8 more rads

jackflash22

Just a wee update on my rads. taking all your advice I am now feeling a lot better. I have 8 rads to go. I didn't,t think in the beginning I,d ever get to single figures. I have one tomorrow then a weekend break then five days next week and two days the following week. The docs at hospital have pulled out all the stops for me and given me anything I ask for. I have now enough ,borrowed, equipment to start my own mini hospital. I have an electric drip feeder, I can,t eat by mouth because of the danger of choking and getting pneumonia, I can swallow the smallest amount of water to keep my swallow going. I have an electric nebuliser and all the stuff to put in it to loosen the mucous. Also boxes and boxes of ensure plus, pain relief medicine, thrush med, laxatives, dry mouth toothpaste and mouth wash and tongue gel, you name it and I can get it. My mouth is no longer sore although the skin still sloughs off. I get sickness with all the ensures going into my tube and the amount of water but the anti sickness meds helps I have to take two soluble acid tablets to stop stomach ulcers. I have bagful s of syringes and swabs for the tube. I feel privilaged to be so spoilt but they do it for everyone who needs it. I have to give back anything I have left once I don't need it anymore. The car volunteers that drive me to hospital and back are great. I have made friends with other cancer sufferers that travel with me. I,m just hoping that by writing this I wnt jinx myself with the remainder of the treatment. The team of docs looking after me say I,m doing amazingly well. my neck is a little sore and itchy but not damaged. I haven,t been depressed but I,m amazed how much I sleep. I get home about lunchtime have my water and ensures plus then fall asleep for two hours wake up get Peters dinner then fall asleep till my soaps come on TVthen sleep again till bedtime, go to bed and sleep all night. 

 

phrannie51

Whoo Hoo single digits!!!

There were highlights in my treatment days, and getting from double digits to single digits was a biggie! 

Sounds like you're holding your own, and that is wonderful!  I know what you mean about the sleeping....inside I felt like I was being SO lazy, but it's not....rads are fatiguing, I don't know why except that maybe a body goes into overdrive trying to heal each day between treatments?  I do know that we burn calories at a hyper rate during radiation....so that too might be the body trying to respond to damage.  I'd get up at 9:00 am, get to the Oncologist by 11:00 for the amifostine drip....sleep through that....go to Rads at 2:00 (doze through that)....get home about 3:00 and sleep in my recliner until 6:00....walk the dog, come in watch TV and go to bed at 10:00 or 10:30, and start all over again the next day.  Amazing isn't it?  I was lucky, my sister would cook meals all weekend for Greg to eat during the week, so I didn't even have to do that. 

I think it's cool that they take all the stuff you don't use....I had so much crap piled up after treatment, and I didn't know what to do with it.....I did take the case of Ensure to the Home Health place, but nobody was interested in any of the other stuff I had....so after a few months I just tossed it out (but it hurt to do it).

You're almost done JF....and I'm delighted that you're doing so well.

p

debbiejeanne

jf, congrats on the single

jf, congrats on the single digits!!!  that ia a BIG deal and reason to do a happy dance.  sounds like u will make it thru w/o 2 much damage/side effec ts.  good 4 u!!  keep us posted and let us know your last tx day so we can celebrate w/u.

God bless,

dj

KTeacher

Good to hear from you

I remember taking naps before my nap!  Glad that you were able to get everything you needed to lessen the side effects.  YOU MAKE DINNER FOR HIM!   Wow, I am impressed!  So glad you are near the end but remember that you keep 'cooking' for a while (weeks) after treatment ends. 

Hummingbird3

hey lady,  what a fighter,

hey lady,  what a fighter, trooper you are!  I know your inspiring so many.  It sounds like you have maintained not only a humor but an amazing positive energy that just flows.  I pray it continues to sustain you over the coming weeks as you FINISH :-) and recovery. Enjoy every moment of your sleepy time....hope all your dreams are sweet and the next 8 sessions treat you kind!  Hang on ....your almost done!  

Praying and lifting you up,

christie

donfoo

yeah!

Go Jackie! You are doing very well for this part of the journey and you can hope the low point for you will not be so low as many and you will recover more quickly. Hang in there and keep doing what you are doing. don

TracyLynn72

Hang on!

Not much longer to go!  I KNOW you're so happy and things are going to get better little by little.  Once I got into single digits, it was so nice marking those days off of my calendar.  Get as much rest as you want or need.  I took naps for a few weeks after, too.  So glad you're hanging in there so tough!! 

CivilMatt

8 more, than no more

JackFlash,

I do love a well-stocked H&N pantry.  You need it, you got it.

Single digits, that’s when I developed “neck burn”, sounds like you are dodging that one (good job)

I gave my PEG tube to a homeless guy, even offered to install it for him (or in him), but no.

Sleep was my true blessing other than a few times my mind was racing I sleep very well.  Of course the Lorazapam I took to wear my mask helped make me drowsy.

I am very happy to hear what sounds like good spirits, keep it up.

Best always,

Matt

P.S.  no homeless were injured with either if my two PEGs

jackflash22

CivilMatt said:

8 more, than no more

JackFlash,

I do love a well-stocked H&N pantry.  You need it, you got it.

Single digits, that’s when I developed “neck burn”, sounds like you are dodging that one (good job)

I gave my PEG tube to a homeless guy, even offered to install it for him (or in him), but no.

Sleep was my true blessing other than a few times my mind was racing I sleep very well.  Of course the Lorazapam I took to wear my mask helped make me drowsy.

I am very happy to hear what sounds like good spirits, keep it up.

Best always,

Matt

P.S.  no homeless were injured with either if my two PEGs

you make me laugh

Your such a fun guy many posts you made ,had me in stitches, can just imagine you holding down this poor homeless guy while you try to PEG him. Did you off him your mask so he could jump out of the bushes to frighten little old ladies ha ha

Duggie88

8....7....6....5.......

Less means more............... celebration. The one thing I miss about radiation is the amount of sleep I got. Although a few times my wife had to remind me I was driving on the turnpike and had to wait until I got home. You are doing great keep the countdown going.

      Jeff

fishmanpa

Tick...Tick...Tick...

DING...DING...DING....

Then the healing begins Congrats on single digits!

"T"

lornal

Sleeping

All that sleeping is good.  When I was at that point of my treatment, my husband would take me for treatment, I'd come home and sleep until lunch - sit there and watch my family eat lunch, take a nap until dinner. Watch them eat dinner, then take a nap.  Then, I'd get up, take a sleeping pill, and then to go bed.  Before the sleeping pill, I would wake up in the middle of the night and pace around the house for a few hours.  TV is really bad in the middle of the night too.  The sleeping pill took care of that.

Glad to hear you can count on your fingers the treatments you have left!