Rang the Bell Today

Steve5
Steve5 Member Posts: 147
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I can't believe it but I will not be going for any more treatments on Monday, I rang the bell today after my last rad treatment.  It was and still is a little surreal, these last few days have been hell - voice gone and starting feeding through tube - my mouth and throat just too sore after the last few days of rads.

Still, I think back to when I first wrote all of you for help, for comfort and some stability to this change in my life - I thank all of you for getting me to this point - you were all so right, it was hard, sometimes really hard, 'BUT DOABLE.  Thanks Matt and everyone else, all of you - now I hope and pray to make it over the next few humps, the April scan and the next few years and the next few after that!  You are all terrific, just wonderful people.

On a practical level - did any of you put off your fluourine trays a few days after treatment, the mucous is so bad at this point that I simply cannot do them, was wondering if your dentists were okay with a few days to a week break for mouth sores -

Oh well, Osmolite and Gatorade for at least the next two weeks - was drinking the Ensure up to two days ago but too sore to go with it at this point.  So the day is spent spaceing out Gatorade and feeding through the tube, not so bad, but the osmolite takes a little time, but then where am I going in the short term anyway.

All the best to all of you, thoughts and prayers and you were all right - keep up the faith and the will to do it.  I am trying to refrain from thinking too much about being able to taste again, just a day at a time, but I will risk it for one moment - I hope to taste a hot dog again some day.

 

Love you all

Steve

ps  there I go writing again, this is what you have done for me, so much help, so much leaning, thanks

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #2
    Done

    Steve,

    Congratulations!  From now on your days are numbered as “post” treatment.  I will ring my bell for you in a few minutes.

    When your mouth says enough, there is no need to force the fluoride as for the water, even a few sips is good.  Hopefully, your mouth will heal quickly and you can move on to the next step(s).

    Tell you what, if I am in your neighborhood and you are ready, I’ll but you a fat dog with all the fixins.

    Matt

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #3
    steve, i thot i heard a bell

    steve, i thot i heard a bell today, CONGRATS!!!!  that is such a big deal.  your time now belongs to u again.  enjoy.  good luck w/the sores.  hopefully they will clear up now that u r done!

    God bless you, steve.

    dj

  • j4mie
    j4mie Member Posts: 218
    #4
    Congratulations Steve!

    glad you got to ring the bell!! Now you can devote your time to resting and healing :)

    Jamie

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #5
    WHOO HOO!!!

    Isn't it a nice feeling knowing that come Monday you don't have to drag yourself into town and go to rads?? Laughing  I remember how light I felt just knowing that, even tho I still had 9 weeks more of chemo to face, not going to radiation was all I needed for a new perspective. 

    If you haven't tried L-Glutamine powder mixed with water for those sores, you can pick it up at the health food store....it was the only thing I could put into my mouth that didn't sting (plain water did, but not with the powder in it)....that would give you something to sip while you heal. 

    Congratulations.....you're on the road to recovery!

    p

  • KB56
    KB56 Member Posts: 318 Member
    #6
    Ring the bell

    Steve, congratulations on ringing the bell.  At my radiation treatment facility in Dallas we didn't have a bell but it was very nice when it was finished. 

     

    I've really tried to use the fluoride tray every night but I really didn't have mouth sore at all but had some bad thrush.   The freaked me out about the teeth so I really tried to brush often, floss daily and fluoride tray nightly.  so far so good But sometimes it did sting a bit when my mouth was tender but I tried to cut back on the amount of flouride then.   

    Congratulations on being finished and best of luck!

    keith

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #7
    Congrats...

    Moving forward now....

     

    John

  • Mikemetz
    Mikemetz Member Posts: 465 Member
    #8
    Ground Hog day is over!

    Congrats on finishing your rads and ringing the bell.  The Goundhog Day experience is over, and you can now move on with the rest of your treatments and recovery.  Best of luck with the next stage of things.

    Mike

     

  • Duggie88
    Duggie88 Member Posts: 760 Member
    #9
    Good for you Steve

    They didn't have a bell yet at the University of Pennsylvania they have gotten one since. I just hit my head on the doorway and rung my own bell.

    Now you can start the healing process. Listen to what Matt tells ya. Even little sips will help.

    Heal on!!!!

          Jeff

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #10
    Congrats

    May your healing be swift and peaceful.

  • dunedintech
    dunedintech Member Posts: 90
    #11
    Ding

    Heard from it here. Great work on getting the job done. Heal well and remember it is a day by day process.

    CPC

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #12
    Hi Steve

    Ring it hard, I remember my last day, like I told the doctor I can do this one standing on my head. I am just glad he did not make me prove it.

     Tongue Out

    God Bless you in the haling process

    Hondo

  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570
    #13
    RINGER

    RING THAT BELL AGAIN STEVE, that's great news, congratulations!!   I just keeps gettin better from here.  Now the only RADS that you will be thinking about will be the events on the slopes and arenas at the Winter Olympics, X Games, or ........  Keep it movin forward......*

    PATRICK

  • spector551
    spector551 Member Posts: 109
    #14
    Hooray!!

    Good for you! I'm so glad that you are through with that part of the treatment. Now for recovery. Brace yourself, Buddy. The first month of recovery is no joy ride, but at least you will not have to go to the clinic everyday. When it starts getting better, it getts better at a pretty good pace with daily improvements.

     

    God bless,

    Jamie

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