I'm back on the blog. It's been a couple of weeks for me as Diane posted last time. I continue to improve, but it is soooo slow. This is the most frustrating thing for me, but I need to cope with it as it is my reality for the next year. All the medical experts and others who have had base of tongue and/or tonsillar cancer tell me there is simply no rushing recovery. It will seem like forever, but recovery will happen.
Next week I'm meeting with Maury Coats, Austin, TX, who will be in town visiting Maureen and Eldon Hare. Maury is the only person I know who has actually endured and survived the exact same thing I have. Everyone else has/had tonsillar cancer. He has been a wealth of information and support in the past 6 months.
I continue to survive primarily via PEG and cans of product. However, I am making progress. While I have NO appetite or desire to eat, I am forcing myself to do so. I eat yogurt, soup, malteds, oatmeal, and fruit. Today was a BIG day and I do mean BIG. I returned from my walk and a visit to the chiropractor (my back is better) and suggested to Diane that we go out for breakfast at Rocky's. We visited a few patrons and then we ordered. Diane had A pancake and I had AN egg over easy. Diane gave me half her pancake and off I went. I put copious amounts of butter on the pancake and then drenched it in syrup and then with little tiny bites, dipped it in my egg yolk. As I put this in my mouth, I chased it with lots of water to wash it down. This is an activity we all take for granted, but not me. This is real work. However, it was my first visit to a restaurant since mid-April. Total cost including a generous tip was $6.00. Ahhhh life in a small town.
In the past 10 days, I've been having headaches, so the doctor suggested a trip to Burlington on Monday where blood work up always precedes appointments. It appears I might have an issue with my thyroid so I'm returning to the Cancer Care Center on Monday, August 16th, for more extensive tests via my blood. Hopefully, this is a minor issue and can be resolved easily. As they say in Burlington, you had cancer in the "neck and head area so we need to monitor any potential problems closely." I do not relish these visits but they are obviously necessary to my long-term health.
Finally, cancellations are becoming a part of my life. So far I missed the Cubs/Sox series, Cubs/Cards series, family wedding, and just last week cancelled a trip to the Ozarks with David and Gretchen Miller that had been on the docket for a year. I really hated not to go but I just didn't think it was time. We've also cancelled a trip to Purdue to watch WIU play football on September 11th. This was going to give us an excuse to visit the former director of the Purdue Alumni Association, Larry Preo, and his lovely wife Wendy. They have been very supportive throughout my odyssey and Larry has been a confidant, good friend, and close colleague for over 20 years.
Life is good and progress is being made. By the way, this blog apparently works and serves a higher calling. Last week, I was contacted by a high school buddy who had a sore throat and decided he better go to the doctor. He has throat cancer and has already begun treatment. Good luck, Rocky!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment