Graduation Day!!!!

pk
pk Member Posts: 192
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
My husband completed his last radiation treatment today. We had a party and took treats to his radiation team. He will now follow up with his ENT in about 4 weeks and then have his PET the first part of January with a follow up with his radiation oncologist.
He was told today that he endured this treatment far better than most which was encouraging. I am so proud of him and his attitude. He has not become angry or bitter or even too depressed - just really fatigued, tired of the mucous problems, and the inability to do much of anything without having to quit. Of course he would love to eat a peanut butter sandwich but not a good idea just yet. HAPPY DAY!!!!

Comments

  • jkinobay
    jkinobay Member Posts: 298 Member
    #2
    HAPPY DAY INDEED
    I will forever remember my last treatment and the celebration with my "class" of fellow patients. It was an emotional but very uplifting day.

    Congratulations to your husband and to you as well since I know for a fact that your supporting role made a major difference in his progress. I hope he realizes how lucky he is to have you.

    Now, a cautionary word. You may have been told (I was not) or you may have read on these Boards that in most cases the radiation continues to "work" for several weeks after treatments. Certainly, the worst is hopefully behind you. But, please do not be alarmed if recovery is not as rapid as he would of course like.

    In my case my throat actually got a little worse during the first 30 days after treatments. Then, it slowly turned around to where I had some taste/saliva recovery at about the 60 day mark.

    I think the key is to not let your guard down with respect to hydration and nutrition. If he is using a PEG tube keep that up. I had to have weekly IV for re-hydration for several weeks after treatments ended.

    But, again CONGRATULATIONS!! Savor the moment and look to a Blessed future.

    God Bless.................JK
  • pk
    pk Member Posts: 192
    #3
    jkinobay said:

    HAPPY DAY INDEED
    I will forever remember my last treatment and the celebration with my "class" of fellow patients. It was an emotional but very uplifting day.

    Congratulations to your husband and to you as well since I know for a fact that your supporting role made a major difference in his progress. I hope he realizes how lucky he is to have you.

    Now, a cautionary word. You may have been told (I was not) or you may have read on these Boards that in most cases the radiation continues to "work" for several weeks after treatments. Certainly, the worst is hopefully behind you. But, please do not be alarmed if recovery is not as rapid as he would of course like.

    In my case my throat actually got a little worse during the first 30 days after treatments. Then, it slowly turned around to where I had some taste/saliva recovery at about the 60 day mark.

    I think the key is to not let your guard down with respect to hydration and nutrition. If he is using a PEG tube keep that up. I had to have weekly IV for re-hydration for several weeks after treatments ended.

    But, again CONGRATULATIONS!! Savor the moment and look to a Blessed future.

    God Bless.................JK

    JK
    Yes, we have been told all along that the journey will continue yet for awhile. It was suggested to us that he keep using his tube pretty much the same way for atleast the first several weeks after rads and start trying some very soft food along the way, but probably not for these first couple of weeks. Recovery can be long - he has a goal of being able to eat enough to get his tube out and healed up by the time we head to GA mid Feb. for our winter get away on St. Simons Island. We also know that the food he will be able to eat to sustain his weight will not be very regular for quite awhile. BUT it is still great to not have to go in every morning for further torture!!!! Thanks for your reply. It is so good to know so many have journeyed this long road to recovery
    PK
  • carolinagirl67
    carolinagirl67 Member Posts: 153
    #4
    pk said:

    JK
    Yes, we have been told all along that the journey will continue yet for awhile. It was suggested to us that he keep using his tube pretty much the same way for atleast the first several weeks after rads and start trying some very soft food along the way, but probably not for these first couple of weeks. Recovery can be long - he has a goal of being able to eat enough to get his tube out and healed up by the time we head to GA mid Feb. for our winter get away on St. Simons Island. We also know that the food he will be able to eat to sustain his weight will not be very regular for quite awhile. BUT it is still great to not have to go in every morning for further torture!!!! Thanks for your reply. It is so good to know so many have journeyed this long road to recovery
    PK

    Yeah!!!!
    Congratulations!!!

    I am so happy for you and your family and hopefully your husband will have nothing but good news from here on out. My husband too did very well during his treatment. He had 35rads and three cisplatin. He is only one week out of treatment and doing VERY well. Not well enough to cut the grass, LOL but pretty good. He is eating soup, ice cream, stuff like that and drinks about four ensures a day. He has not used his PEG in over two weeks. Hopefully they will take it out soon. I think just knowing treatment is over helps them feel better. He still tires easily but really tries hard to make an effort to do things with the family and with is friends. He played nine holes saturday and went with his brother Sunday to look at a car. He's going to buy himself an old car for a present to himself. So your husband should be feeling some better soon. Congrats again! donna
  • pk
    pk Member Posts: 192
    #5
    carolinagirl67 said:

    Yeah!!!!
    Congratulations!!!

    I am so happy for you and your family and hopefully your husband will have nothing but good news from here on out. My husband too did very well during his treatment. He had 35rads and three cisplatin. He is only one week out of treatment and doing VERY well. Not well enough to cut the grass, LOL but pretty good. He is eating soup, ice cream, stuff like that and drinks about four ensures a day. He has not used his PEG in over two weeks. Hopefully they will take it out soon. I think just knowing treatment is over helps them feel better. He still tires easily but really tries hard to make an effort to do things with the family and with is friends. He played nine holes saturday and went with his brother Sunday to look at a car. He's going to buy himself an old car for a present to himself. So your husband should be feeling some better soon. Congrats again! donna

    Donna
    Thank you for your well wishes. Yup, they are very tired. Bob has not been eating too much yet - he is able to swallow but everything still tastes tooo awful. He's only 2 days out so we'll try add some things in a few days. He is quite sad that he won't be pheasanting hunting this yr., but other than that has a darn good attitude. PK
  • jkinobay
    jkinobay Member Posts: 298 Member
    #6
    carolinagirl67 said:

    Yeah!!!!
    Congratulations!!!

    I am so happy for you and your family and hopefully your husband will have nothing but good news from here on out. My husband too did very well during his treatment. He had 35rads and three cisplatin. He is only one week out of treatment and doing VERY well. Not well enough to cut the grass, LOL but pretty good. He is eating soup, ice cream, stuff like that and drinks about four ensures a day. He has not used his PEG in over two weeks. Hopefully they will take it out soon. I think just knowing treatment is over helps them feel better. He still tires easily but really tries hard to make an effort to do things with the family and with is friends. He played nine holes saturday and went with his brother Sunday to look at a car. He's going to buy himself an old car for a present to himself. So your husband should be feeling some better soon. Congrats again! donna

    Congrats to you and your husband as well
    Folks that have never experienced this particular challenge, either as a survivor or a care-giver, cannot possibly relate to the feelings experienced when treatments end. I can assure you they will not only continue but there will be lots of new reasons to be thankful, alive and progressing stronger, having beat the demon.

    I was very lucky and having pushed myself was able to get the PEG out about 45 days after the last of 35 rads and 7 cisplatin treatments. May have been able to get it a little sooner but the Doc's schedule was full.

    A note of caution, though. As my Gastro Doc told me once the PEG is removed it will take at least 3 weeks before it could be re-inserted should that be necessary. So, all of that to say that your husband and his Team need to be absolutely sure that it is time to come out. Mine came out "early" and I never regretted it. I'm sure that will be your husband's case too.

    Again, super, super congratulations to you guys. What a magnificent mood and sentiment with which to enter the Fall. Have a great one....................JK

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