It's Shrinking!!

May 7, 2011 – It’s Shrinking!!

It’s Saturday morning and I think I could write a book today. But I’ll try to limit it to facts. The good news is that the lump on my neck (lymph gland) is now shrinking. Joanne confirmed it as I’m sure the RadDoc will on Tuesday. Yea!!

Yesterday was a 5 banger. I visited 5 separate health care providers in one day. Who says I don’t have a job? First was RadDoc (54.286% completed) followed by a visit to the gastroenterologist to discuss Monday’s installation of my PEG 2 tube (feeding tube). Then it was off to a place called The Medical Mall where they processed the upcoming surgery with a million forms and questions. Then to ChemoDoc to receive fluids, steroids and anti-nausea drugs (3 hours for that). After that there was an unrelated visit to my optometrist to get a few eyelashes plucked out. This is unrelated to cancer but I have a chronic problem with eyelashes growing toward my cornea on my right eye. Makes it feel like something is in my eye all the time. Done.  Five in one day.

Yesterday I actually ate enough calories to maintain my weight. No nausea so I ate (drank I guess) 4 Boosts (don’t think I’ll continue with Ensure – makes me sick) and a few other small items. Today is starting off good as well but I never know when “Nausea Nate” will show up. I think fever and nausea are worse than pain because I have some control over pain. Enough drugs and pain subsides enough for reasonably comfortable living. With “Nausea Nate”, you can’t do anything. No fever for me since my 102 on Tuesday. They still don’t know why I got that.

Gross Alert!! Gross Alert!! - Don’t read on if you’re easily grossed out because what I’m going to write about is disgusting. Mucositis. As treatment continues my increasingly burned tongue produces more and more mucous. This stuff is better than Super Glue. Imagine the proverbial “molasses in January.” This gunk forms in the back of your throat and sits there defying removal. Hacking, spitting gargling and a jack hammer aren’t going to remove this crap. It’s easy to choke on and hard to spit out even as you are ready to. It sticks to everything and anything. If the Shuttle Challenger had this gunk in those “O” rings in 1987, it wouldn’t have crashed. My best efforts include a constant rinsing with a mix of salt/baking soda and water but my best solution yet has been in the shower. There I can load my mouth up and really unload like a volcano (imagine this if you will: head back and blllllaaaackkkkkkk!!!!!!!). Gross isn’t it? That’s my life at the moment.

See? I told you not to read it.