Radiation-Single Digits

robswife87
robswife87 Member Posts: 209
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

WE made it to single digits. 9 more to go. Rob is pretty beat up but taking it like a trooper

We are almost there. He will be another survivor

Sandy

Comments

  • HobbsDoggy
    HobbsDoggy Member Posts: 276
    #2
    Hang In There

    Great that you reached the less than 10 goal.  For me the side effects really started to get very bad about then and worse for the first two weeks sfter treatment.  Only saying that so in case it happens to you, you know its not unsual.  I thought the doctor was full of stuff when he said it will get worse, considerably worse before better.  When it did I did not panic.  I was upset with him when he told me that as I didn't want to hear that, glad he told me.  Hope yours is a cake walk.  Some are. 

    Just being over the treatment, ringing the bell, made me so happy that it got me through the worst part of the recovery.   Hope it all goes smooth for you.

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    #3
    9-8-7......

    DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. When someone works out hard with weights, they get DOMS. Typically, the muscles won't be at the peak of soreness for at east 24-48 hours with it typically being worse 36-48 hours after the workout. With treatment it's a couple of weeks of DOMS so to speak ;)

    Congrats on reaching the single digits! It was a great feeling starting the countdown. It also was a difficult time treatment wise because I was, like Rob, pretty beat up and was taking more punches with each passing day. As you have heard, this part and the weeks immediately following are the roughest (keep DOMS in mind as you begin recovery). It's taken close to a month since treatment ended but I'm finally starting to turn the corner. 

    Positive thoughts and prayers as you near the end! Ringing the bell is a satisfying experience :)

    "T"

  • peggylulu
    peggylulu Member Posts: 375
    #4
    HobbsDoggy said:

    Hang In There

    Great that you reached the less than 10 goal.  For me the side effects really started to get very bad about then and worse for the first two weeks sfter treatment.  Only saying that so in case it happens to you, you know its not unsual.  I thought the doctor was full of stuff when he said it will get worse, considerably worse before better.  When it did I did not panic.  I was upset with him when he told me that as I didn't want to hear that, glad he told me.  Hope yours is a cake walk.  Some are. 

    Just being over the treatment, ringing the bell, made me so happy that it got me through the worst part of the recovery.   Hope it all goes smooth for you.

    HobbsDoggy

    is right , it's better to expect it to be a couple of weeks ( at least ) before you start seeing much improvement . I hadn't found this great place at the time I finished treatments and the Doctor gave me the impression I would be back to "normal " in  a couple of weeks . He didn't say that but he implied that I would feel so much better in a couple of weeks so when I wasn't I did panic. I called him and he said we don't know when or "if" you will get your taste and salavia back !! I do remember how happy I was the last day of treatments , just to be able to stay home ! I hope the 9 days u have left go by fast and you can rest and heal very quickly ! And yes he will be another surviver !

    Peggy

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #5
    single digits

    Sandy,

    Great job, both of you!

    Stay hydrated, well-nourished and drink lots of water (keep swallowing) and soon you will be complaining with everyone else about taste (just kidding).

    Pulling for you,

    Matt

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #6
    WHOO HOO!!!

    now this was a milestone that pumped me up big time!  Counting down to 1 then OVER!  Yup, you're almost there....and he certainly is a suvivor (and a trooper!).

    p

  • letumwork
    letumwork Member Posts: 23
    #7
    Excellent!!!!

    Great job guys- I'm 10 days out from finishing the radiation and can say that I haven't noticed a change one way or the other. It hasn't gotten better or worse, just kinda the same. I do know that my concurrent Cisplatin treatments knocked me on my a@#, and the 3rd one put me into hydration sessions right when I finished radiation for an entire week, every day, 2 bags of Saline into the port!. It took about a week to recover from that but part of it could have been the radiation itself peaking-who knows! I did start to get the peeling neck burns after radiation so I knew I was still cooking! Next week i get to start adjuvant chemotherapy so my radiation celebration is short lived. Anyway- great job and I'll see you on the winning side!!!

  • Duggie88
    Duggie88 Member Posts: 760 Member
    #8
    Almost There

    You know what the monkey said when his tail was cutoff..............It won't be long now.

     

    Like "T" says it's rough but all worthwhile. Back in my high school sports days I had a basketball coach who use to kick the **** out of us most days. He use to always say "No Pain No Gain". In Rob's case the gain is well worth the pain. Star planning your celebration.

     

    Enjoy the day

          Jeff

  • robswife87
    robswife87 Member Posts: 209
    #9
    Duggie88 said:

    Almost There

    You know what the monkey said when his tail was cutoff..............It won't be long now.

     

    Like "T" says it's rough but all worthwhile. Back in my high school sports days I had a basketball coach who use to kick the **** out of us most days. He use to always say "No Pain No Gain". In Rob's case the gain is well worth the pain. Star planning your celebration.

     

    Enjoy the day

          Jeff

    Rough Ride

    right now. Thrush took over again over the weekend but they put diflucan in IV yesterday and gave him 14 pills to get it under control. They pumped him full of good stuff and got him on the road to feeling good for the week.

    Now down to 8. It was a reall rough weekend. When he feels bad, I have to fight him to feed and hydrate but I will win the fight now. 

    I am just glad to be at single digits. We see a light at the end of this horrible tunnel. His poor neck is peeling and very sore.

    Sandy

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #10
    I Can't Barely See You...

    You are so short I can barely see you....., single digit midget...woohoo...

    Hang in there, he's still going to be recovering from his beat down for a few more weeks. But the good news is he's done and even though he's going to still feel like crap, believe it or not he'll be recovering a little each day.

    Best ~ John

  • firemansflame
    firemansflame Member Posts: 5
    #11
    Woo hoo!

    Sandy, you and Rob are doing awesome, you are a great caregiver, and I know it's tough, but you are right, that light is beckoning you from the end of this hellacious tunnel, and you can both move on from there.  Like he said, Letumwork's neck burns are looking better already, he is using Silver Sulfadiazine cream, which seems to really work for him.  Hang in there, we're all here for you, and can't wait for Rob to ring that bell!  You and Rob are definitely earning that "warrior" moniker!

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,773 Member
    #12
    8-7-6...0

    Be there before you know it. Didn't the time just fly by. We are nose-to-nose to the finish line. lol. Glad you are riding him like them ponies in the Preakness. He'll be running across the end of treatment finish line. See you there, don

    btw -what is the medicine load on him now? I am just salt/soda swishing, magic mouthwash (no lidoncaine), topical licocaine when eating only, and still on low hydrocone only for pain. I did just get a big bottle of morphine sufate as this thing has jumped to my tongue and it is ouchie on a new scale, but only plan to take them if they don't loop me out. Unfortunately, I HAVE to have my brain going 100% to do any work, so I have to time meds to keep my clock running, the $clock that is.

  • cureitall66
    cureitall66 Member Posts: 913
    #13
    robswife87 said:

    Rough Ride

    right now. Thrush took over again over the weekend but they put diflucan in IV yesterday and gave him 14 pills to get it under control. They pumped him full of good stuff and got him on the road to feeling good for the week.

    Now down to 8. It was a reall rough weekend. When he feels bad, I have to fight him to feed and hydrate but I will win the fight now. 

    I am just glad to be at single digits. We see a light at the end of this horrible tunnel. His poor neck is peeling and very sore.

    Sandy

    Count down is on...

    Did they give you some Silver Sulfadzine? It is an Rx cream that works GREAT on the neck! If you haven't, be sure to ask for it!

     

  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #14
    donfoo said:

    8-7-6...0

    Be there before you know it. Didn't the time just fly by. We are nose-to-nose to the finish line. lol. Glad you are riding him like them ponies in the Preakness. He'll be running across the end of treatment finish line. See you there, don

    btw -what is the medicine load on him now? I am just salt/soda swishing, magic mouthwash (no lidoncaine), topical licocaine when eating only, and still on low hydrocone only for pain. I did just get a big bottle of morphine sufate as this thing has jumped to my tongue and it is ouchie on a new scale, but only plan to take them if they don't loop me out. Unfortunately, I HAVE to have my brain going 100% to do any work, so I have to time meds to keep my clock running, the $clock that is.

    You are now just that much closer to meeting Mr. NED :)

    Congrats!  You are doing great, and I love the part about "he will be a survior" ....great attitude, one blessed man to have you!

    Tim

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