SIX MONTH CHECK-UP

Yesterday I had my six month check-up and am very happy to report that all was well. The scans are clear and my mouth looked good. At least to Dr. Beadle, it did. My remaining side effects are a very dry mouth, loss of taste; I think I have 40% and lymphademia in my neck. The latter is much improved as I have been doing massages and applying tape. Actually, Nurse R has been applying the tape and it is one of her new favorite activities. The tape is applied near the armpits and has four tentacles on each side which curve up toward the neck. This is done to retrain the lymph nodes to drain. It seems to be working as much of the swelling in my neck has gone down. My weight has stabalized around 171 pounds and I now eat to live; a far cry from my previous living to eat.

I meet with Dr. Weber next week as he was out of town this week and will get the word from him. I may also make an appointment for accupuncture as I was told that is has been effective in stimulating the salivary glands. We'll see. In the mean time I am a very happy camper.

I don't know how much longer I will keep this blog up as it seems that the only time I add to it is after my quarterly checkups. I do want to thank you for your many emails and support during my treatment. Your outpouring of love and support meant a great deal to me and was so very much appreciated. It was one of the contributing factors that helped me get through it all.

Three Month Update

Monday:

It's hard to believe but it has been three months since my last checkup with Dr. Weber and Dr.Beadle. I have been doing well. My tongue is almost completely healed and the only side effects that I continue to have are as follows. I have a dry mouth which usually manifests itself at night and causes me to drink water throughout the night. This of course, causes me to make trips to the bathroom, so, it's a vicious cycle. The other side effect include loss of taste. My taste buds are maybe 40% back but there is a lot I still can't taste. This is the good and the bad news. This means I am rarely hungry and food which once was a highpoint in my day, has been relegated to the back burner. My weight has leveled off at 170-173 and that is good. The other side effect is Lymphedema which is a swelling of the neck and is a side effect from the Radiation. There are exercises and massages that I can do to alleviate the problem and I will find out about them tomorrow. In the mean time I can't button my shirt collars which is only a problem if I have to wear a tie.More tomorrow.

Tuesday:

Today we met with my doctors. The short and sweet news is that the scans were all clear, there is no sign of any cancer and I will be seen again in three months for my six months check-up. That's the best news possible.

I also met with Lymphedema specialist and he gave me a series of massage exercises to do each day for the next two months. He feels this will greatly reduce the swelling and redirect my body to deal with the fluid build up in other ways.  The lymphatic system became damaged due to the Radiation and as a result fluid built up. Apparently this is fairly common. I'll let you know how I fare with the exercises. I feel like celebrating. Maybe I'll try my new "dry mouth" rinse.

Ding Dong the Tube is Gone

Not too much has changed since my last entry; the tongue is still sore and I still have a lot of mucous. I have been maintaining my weight at 173.8 where it does fluctuate but that seems to be the right weight. Today was a good day. I saw Dr Dekovitch and he removed the feeding tube. How was that done you might ask? Well, he just pulled it out. Took all of five seconds. It feels goood to be unencumbered. At last my body can return to some normalcy and that's a good thing. Now, if only my tongue would heal and the mucous thin out I would really be in good shape. Of course there's always not being able to taste everything, but I guess you can't have it all.

Tuesday's Results

We arrived at M.D.Anderson at 6:15 AM for our day of tests and meeting with doctors. I got a very good report. There is no sign of any cancer; the lymph nodes are reduced by 90% and there is no sign of any cancer there so the Radiation did what it was supposed to do. Dr. Weber said there is nothing worrisome and Dr. Beadle was more effusive in her analysis. I return in six weeks for a PET scan and an ultrasound with a possible F/A biopsy. Both doctors were pleased with the results so I am, too. All in all, a good day

An Important Week Starts

I slept well last night, that's two nights in a row and I consider that pretty good. My weight seems to be stablized at 173.6 and I have no complaints with that. This morning I had a cheese and vegetable omlette, I was even able to taste it.

I met with the dentist today and he said he could see where my tongue was sore. He felt it was on the edge of healing but I needed to do some things to help it along. I am to stop using the carafate and am only to use the lidocain three times a day. I am to continue doing the baking soda rinses and am to wear the upper tray at all times except when eating.This is the tray I was supposed to use when applying the fluoride. He gave me a new antibiotic which he refered to as the golden bullet. It will deal with any infections the last antibiotic may have missed. He feels this will take care of the problem. We'll see. Tomorrow is my big day. I meet with Drs. Weber and Beadle and I have my scans.

For lunch today I made some pasta and fixed it with tomato and mushroom sauce and added some of my vegetables. I know if I could have tasted it, it would have been delicious.

One of My Favorite Days of the Week

Things have settled into a routine. I didn't sleep too well last night as my tongue was hurting and the mucous was pretty thick. Monday I hope to get this resolved when I see Dr. Chambers. Other than that I am feeling pretty good. I still don't taste half of what I eat but I suspect my taste buds will return at some point or other. One of the more pleasant side effects of the radiation has to do with my beard. I no longer have any on my neck and the lower part of my face. It's almost as if I had a peel; anyway it makes shaving a lot shorter and a more pleasant experience.

I think it may soon be time to phase out my daily blogging; perhaps next week after my appointment with my doctors might be the appropriate time. I'll let you know.

Over The Hump

I slept much better last night but my tongue and mucous are not better. talking hurts and I use the numbing medicine before meals but it doesn't last long enough. I guess I'll tough it out until Monday. Today was Grandpareents day at Kolter and we spent a delightful hour with Miriam as she ate lunch, talked with her friends and picked up a couple of books at the Book Fair.It was enjoyable. Nurse R just called from Central Market; she's planning my dinner, I think it will be a surprise. For lunch I had a quiche and vegetables. My tongue was in agony. Maybe tomorrow will be better. One can always hope.