September 21, 2011 – Starting To Eat Better and Better

Tonight my wife made meatloaf, sweet potatoes and green beans. It was a good dinner and I ate it all. Admittedly, the meatloaf had to be a little softer than usual and the beans were pureed. It’s all good nutritious food that keeps me healthy. I could taste much of it too. I’m lucky there. I’ve heard of worse problems regarding the sense of taste for some people.

I’m still not gaining weight but I’m getting all my calories through eating now and have plenty of variety to keep me healthy. I don’t enjoy eating yet though because I have to add water with each bite of food (especially the dryer stuff) and I’m still having swallowing problems. I still have some pain (much less now) and some difficulty in the swallowing process itself but I think I can keep myself alive without the feeding tube. Unfortunately my RadDoc wants me to have a swallowing test done first and that’s not for 2 weeks. The damned thing is starting to annoy me now and I’m ready to move on.

My energy level is better (fewer naps) and my attitude is better although I’m still not sure if all this pain and misery was worth it. I suppose I won’t really know until several years go by without problems – and a life that I can say has a high degree of quality. The jury is out.

Tomorrow is my birthday; I turn 63. We’re going to try going to a restaurant and see how that works out. I’ll be looking for pasta with some type of cream sauce. Then I have to find a bathroom and take care of my dental hygiene. This lack of saliva creates a need for constant vigilance regarding keeping teeth clean. This is a nasty disease with lots of side effects from the treatment. Dental problems are just one of them. I’ll be seeing the dentist every 3 months from now on. Just one more thing.

Well that’s it for this episode of “Cancer Place.” I hope I continue to improve and don’t run into any speed bumps along the way. I’d like to gain a little weight too.  Later.