and that I must wait.

I was finally ready for my operation on April 14th, twenty-eight days after my admission to the hospital.  It was then that I was informed by the doctor that I had gallbladder cancer and that it would be a major operation.  The gallbladder had enlarged to more than triple its normal size and had to be removed. The operation started at 8:30 AM and lasted past 4PM. In additional to the gallbladder, portions of my bile duct, duodenum, stomach,

colon, and liver had to be taken. After the surgery I spent a day in the ICU and my life was supported by medication delivered through a dozen tubes. I suffered from high fever and delirium for many days. Unsurprisingly, I lost 15kg (33lbs) due to the strict diet and limited food I could have. Day by day more and more tubes were removed, the last one was taken away on May 13. The doctor said I could go home the next day if I wanted, but I may experience a high fever. I decided to stay in the hospital and sure enough, I suffered from a fever until the following morning. Now, I have recovered from it and came home today, May 16.