10-27-10 All done!

I am all done with my rad treatments.  Yay!  I know that recovery will take some time, but I am so glad to be done.  This experience has not been fun, but I would say it has definitely been less of a pain than I expected.

That is not to say I haven't had side effects -
my skin is burnt to a crisp - the doc says it will peel off with time
my throat is swollen and sore - but I am still kinda able to eat
I am SO very tired - but still able to work
my sense of taste is gone - doc now says it will be 2 months or more to come back, but it will come back
etc.etc.....

But, I have heard stories from people with so much worse side effects than mine, with cancer more widespread than mine, with so much less support from family and friends than I have had, with less/no insurance, and I realize how very lucky I am!

This is not something I would ever choose for myself or anyone, but it has made me more thankful for everything I've got - including  friendships from people like you :)


Post Script - They gave me my mask to take home - it is plastic - about 2 feet by 18 inches. and I am looking for ways to destroy it - any ideas? 

10-20-10 - 4 left!

Four to go (yay!)

I am really tired, so this is going to be a short post.  The doc is worried about the skin/surgery scar around my ear breaking down, so they gave me an antibiotic cream to rub on the area twice a day.  Other than that, not much has changed.... except, I am maybe more tired, another 2 lbs lighter, and I am closer to being done!

10-12-10 - Ten to go!

Hello all,

I don't have much new to report - I do miss my sense of taste. Every night, I dream about food - cakes with lots of icing, blueberry muffins, juicy strawberries, ham sandwiches.... I have no idea why ham sandwiches, but they were there - honest.   Today the doc said my ability to taste would be back a month or a little more after finishing treatment - so it may be a very yummy Thanksgiving! If not, it will be a delicious Christmas. 

He was very happy that my mouth and throat was not terribly sore, and he doesn't expect it to get much worse. I am still eating mostly normally.  (yay!)

I very tired of being tired. I am sleeping about 10 hrs a night, and I am still tired a lot.  I have been sleeping in, and going to work late a couple of mornings a week.  The folks at work are so understanding!

I think that is all the updates for now.

10-6-10 half way there!

I am halfway through treatment, so to sum up the events so far:

my ability to taste - gone
my energy - gone
the hair that used to be in that weird bald spot on the back of my head - gone 
any remaining stupid cancer cells - (hopefully) gone soon!
friends and family willing to put up with me when I am tired, whiny, and moody - still here (thanks so much all!)

Not much else to report except that I miss chocolate!