9-28-10 a wake of sorts...

Today, I bid a fond farewell to my sweet tooth. You will be missed.

After my appointment today, I went out to dinner with a friend, and I thought breakfast sounded good, so I got ham,eggs, and pancakes.  All went well until I doused the pancakes in syrup, took a bite, and thought, this syrup isn't very good....I made her take a bite, and she said, no the syrup is fine... I guess it will make loosing weight easier if I can't taste the sugar. Cookies and cakes will not be nearly so tempting. Luckily, I could still taste some of the other flavors of the food - the buttery pancakes, the egg flavor, and the salt of the ham, even if they were a bit muted. I am not looking forward to loosing other flavors.

 At the doctor's appointment they gave me a prescription for "magic mouthwash" - a mix of xylocaine, benadryl, and maloxx.  Apparently, if I gargle with it before meals, it will make eating and sleeping easier by numbing my mouth/throat.  Not sure if I need it yet, but I am sure it will eventually be indispensable.

Oh, and I am, at least so far, less tired than I was last week.  yay! 

9-26-10 Thanks!

I am SOOOO tired.  I am still working full time, but that, and getting my behind to treatments, are all that I have energy for.    Friday night, I slept for a solid 11 hours (9:15 PM to 8:30 AM) and I just vegged all day Saturday, lounging on the couch, taking naps, watching tv, ordered papa john's for lunch, took more naps, and then was back in bed by 8PM, and asleep by 9.
Luckily, today was much better.  I had more energy, so I went to church, then Mom and Dad came down and helped me clean my house (yay! and thanks!).  So, I have a clean house, and I am well-rested to face another week of work and treatments.   On the other hand, it is 6:56, and I fell like I am ready for bed again.  sigh...

OK, I didn't mean for this post to sound as whiny as it does...  I am glad I am still tasting food, my throat isn't sore, I have the energy to do the things I need to do, and I am capable of driving.  I am in a decent mood,and I know this treatment is for the best in the long run. 

8 treatments done, 22 to go...

9-22-10

A quick addition to yesterday's post....I think the weird stomach was the result of being very hungry.  They said I would burn more calories - I just hadn't translated this to I would be very hungry if I didn't eat more than usual.   I have been eating more often today, and I think that has taken care of it.

9-21-10 - week 1 is done!

I have finished week one of the radiation treatment!   So far things are going well. The only real side effect I've noticed so far is that my mouth is dryer than normal, but it isn't so bad I can't deal with it. An extra sip of water, piece of hard candy, or stick of gum takes care of it. 

Today, I was pretty tired, and my stomach was weird, but the doc and I both think that they are left over from the cold I had last week. 

So, I have several tips and tricks that I am supposed to be doing to help prevent/minimize radiation side effects.
     1) Brushing my teeth after every meal with a soft toothbrush. (3 times a day)
     2) Rinsing and gargling with olive oil several times a day. (this is kinda gross, but worth it if it keeps my mouth happy) (3 or more times a day)
     3) Rinsing my mouth with salt-water and/or baking soda-water. (Haven't started yet, but supposed to be several times a day)
     4) Apply moisturizer to my face (at least 3 times a day, but never within 2 hours before treatment)
     5) Fluoride treatments for my teeth. (once a day)
     6) Starting this weekend, swallowing exercises to help maintain the muscle tone in my tongue and neck. (3 times a day)

Add to that, the actual treatment once a day, doctors visits once a week, blood work every other week, trying to get enough sleep, and a  bit of light exercise, and I think I need a someone just to keep track of what I've done and what I've left to do!

9-15-10 One Down, Twenty-nine to go

Well, I had my first treatment today. The mask is even less fun when you can't breathe through your nose due to allergies (or a cold, but I am still trying to convince my nose it is allergies). It is so tight that I can barely open my eyes and mouth just a little tiny bit. 

for the next couple weeks, my appointments will be at 5:30 PM.  So far, so good.

9-13-10-finally a start date!

I finally got a call from the cancer center this afternoon. (I did call once this morning to check up on things)


My final simulation is scheduled for tomorrow morning, bright and early, and I'll start treatment Wednesday. I don't know for sure what time my treatments will be, but I'll let you know.

I have butterflies in my stomach just thinking about all of this, but I know I'll get through it.

9-8-10 no need to panic!

Hi all my faithful readers (all 5 of you)

Just thought I'd come on and say not to panic.  I haven't posted because there is nothing interesting to post.

I bought a new car last weekend. a silver Kia sportage.  I like it lots!

Someone, I won't mention who (JEN!), thinks my blog title needs to be revised, so I'll ask you all if you can come up with something better. Any ideas? 

back to waiting....and waiting....

9-2-10

Ok, so I have had 4 doctors appointments in 4 days... this is getting a little old.

Since my last post, I have had two appointments at Arnold Palmer Cancer Center.  The people there have been very nice.Yesterday, they told me all about all of the many various side effects from radiation. (Scare me much!)  They patiently answered all of question, and went over the radiation. Again.

Today, I went and got a CT scan that they use to plan the radiation (How much, from what angle, etc).  The weirdest part was that they made me a mask to fit my face and shoulders that they bolt down to the table so I can't move my head, and my head will be in the exact same place every time. They also put what feels like a big piece of jello jigglers (or ballistics gel) over my scar to make sure that it gets the right dose. The process isn't pleasant, but it isn't as bad as I thought it would be.   I was worried about panicking with the mask bolted down, but it is very light, and I could sort of zone-out while I was laying there.

The next step is that the doc has to look over all the scans and figure out exactly where to aim the radiation and at what doses. He'll also figure out exactly how many days I need (it will be 30-35 days).  This should take 7-10 days.   Then I'll go in, and we'll have a "dry-run" on the radiation machine. Shortly after that, we will actually start the radiation.

The worst part is the waiting....
 (at least, I hope that is the worst part!)

Post Script - Who is other?  I am curious :)