Nine treatments, eleven days or 232 hours (but who's counting)

I'm trying really hard not to fall into the trap that in that 232 hours (calculated from 6:00 PM today) I will be finished and I'll finally feel better.  I know it's not true, if fact I'm sure I'm going to feel a whole lot worse.  But, I WILL BE FINISHED WITH THE RADS AND THE CHEMO.  No more early morning rush hour trips down to the dungeon and never again (god willing) have to hear that sound of the mask being locked down to the table.

 

Unfortunately, I did need to upgrade my pain meds today.  I was on hydrocodone and it just wasn't getting the job done anymore so I had to start Fentanyl.  I really didn't want to do that because now I'm medicated all the time and I hate that feeling.  But, it's only 11 days.

 

Joe Cortney

Dallas, TX

 

 

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    almost there

    Joe,

     

    Now that you are medicated you want to loan me some money, not for long, just until all of the side effects are gone.

     

    Glad you are alert enough to track your progress, but sorry about the pain.  You just never know how bad it will get.  For me, the neck burn during weeks 6, 7 & 8 were the worst pain of the whole ordeal, but luckily there is good meds for that.

     

    Hang in there, it is not over yet, but by now you know how to handle change.

     

    Best,

     

    Matt

  • lts
    lts Member Posts: 75
    Lol

    Yeah, who's counting. lol

    11 more for me. Treatments that is. There really is nothing like the sound of that mask clacking down to the table , is there?

     

    Luke

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    Total Experience...

    You guys are missing the total expereince....

    I didn't hear one mention of the whirls, clicks, zapa and hum of the machine as it rotates around your head from left to right, stopping at the seven or eight locations...snap, crackle, pop...

     

    Just teasing, you'll be there soon... You both have nearly got'er done, nothing but a thing now...

     

    John

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    Joe....you and Matt

    both crack me up....

    I think you're thinking the same thing I did when I was going to radiation everyday.....no matter what, just not having to go somewhere where they put you in lock down every day, was going to be heaven........regardless if I felt crappier, I still didn't have to go anywhere.

    p

  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    I hear

    I hear the final lap bell ringing. will not come fast enough i know but the final clanging of the Finish bell will come. 

    Go JOE go..... Go JOE go.... Go JOE go!

     

    love that attitude, keep it going

  • NJShore
    NJShore Member Posts: 429 Member
    Meds are ok..

    Joe,

    Glad to see you uping the dose. My husband spent 5 days in hospital because he tried to be brave. If you are honest with your docs on your experience, they can mediate any nausea and pain. If you don't stay ahead of those two.. They'll wear you down.

    you are doing great, it's not easy, keep drinking... Keep eating.. Stay strong, the single digit days go really fast!

    Kari

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    Thanks

    Glad to see you posting. Was beginning to wonder where you were. 11 days to go. I had not thought about the less than pleasant experience of doing the rad treatment itself. I  just hung on the fact it was quite a short and painless visit, not thinking about all the peripheral commotion and of course the mask.

    You are doing well to stay in front of new symptoms as they arise. For sure I am going to follow your mode and ride the wave rather than wait and get pummeled into the coral bed as the next wave hits. Sounds like you did not puruse any 420 options. I am spinning those options up as going that route is far more appealing than codone and opiates but in the end you do what works best. 

    How you doing on the other fronts - throat soreness, dry mouth, food and water orally vs PEG, taste gone?

    Don

  • jcortney
    jcortney Member Posts: 503
    Skiffin16 said:

    Total Experience...

    You guys are missing the total expereince....

    I didn't hear one mention of the whirls, clicks, zapa and hum of the machine as it rotates around your head from left to right, stopping at the seven or eight locations...snap, crackle, pop...

     

    Just teasing, you'll be there soon... You both have nearly got'er done, nothing but a thing now...

     

    John

    Believe it or not

    The damn thing stopps 15 times.  Takes a full 20 minuets to make the circuit.

     

    And what am I doing up at 4:55 in the morning?  My damn throat is so sore and dry that it's impossible to sleep.

     

    Joe Cortney

    Dallas, TX

     

     

  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    jcortney said:

    Believe it or not

    The damn thing stopps 15 times.  Takes a full 20 minuets to make the circuit.

     

    And what am I doing up at 4:55 in the morning?  My damn throat is so sore and dry that it's impossible to sleep.

     

    Joe Cortney

    Dallas, TX

     

     

    ditto

    my treatments lasted 22 min for the first 33 and 16 min for the last 5. what they did was pin point more just on the tumor area. you might ask them to see if this will happen for you. 

    good to hear your sleeping. 

    counting down to the finish

    john 

  • jcortney
    jcortney Member Posts: 503
    donfoo said:

    Thanks

    Glad to see you posting. Was beginning to wonder where you were. 11 days to go. I had not thought about the less than pleasant experience of doing the rad treatment itself. I  just hung on the fact it was quite a short and painless visit, not thinking about all the peripheral commotion and of course the mask.

    You are doing well to stay in front of new symptoms as they arise. For sure I am going to follow your mode and ride the wave rather than wait and get pummeled into the coral bed as the next wave hits. Sounds like you did not puruse any 420 options. I am spinning those options up as going that route is far more appealing than codone and opiates but in the end you do what works best. 

    How you doing on the other fronts - throat soreness, dry mouth, food and water orally vs PEG, taste gone?

    Don

    What are 420 Options?

    Enlighten me please.

  • lts
    lts Member Posts: 75
    jcortney said:

    What are 420 Options?

    Enlighten me please.

    420 options!

    Marijauana.

     

    I tried without a med card so I had to smoke it and it was nasty. Tasted like crap and made my throat worse. If I could muster the courage to ask for a perscription I would try the ediable stuff but nothing more.

     

    Luke

  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    Stay Hydrated...

    Joe,

    Sounds like your doing as well as can be expected. Be sure to stay hyrdrated and keep up with your rinses (baking soda/salt/water or MM). The radiation just dries everything right out. It is especially important to keep up the swallowing during this time...it gets tough if  you don't keep that up. We had the fentanyl patches also...up to 75 mg during the last half of tx. We are 8 weeks out this week and he is down to 25mg and there is just off and on pain. Next week he drops to 12.5.

    Keep pluggin' away.... : )

    ~Cris   

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    jcortney said:

    What are 420 Options?

    Enlighten me please.

    yes. how about mary jane?

    Look here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_(cannabis_culture)  These are all my my neighbors and hangouts. :-)

    Digging more the past few days, it was brought to my attention that MJ can help with nausea and appetite but is effective nor a substitute for analgesics. So, I guess there is no way around all the heavy pain meds and just need to treat the pain and deal with the immediate and longer term side effects.

    It is never recommended to try to smoke it but vaporized and consuming offers better ways to get into system.

     

     

  • jcortney
    jcortney Member Posts: 503
    donfoo said:

    yes. how about mary jane?

    Look here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_(cannabis_culture)  These are all my my neighbors and hangouts. :-)

    Digging more the past few days, it was brought to my attention that MJ can help with nausea and appetite but is effective nor a substitute for analgesics. So, I guess there is no way around all the heavy pain meds and just need to treat the pain and deal with the immediate and longer term side effects.

    It is never recommended to try to smoke it but vaporized and consuming offers better ways to get into system.

     

     

    Shame I live in the wrong part of the country

    some hash brownies would work pretty well about now.

     

     

  • rikster519
    rikster519 Member Posts: 2
    long road gets wider

    hey everyone. I was misdiagnosed with a bi-lateral brancial cleft cyst which turned out to be BOT N4T3 in Feb 2012. Since then Ive finished 48 rounds of radiation and 3 rounds chemo (cicplatin) I was told by my oncologist that he was going to hit me hard and hit me fast as he liked my positive aditude towrd this killer. I'm 55 and smoked and drank hard and faced this long road with LAUGHTER. Since then (June 2012) I've endured pain (treated with hydromorophone), dry mouth (treated with a prescribed mouthwash (WRIGHT), and fed thru a PEG tube ( six-250ml NUTREN 1.5) and 3.5 liters of water a day. I did everything they ask with LAUGHTER) Fast forward to today and my six-month follow-up on the 25thof Jan. is going yo be a breeze. I still have dry mouth (LAUGH) feed thru the tube (no taste buds) (LAUGHTER) and my thyroid is shot (treated with Synthroid 25MCG)(LAUGHTER) BUT I feel and look better (212lbs-150lbs-175lbs) (LAUGHTER).  i joined a gym nov. 12 (lLAUGHTER) AND i'm looking forward to what ever time i have to (LAUGH) at this disease. Everyone should start. Rick i

     

     

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    donfoo said:

    yes. how about mary jane?

    Look here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_(cannabis_culture)  These are all my my neighbors and hangouts. :-)

    Digging more the past few days, it was brought to my attention that MJ can help with nausea and appetite but is effective nor a substitute for analgesics. So, I guess there is no way around all the heavy pain meds and just need to treat the pain and deal with the immediate and longer term side effects.

    It is never recommended to try to smoke it but vaporized and consuming offers better ways to get into system.

     

     

    I have a friend who tried like

    crazy to get me to at least try pot to enhance my appetite and control pain.  Frankly, unless it comes in a pill that a person can crush and get down the tube, I don't know how it would be administered during treatment for throat cancer.  You can't eat it in cookies or brownies, if your mouth is as dry as a cob....not to mention that they might just come right back up....andtrying to smoke it, vape it, or drink it with a mouth full of sores doesn't sounds pretty painful, too. 

    Needless to say, I passed on the pot.....I had no desire to come off of opiates either, having done that in my past.  I was pretty scared actually of even taking anything, after being clean and sober for 25 years.....in the last two months of treatment tho, I broke down and got some liquid hydrocodone to pour down my tube. 

    Is "420" the number of the law that was passed....somewhere?

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    jcortney said:

    What are 420 Options?

    Enlighten me please.

    Old Hippies.....

    As a child of the 70's, I smoked more weed then I care to admit. Gave it up many, many years ago but my 420 alert goes off whenever I catch a whiff! There were a few movies about cancer recently that showed the patient smoking. It helps control nausea and enhances appetite. Anyone who's partaken knows what the "muchies" are. Unfortunately, the pleasure of pigging out would be nullified by lack of taste and a PEG.

    That being said, it may be time to make a few calls and pull out my Grateful Dead albums ~lol~

    "T"

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member

    I have a friend who tried like

    crazy to get me to at least try pot to enhance my appetite and control pain.  Frankly, unless it comes in a pill that a person can crush and get down the tube, I don't know how it would be administered during treatment for throat cancer.  You can't eat it in cookies or brownies, if your mouth is as dry as a cob....not to mention that they might just come right back up....andtrying to smoke it, vape it, or drink it with a mouth full of sores doesn't sounds pretty painful, too. 

    Needless to say, I passed on the pot.....I had no desire to come off of opiates either, having done that in my past.  I was pretty scared actually of even taking anything, after being clean and sober for 25 years.....in the last two months of treatment tho, I broke down and got some liquid hydrocodone to pour down my tube. 

    Is "420" the number of the law that was passed....somewhere?

    420

    HI p,

    This will get you started  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_(cannabis_culture)

    I'm a native NorCal and Bay Area for more than 20 years so pot use is just everyday deal. It has been decriminalized for many years and IF the cops even bother it is just a ticket with a fine, like a traffic citation.

    From my research the vapor does not irritate during intake. What was pointed out to me as fishmapa states it is effective for nausea and making you want to eat. It does NOT do much as an analgesic, so it is not going to be an alternative to the progession of pain meds most seem to get here. And that was my main thing - to avoid the opiates and heavy pain meds but that seems not to be the case.

    You are still so thin and probably could use a good daily dose of the munchies so maybe it can work for you. I hear oil is anohter way to get it into your system but there must be products that are powderrized that can be put down the PEG and at least combat the nausea symptoms. will report back what I find.

     

     

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    fishmanpa said:

    Old Hippies.....

    As a child of the 70's, I smoked more weed then I care to admit. Gave it up many, many years ago but my 420 alert goes off whenever I catch a whiff! There were a few movies about cancer recently that showed the patient smoking. It helps control nausea and enhances appetite. Anyone who's partaken knows what the "muchies" are. Unfortunately, the pleasure of pigging out would be nullified by lack of taste and a PEG.

    That being said, it may be time to make a few calls and pull out my Grateful Dead albums ~lol~

    "T"

    but who likes to gag?

    I figure it at least controls the nausea then it is a slamdunk. I see just too many ppl here have such an issue with the nausea and that triggers deydration and weight loss issues. Even if you can not taste via the PEG maybe the munchies from the THC may encourage you to pig out on an extra can of Ensure. LOL

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    fishmanpa said:

    Old Hippies.....

    As a child of the 70's, I smoked more weed then I care to admit. Gave it up many, many years ago but my 420 alert goes off whenever I catch a whiff! There were a few movies about cancer recently that showed the patient smoking. It helps control nausea and enhances appetite. Anyone who's partaken knows what the "muchies" are. Unfortunately, the pleasure of pigging out would be nullified by lack of taste and a PEG.

    That being said, it may be time to make a few calls and pull out my Grateful Dead albums ~lol~

    "T"

    Joe

    Joe,

    After tx isn't necessarily going to be worse. My lip sores started to improve week 1 post tx and were gone week 2. When I finished tx, my neck turned very dark and then peeled but never burned or hurt at all. Week 3 I lost about 3 inches of hair between my ears in the back which of course didn't hurt at all. At the start of week 5 my energy started to return and I felt like I had turned the corner. By week 6 I was full of energy. During my tx, I too went from hydrocodone to the patch but that was only for a couple of weeks. At some point following week 6 the radio actually went back on in the car.  Each day post tx actually got better for me, I hope the same for you.

    Candi