Done! Finished! Completed!
22 radiation treatments are done! April 8 ended up being the END of my radiation treatments. My onco extended treatment by two days. I found out about that on day 19, which was suppose be be my next-to-last treatment. I cried like a big baby. And I mean ugly cry.
A few days after treatment ended, the blisters showed up. First on my back. Then on my neck. And it was NOT pretty. But here I am two weeks out, almost completely healed. I have some peeling & one spot still cracking on my neck, but it's MUCH better. My throat is also on the mend. I still have some swallowing pain, but it is nothing compared to the worst I had.
Saturday, we had an amazing time with great friends & family to celebrate. We had real love Louisiana crawfish shipped in & showed our VA friends how it's done! Such a fun time!
Upcoming appointments:
May 21 - 6 week follow-up with radiation oncologist
May 22 - PET scan
may 24 - follow-up with medical oncologist
Monday, April 22, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
WOW! It's Been A While
I told you I suck at this blogging thing.
Since my last update, I have completed 15 more radiation treatments. TWO MORE! Yes...Thursday will be the LAST of my 20 treatments! I will be so glad to wake up Friday morning with nowhere to go! I have memorized every curve (and believe me, there are many) of the road to the hospital.
Emory has been an absolute sweetie during treatments. He has sat in the waiting area outside the room at almost every one of my visits. He has made friends with the therapy dog at the cancer center. When she sees me over the counter, she jumps up because she knows my little one is just out of sight beside me. He loves giving her treats. He always says, "Bye, Bay. We'll see you tomorrow!"
Side effects that I have experienced:
Sore throat - imagine the worst sore throat you've ever had. Now imagine it lasting for 3+ weeks. The only thing I can eat comfortably is lukewarm chicken broth. Everything else cause pain. Some foods, like bread, can bring me to tears. Even pudding is hard to swallow. After a version of Magic Mouthwash failed to help, we resorted to Percocet, which does nothing except make me sleep.
Red skin - I look like I have a sunburn on half of my neck, half of my chest, and half of my back. You can actually physically see where the radiation field starts & stops. It doesn't hurt & hasn't blistered, but it itches like crazy!
Fatigue - So what else is new? Thankfully, my youngest (who stays at home) is very accommodating to my nap schedule.
My hair is growing back. Like...really quickly. Been taking lots of pics. You can find them on FB if you are a friend. I'll post pics later.
Since my last update, I have completed 15 more radiation treatments. TWO MORE! Yes...Thursday will be the LAST of my 20 treatments! I will be so glad to wake up Friday morning with nowhere to go! I have memorized every curve (and believe me, there are many) of the road to the hospital.
Emory has been an absolute sweetie during treatments. He has sat in the waiting area outside the room at almost every one of my visits. He has made friends with the therapy dog at the cancer center. When she sees me over the counter, she jumps up because she knows my little one is just out of sight beside me. He loves giving her treats. He always says, "Bye, Bay. We'll see you tomorrow!"
Side effects that I have experienced:
Sore throat - imagine the worst sore throat you've ever had. Now imagine it lasting for 3+ weeks. The only thing I can eat comfortably is lukewarm chicken broth. Everything else cause pain. Some foods, like bread, can bring me to tears. Even pudding is hard to swallow. After a version of Magic Mouthwash failed to help, we resorted to Percocet, which does nothing except make me sleep.
Red skin - I look like I have a sunburn on half of my neck, half of my chest, and half of my back. You can actually physically see where the radiation field starts & stops. It doesn't hurt & hasn't blistered, but it itches like crazy!
Fatigue - So what else is new? Thankfully, my youngest (who stays at home) is very accommodating to my nap schedule.
My hair is growing back. Like...really quickly. Been taking lots of pics. You can find them on FB if you are a friend. I'll post pics later.
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