http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrWfobVumZQ

Your Friend,
Nathan

Hey Nate! Yep sleep, this will happen with Radiation. Kicks your butt sorry to say. I'm not getting the part bout not going outside. Is it something they told you not to do because of the chemo? Ron never stopped going outside and we never stopped having friends and family over my house when he was getting radiation and even when he was getting chemo we kept the house and his lifestyle normal. He even cut the grass, he did the backyard landscaping, put down mulch, dug holes for our new bushes, you should see how much he did while getting radiation. It was unblieveable, now it took him a while in between naps and all, but he did it. It was alot due to the pain meds, he just hated that he was tired all the time. So you didn't have to shave down your beard? gonna tell ya something, Ron's facial hair on the side he got "zapped" on will never grow back, he has like 3/4 of a mustache lol but no beard hair hardly. Just an FYI I don't really know if this is the "norm" or not I don't hear anybody else saying anything bout facial hair, least of their worries I'm sure. Lookin good dude! Keep up the fight! I have faith in your stregnth and beliefs!

Hi Nate! - Another great video! Being tired does seem to go with the territory. I love the beard! But the zapped side may just loosen up some of the hairs. My son always shaved every day but during radiation, he noticed that his razor would not work so well over the Rad treat side. Seems like the razor would just slide and drag the hairs out so he he started using duct tape on the Rad area to remove the beard growth more easily! (Duct tape works for so many things!) Keep the updates coming!

Owww Anne-Marie, how could he do that? Didn't it make it worse? Yow! I hurt just thinking about it. lol It's like a "wax job" lol

Not at all, Suez. The way my son explained it is that the Rad tx were making the hairs come out anyway and instead of being shaved off they were catching on the razor and sliding all over the place. The duct tape was just handy to get the loose hairs to stick to it. No pain at all. Really! Of course, he didn't use it on the non Rad areas.

Any remedies for the thick saliva? Wakes me up every hour on the hour and I spend about 30 mins spitting it all up. Throat still hurts, literally feels like there is a blockage on one side. Am i gonna make it? 15 more after today....

Nate

You WILL make it Nate! Saltwater/Baking Soda solution rinse your mouth with this. Did they give you a pamphlet with this by any chance? I can't remember the measurements...2 tsp salt/2 tsp baking soda to 1 qt water maybe. Anybody have the measurements? I made Ron a 2 qt container and kept it on the sink, still do now too.

Ok, I am on my way to the next zap of the day...Doctor saw me this morning and agreed, showed me how to make the perfect salt/soda mix and prescribed me fentanyl patches 25mg or something like that and also prescribed me a different kind of mouthwash. He said in the next few days I will be hitting my pain plateau and if I can get through that I will be home free, said my age is on my side and expect the next 4-6 weeks to be exactly like today. I can still swallow but it hurts, so I hope the patches work. I will just be glad when I get a break from the hospital for a while and can just lounge around and heal!

Nate

Nate,

The pain meds will make all the difference..just make sure you follow the directions on the patch...handling, time, etc. Did he give you anything for breakthru pain? Sometimes you have pain that literally breaks thru that long term patch med so you need a short term fix.

You will make it thru with all of us here to help you. It won't be any walk in the park but you will do it.

Re the thick saliva..some here have gotten lots of help with club soda to cut thru the mucus. The salt/baking soda helps for sure but you might try club soda to augment.

Hang in there...it's not easy,

Deb

I love Club Soda over regular Sodas myself. Good to kow Deb will have to get some for Ron. Nate keep yourself busy if you can, as much as Ron was in pain for an old man he still got the yardwork done and worked on planting shrubs and mulching the whole time getting radiation. Of course he napped either before or after but his goal was always to get something done around the house. So if you have the energy keep yourself busy.