2 Days Left !!

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Shell_7801
Shell_7801 Member Posts: 71
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I only have 2 days left.  One more Cisplatan and radiation tomorrow and then one last rad on Friday.  Last week I was hospitalized for 2 days from dehydration and at the end of my rope.

Mainly I have thrush, peeling neck skin (lizardish).  I am without a feeding tube and have survived on Ensure.

This last 7 weeks have been hell.  More emotional than physical for me.

I don't want to look back. 

I want:

To taste ice cold water, frosted flakes in ice cold milk, fruit, any fruit!  I cannot taste anything or distinguish if it is cold or hot.

 

All in all this treatment was horrific but somehow I have made it to the end.

I cannot thank all of you enough for all of the encouragement and advice you have given me along this journey.

You have lifted me up in only ways that other survivors can.  Thank you again.

Love, 

Shell

 

Survivor, Stage 4 metestatic tonsil cancer

Comments

  • Sailor123
    Sailor123 Member Posts: 97
    #2
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    You Go Girl!

     

    Good for you Michelle.  Such a strong lady to have made it this far.  You will be enjoying that ice cold water before you know it.  I was taking all my water through the tube and woke up in the middle of the night once and just wanted to drink it.  It was the best feeling!  I guzzled it and it was probably the first time I felt a sense of normal coming back into my life.

    I too was hospitalized a few days before my last radiation.  I wonder how common that is.  I was sodium defficiant and it made me feel feverish and very sick.  

    Oh, and how wonderful you are craving fruit.  That is the one thing that continues to feel so good going down my throat.  

    Hang in there!  Thinking of you.

    Shirley

  • lornal
    lornal Member Posts: 428
    #3
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    Wow

    That went fast.  Now, let others take care of you for a while.  Sit around and enjoy your grandbaby while you are awake.

    Take lots of naps.

    Have you tried choloate milk?  I had luck with that - made it with whole milk to get the calories.

    Lorna 2007 & 2014

  • CajunEagle
    CajunEagle Member Posts: 408
    #4
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    More Advice

    I went through the same process/treatment 5 1/2 years ago for my stage 4 left tonsil, and just want to remind you (as I know you've been instructed), that this living hell isn't over for about another month or two.  Get ready to just sleep, and slowly.....slowly begin to feel like a human being again.  Cram as many calories as you can daily stand down your throat.  When not sleeping, get up and move....walk around the block....lift some weights, and some resistance excercies.  The fight is coming, and your sole job from now till around the 1st of the year is to get back to being somewhat normal.  This fight is not just physical, so exercise the emotional and mental aspects of your daily routine.  Don't let that damn depression set in.  The entire experience changed me, and I "think" I'm a better 67 yr. old male.  My weight gain has stayed the same the last 3 years, much more patient, running 3.1 miles every third day, eating pretty much whatever I want, but very slowly.  Water being always nearby is a constant.  You will come out of this somewhat different, but pat yourself on the back and give yourself a huge hug, because you will always be known as a survivor.

     

    Larry

  • Moki
    Moki Member Posts: 53
    #5
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    Yuppie!

    I am so happy for you! CONGRATS!!!!!!

  • Guzzle
    Guzzle Member Posts: 710
    #6
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    Moki said:

    Yuppie!

    I am so happy for you! CONGRATS!!!!!!

    well Done

    NO TUBE. TOUGH BIRD!

  • Guzzle
    Guzzle Member Posts: 710
    #7
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    Guzzle said:

    well Done

    NO TUBE. TOUGH BIRD!

    Conditioning

    Agree with Cajun - getting my body strong helped with mental conditioning

  • Shell_7801
    Shell_7801 Member Posts: 71
    #8
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    Moki said:

    Yuppie!

    I am so happy for you! CONGRATS!!!!!!

    Moki

    I hope you're doing okay!  I've been thinking about you.

    Shell

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #9
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    Shell, that is amazing!!  i'm

    Shell, that is amazing!!  i'm so happy for you!  very soon your time will belong to you again and then soon you will be back to eating and living life.  the hardest part for me was also emotional.  you're right, it's HELL but somehow we make it through.  congrats 2 days early.  i can't wait to hear you ring the bell.  i'll wait until you do that to do my happy dance :0)  going thru this type of tx really shows us how damn strong we really are!!  you're on your way now, Shell!!

    God bless you!

    dj

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #10
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    We new you could..........

    I knew you could get through it, one day at a time. Keep up the fluids and eat anything you can as well. The next month or two your still cooking so get rest and you will S L O W L Y  get better, then back to the new normal. Remember only today matters......  And Ring that Bell LOUD.

    Bill

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #11
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    almost there

    Shell,

    So emotionally you are ready to finish.  I can Ensure that you will finish rads laying down.  In celebration of you not looking back, I will take you up on the Frosted Flakes.

    Did you buy a H&N clock for recovery, they are accurate, but slow.

    Early congratulations for Friday.

    Matt

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #12
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    One day left!!

    WHOO HOO!!  By tomorrow the rads will be over and you'll be on the road to getting better.  You can start taking back you life again.  Congratulations Shell....I'll be listening for that bell.

    p

  • Moki
    Moki Member Posts: 53
    #13
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    Shell_7801 said:

    Moki

    I hope you're doing okay!  I've been thinking about you.

    Shell

    THANK YOU

    I am pretty stable and 7 treatments left!!!!!

    I am sure you are going to recover very quickly and go back to enjoy life at the fullest!

     

  • KB56
    KB56 Member Posts: 318 Member
    #14
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    finished today

    Shell, congratulations on completing the treatment.  We all know how tough it was and to get that behind you is a great accomplishment!   I have my 18 month post checkup the first week of December and before you know it you'll be a year out and this will all be a distant memory.

    I had a lot of issues with Thrush as well and hopefully the doctor has you on the right meds to get it under control.  

    Give yourself a couple of weeks to get all the chemo and radiation out of your body and you will start to recover slowly but surely.  Your taste should come back in a month or two and I remember my sweet taste was the last to come back and my wife and i were are Chick-Fil A and I could taste the sweet tea!  I was so happy!

    Congratulations again on finishing!   Emotionally and physically draining but that is now all in the past... The best part of life is yet to come!

    All the best,

    Keith

  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570
    #15
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    AWESOME

    Congratulations Shell, you are crossing the treatment finish line, it's time for, as they say in the runny world, for a kick to sprint across it!  Now, you can get into the recovery phase of your journey.  Keep It Mov'in Forward!

    PATRICK 

  • Goyca
    Goyca Member Posts: 220
    #16
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    Shell I'm so happy for you

    Shell I'm so happy for you :))

    I know its still hard, but day by day ull go back to normal. Stay strong and heal on.

    congratulations:)

     

    goyca

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