So, I finished today!

spector551
spector551 Member Posts: 109
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Now for the dreaded week 8 and the recovery. I hope I can get back to work pretty quickly. I still have quite a bit of stamina. I never had a feeding tube but it makes eating a challenge at the moment because it hurts like heck to swollow anything. But, I'm sure I will overcome that. Thanks everyone for the support... I'm sure I will continue to need it for quite some time.

 

God bless,

Jamie

Comments

  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103 Member
    #2
    Ding, ding!

    Ring that bell.  My center didn't have one.  Rest, hydrate and rest some more.  Merry Christmas and Healthy New Year.

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #3
    Finished

    Jamie,

    Congratulations on completion, I will ring my bell for you in 5 minutes.

    Eat what you can and make-up the nutritional difference with protein drinks and smoothies.  Don’t forget to keep swallowing.

    Matt

  • TracyLynn72
    TracyLynn72 Member Posts: 839
    #4
    SO happy

    that you finished!  It's the best gift you could get for Christmas!  Hope you have a very merry one and a happy, healthy new year! Get some rest and let the healing begin!

  • PJ47
    PJ47 Member Posts: 376
    #5
    Yes you did it.

    I think you will bounce back quickly.  Don't push yourself too much.  I think I hit the wall today after my rad tx.  Slept for 4 hours afterwards  and I have not done that since starting.  

    Have a wonderful Christmas,

    PJ

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #6
    Hi Jamie

     

    You made it to the finish line congratulation. Give it a few weeks and little by little you will begin to see small changes everyday as your body heals itself. Before you know it you will be many months passed Dec 24 and enjoying the beauty of life once again.

     

    God Bless my brother

    Tim Hondo

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

    You mean you don't feel better already..., dang, LOL...

    You'll get there, especially since you didn't have a PEG (me either)... But I switched over to Ensures..

    Once you start taking n more calories, and the throat starts feeling a little better, you'll be surprised how much some good ole nutrition makes you feel.

    Congrats,

    JG

  • Mikemetz
    Mikemetz Member Posts: 465 Member
    #8
    Turning the corner

    Congrats!  Pretty soon you should start to feel just a little better every day, not the little worse you felt every day during treatments.  Don't forget that it's a not a straight line--sometimes you'll take two steps forward and one step back, but that's normal and OK.

    Mike

     

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #9
    congratulations, Jamie!!! 

    congratulations, Jamie!!!  doing a happy dance for u n my kitchen  Laughing

     

    God bless you,

    dj

  • j4mie
    j4mie Member Posts: 218
    #10
    Congratulations Jamie!

    I am so happy for you to have gotten through this part of it all! Now, take as much time as you need to rest up, so you can heal, and get to wherever your "new normal" takes you. You'll be good to go in no time, I'm sure Smile

    Here's to a HEALTHY 2014 for all of the CSN family!!!!

    Jamie

  • KB56
    KB56 Member Posts: 318 Member
    #11
    Jaime, congratulations on

    Jaime, congratulations on finishing your treatments!  That us fantastic and we all know how great that feeling is!   You'll have a couple of weeks of feeling crappy but slowly but surely you will start to feel better.   I had a Peg tube during my treatment but I got it out 3 weeks after my last radiation treatment.  I know it realily hurts to eat anything but this too will pass.  I ate a lot of baked potatoes, fish, soups and anything soft.    My daughter turned me on to a protein shake (Myoplex and I ordered a box from Amazon) and it comes in a few favors.  I mixed mine with whole milk and put it in a blender and it was ~700 calories and ~70 grams of protein so it helped me get some weight back on.   it wasn't too cold ( milkshakes really hurt my throat because it was so cold) so it was a good temperature for me to handle.   

    my throat was really sore until late October so you probably have a few months of painful eating ahead of you but if you were able to go through all of your treatments without a Peg tube you can definitely handle what's ahead of you!    The hard part is over and now you just have to give your body a chance to heal and it will heal with time.   The human body is truly an amazing thing!  

    Best of luck and keep the faith.  

    Keith 

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,773 Member
    #12
    bravo!

    Jamie,

    You are a model patient, taking personal control of your disease, learning as much as you can, seeking help and tips to smooth the road through treatment and I am certain that your road through recovery will go just as well. No PEG, you are my hero - inside joke to the previous alumni.  Given your present condition, you will be back in the mainstream in no time, and I'd bet in far less time that you have allocated.

    Enjoy the holidays, rest when your body tells you, hydrate, eat and manage any pain.

    Don

  • catfish_58
    catfish_58 Member Posts: 138 Member
    #13
    Finally through

    Know how you feel I remember my last treatment rang that bell so hard I thought I broke it,As for work it took me around 7 weeks to get back to it,Had to practically beg my dr.'s to sign the release form,They wanted me to wait for 4 to 6 more weeks.I could've stayed off of work because I was recieving short term disability,But having worked since age sixteen and hardly ever been sick I was getting claustrophobic needed to get back out and do some physical labor,I had the peg tube myself and boy was I glad when I finally started getting back into solid food,You'll get there don't need to rush it.

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