The good, the bad and the hungry

The good news out of Monday's procedure is that I do not have any blockage between my stomach and intestine, and they used some great drugs to prevent me from experiencing anything while they stuck a long hose-like device down my throat.

The bad news, unfortunately, is there isn't anything they can do right away about the pain in my gut. Apparently the tumor is lying in a way that constricts movement, which is why it hurts so much after meals. And they can't take the tumor out for the same reason they couldn't in June: it's encasing a key blood vessel.

I do have some more medications to use, including something with codeine that helps me forget most everything. But it is hard to imagine that as a long-term solution. Other medications help the digestive process "move along,'' which sounds like an improvement over "stalled.''

I should also eat smaller, but more, meals and blander food. Good thing I learned to like my mother's cooking.