Jordan, We each travel our own journey from the ray gun, and the poison palace. Some folks have few symptoms and short recovery times, others quite the opposite. The neuropathy can be battled with certain vitamins, but must be taken while you are in treatment. My feet are still numb three years post treatment, but my hands have mostly recovered. My hands trembled for a year and half, and my balance has been very slow to recover - but it is recovering.

The phlegm is nasty and really hard to treat. Almost anything with soda in it will help. Carbonated drinks have enough soda and bubbles to help lift the gunk when used as a swish, but the sugar left behind makes a great breeding ground for yeast infections, so follow a Sprite rinse, with a warm water rinse. I made up water bottles of warm water, a bit of salt and a bit of baking soda, and left the bottles near all the sinks. Every time I walked by, I'd rinse and spit - it helped. Also, double your fluid intake - that helps the gunk too.

It took a while for the body to get so sick, and it takes a while for it to heal up. The chemo and radiation take a huge toll - a toll that is slow to disappear. It is my belief that we never really return to "normal" after this experience. Normal is now something different - in many ways. Mostly good ways. Vertical is good. Alive is good. I am glad that my normal has changed. I still have lots of 'fall out' from treatment, but I'm vertical. Be patient and be strong. TJ