Today was my best day in a number of weeks and I gotta believe it’s because I slept almost 12 hours last night. I haven’t slept this long in a lot of years but evidently, I really needed it. In fact, I mowed the lawn and did some yard work and then Marcia and did some running around and grocery shopping and I felt pretty good all day. The hands have felt good all day as well, though I’ve got a couple of sores popping up on my toes now, but it’s no big deal.
Another Day
Went to work today to make up my time for missing part of Monday when I left with exhaustion. Another kind of blah day, though the hand burning seems to getting a little worse. I’m putting cream on about every 15 minutes now and you can see the faint outline of blisters starting to form on both hands. It’s not keeping me from doing anything in particular, just annoying.
And the fact that I’m not getting a full night’s sleep is wearing on me as well, but I have to keep putting the cream on or it gets too painful and it’s impossible to ignore. Dr. Huff did say that if blisters start to form or my skin starts to peel, then he’ll stop the chemo altogether. I suppose on the one hand that’s a good thing, but on the other, that means my tumor isn’t getting the full treatment that it should, and I really want this thing obliterated!
Full Effect Creeping Up On Me
Yesterday I started to feel the effects of the chemo on my hands and feet. Most of the day my hands had a tingling sensation to them, but I was applying my udder cream every 30 minutes and it definitely helped. And when I got home my feet started burning and itching at the same time and I rubbed them raw for about 15 minutes. Kind of a blah day yesterday; didn’t feel good, but didn’t feel horribly bad. Got my chemo bag changed and have started my 4th week of therapy. Yea!
This morning however, about 2:00 I woke up and my hands (palm area) were burning so I had to look for gloves (they both came off) and put my cream on again. It only takes about 10 minutes to feel the soothing effect and it helps tremendously. Today my daughter Kelly had surgery so I took off to be with her and it was an okay day, mostly just tired all day. Kelly’s doing fine and we got home around 6:30 this evening so I’m getting ready to eat.
I got to sleep in this morning till around 7:00, and as I was laying there, I got to thinking that I really miss making a pot of coffee and having that great aroma fill the house. Hopefully, once the chemo and radiation are over with my mouth sores will subside enough to have hot liquids again. I’m really looking forward to that.
Rough Day Today
Well today was my toughest day from an exhaustion perspective. I went to work and after a couple of hours I was overcome with extreme exhaustion. I called my boss and told him I was leaving for the day. I came home and slept from about 8:30 to after 1:00 when Marcia got home. It was odd because when I got to work I was feeling fine and about 10 minutes before it hit me, I got this strange feeling (can’t really describe it), and then I just kinda slumped in my chair.
After my treatment I had my weekly visit with Dr. Huff and told him about the exhaustion and he said it’s just part of the side effects and that I’m hitting the tough stretch now. During the exam he noticed that my inside of hands were swollen and had a sunburn look (I didn’t notice), which are also a side effect of the chemo. He recommended I start using some udder cream multiple times per day and then apply it at night to my hands (and feet if needed), then I have to wear cotton gloves at night to keep the moisture in. He says if my hands or feet start blistering then they’ll stop the chemo entirely till they heal, and I don’t want that to happen.
I feel better tonight so I plan on going to work tomorrow and I’ll see how it goes.
Oh yeah, 13 more treatments!
Better Day Today
Today was a much better day than yesterday. The fatigue didn’t hit me today and that made the day much more enjoyable. Prior to my treatment today I got see the dental oncologist and she gave me an exam to look at my mouth and the sores. She said everything is still swollen and that it will be another two or three days before I’ll feel the effects of the reduced chemo. My weight is still holding steady which is good. I gained three pounds last week but I’m down a pound for this week, but still doing well (I should be, I’m eating like a pig).
On a fun note, my daughter-in-law Lori (Chris’ wife) got tickets for Chris and I too see jazz legend Billy Cobham give a drum clinic tonight at the Percussion Institute here in Colorado Springs. Chris was most impressed with Billy’s clinic, not only by his playing but from his story telling of his days growing up in New York city playing with jazz legends like Count Basie and Miles Davis.
Another Day
Today was a decent day until about 11:00 or so and then just total exhaustion hit me. No nausea, just like I got ran over by a truck. I was actually sitting there today writing ASP code and I nodded off for a few seconds. I’m not sure where it came from or why, but I struggled the rest of the day to keep awake. I kept taking short walks through the NOSC just to keep my blood flowing.
We did have a busy weekend. In fact ,yesterday was my daughter Kelly’s 25th birthday (holy crap I getting old) and we went to Chili’s for dinner with the whole family and our two grandkids, Nicole and Mateo. I had mashed potatoes and grilled chicken that went down without too much pain (insert magic mouthwash).
I’m also wondering if the chemo/radiation is starting to peak now and I’m starting to feel the full effects. I plan on asking Dr. Huff on Wednesday about this. I don’t think I mentioned this, but last Thursday when we saw Dr. Huff, Marcia pointed out some spots on my face that had appeared a couple of days prior and he said that because the chemo kills any type of cancer it comes in contact with, the spots on my face are skin cancer that are drying up and getting ready to fall off. Just makes you realize that the chemo knows no bounds.
Weekends Are Great
I’m really starting to look forward to weekends far more than I ever have. It allows me to rest a little more and it also gives me a two-day break from the radiation therapy. Yesterday was a decent day and after my treatment we went to dinner with Steve and Kim Imke and had great time. Steve and I stay in touch, but it’s always good to see him, and if you know Steve, you also know he’s got a bunch of real-life stories to share that are always interesting.
I didn’t do too well at dinner though because the mouth sores are still preventing me from really having a decent meal (unless it’s soup, and I’ve already had enough soup to last a lifetime). And last night, I went to see my son Kevin and his band, the Boxsleeves, hold their debut CD signing party at a local establishment. I stayed through the first set and had a great time and all my kids were there as well as their friends. Got home around 11:00 and was exhausted. I slept in this morning until after 8:00 and that’s like sleeping all day for me, but I needed the rest.
Today we’ve been on the go all day and the nausea comes and goes and I can deal with it much easier than the mouth sores. They are tough to take at different times during the day, but I just keep using my Aquaphor to try and keep the lips moist. I also didn’t drink as much water today as I have been and my lips have been bleeding tonight, so it’s another learning for me.
Starting Third Week
Today is the start of my third week of treatment and I’m glad to have the previous two weeks behind me. Marcia and I met with Dr. Huff today for my weekly checkup and after reiterating the problems I’m having with my mouth, he decided to reduce my chemo by 25% for the next week to see if the pain and sores subside. Got a new chemo bag today and Pam the chemo nurse was much better at putting the new needle in the port than the nurse from last week. I tensed up today anticipating the pain, but I felt nothing when she inserted the needle in the port.
The dental oncologist was waiting for us when we left Dr. Huff’s exam room and we met with her for a few minutes and she ended up giving me lots of stuff to help with the mouth sores. I wasn’t aware that using anything but fluoride toothpaste is actually harming the tissue in my mouth, as is regular mouthwash (I use Listerine). She showed us a picture of how chemo and radiation attack the gums and mouth and if not taken care of properly, the sores can turn into ulcers. Oh yeah Dr. Huff also gave me a prescription for Magic Mouthwash (I swear that’s what it says on the bottle we picked up from the pharmacy) and I’m supposed to “swish and spit” whenever I’m feeling discomfort. Well, I tried it when we got home and it was like sucking a tube of Orajel. My entire mouth and lips became numb for about 15 minutes. I think I’ll stick to the saltwater mouthwash though.
Marcia and I also had dinner with KC Cabral this evening and we had a great time! I haven’t seen KC in a couple of years and it was good to touch base again and just talk.
New Symptoms Appear
Yesterday after lunch I started having this tingling feeling in my lips and by the time I got the radiation center for my treatment, my lips were burning quite bad. Kinda like having really bad chapped lips, only worse. The radiation nurse gave me some ointment to use and it made the burning quite tolerable today. However, this morning my tongue felt as if I had poured hot water on it and it’s really sensitive to heat and cold now. I’m taking soup for lunch now and I had to wait until it cooled to room temperature before I could eat it.
This morning started out rough because of the pain and the nausea (because I didn’t want to eat), but I took some Tylenol and that seemed to help quite a bit, so I finished my snacks and felt better the remainder of the day. This is a new experience for me everyday and I’ve got to learn how to deal with each surprise as it comes up.
I met a guy in the treatment waiting room this afternoon and he looked to be about 55 or so, and he was on his 10th day of radiation and looked terrible. He’s being treated for a brain tumor and has lost partial vision because of it, but he said the combination of chemo and radiation are exhausting him. Makes me feel pretty lucky that I can still work and all I’m dealing with is nausea and chapped lips. It’s all relative isn’t it.
Another Day Down
Today was interesting day because I thought I’d be proactive about eating smaller meals (snacks actually) during the day to help ward off the nausea. So I took some string cheese and trail mix to work so I could munch on them in the morning. Didn’t work. Either one or both actually made the nausea worse today and made for a long day at work. Sunday was a much better day as I ate some bananas during the morning and then had a light lunch and then tortilla soup for dinner. Tomorrow I think I’ll just try the cheese and see how THAT goes.
As you may recall, this all started with my hemorrhoids acting up and today they came back with a vengeance as well. Some of it could be diet-related, and or some it could be side effects of the radiation. Five weeks ago I couldn’t stand the thought of taking a bath, but now it’s part of my daily routine. TMI (too much information!?)
The good news is that my port incision is healing real good and the pain from laying on it during radiation is non-existent now. I’m gonna have some beans with my tortilla soup tonight because I’ve been craving beans for some strange reason for the past couple of weeks (could I be pregnant too?).
