I feel like such a weenie - 05-14-2007 10:24 PM
I'm Susan, and I have only known I've had cancer for about a month. I am not sure why I was so surprised... to say the rate of cancer in my family is high is an understatement. Lost my dad, his three brothers, and my mom's two brothers and her sister to the disease. Oh, and a cousin.
I had a tonsil removed March 30 and the biopsy came back as Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, epithelioma-like carcinoma. After a whirlwind of doctor appointments, I'm now in radiation treatments.
Today was my 10th treatment out of 35 (no chemo, thank god!). While I can handle the pain of where I am today, it frightens me to think how much worse this is going to feel 25 treatments from now. I am not sure I have the stamina to take this.
My eating habits are all upended, as daily things are dropping off my menu. I feel like someone has stripped the lining in my throat with industrial-strength solvent. And I'm not even a third of the way into this.
I'm trying really hard to keep working through treatments; fortunately the cancer center in our town is only a mile and a half from my workplace, so I've been using my lunch hours to get my treatments. I've only worked at this place of employment since last September, and have virtually no accrued vacation or sickleave time to speak of.
It almost frightens me to read the other posts on this forum because I realize how much worse it can get. I feel like such a weenie because in comparison, I'm probably going through a pretty mild bout of this nasty stuff. But I'll buck up and keep plodding through this, one foot in front of the other. Someone I know is fond of saying, "Walk to the edge of the light that you see," because once you get to the edge, you'll be able to see just a little further and will be able to keep on walking.
Is there any artificial throat slime I can take to make my throat feel not so violated? That's the hardest part; even though the radiation is targeting a tumor which is between my nose and my mouth, the residual damage being done to my throat is the most painful.
Well, now that my whining is done, I hope I can contribute in some way. (Sneezing... now THAT is a new adventure worthy of the Marquise de Sade.)
Thanks in advance for all the support. I am learning now what questions to be asking my doctor. Trouble with being new to something like this is that you don't know what you don't know.
Blessings,
Susan (Joylight)
I had a tonsil removed March 30 and the biopsy came back as Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, epithelioma-like carcinoma. After a whirlwind of doctor appointments, I'm now in radiation treatments.
Today was my 10th treatment out of 35 (no chemo, thank god!). While I can handle the pain of where I am today, it frightens me to think how much worse this is going to feel 25 treatments from now. I am not sure I have the stamina to take this.
My eating habits are all upended, as daily things are dropping off my menu. I feel like someone has stripped the lining in my throat with industrial-strength solvent. And I'm not even a third of the way into this.
I'm trying really hard to keep working through treatments; fortunately the cancer center in our town is only a mile and a half from my workplace, so I've been using my lunch hours to get my treatments. I've only worked at this place of employment since last September, and have virtually no accrued vacation or sickleave time to speak of.
It almost frightens me to read the other posts on this forum because I realize how much worse it can get. I feel like such a weenie because in comparison, I'm probably going through a pretty mild bout of this nasty stuff. But I'll buck up and keep plodding through this, one foot in front of the other. Someone I know is fond of saying, "Walk to the edge of the light that you see," because once you get to the edge, you'll be able to see just a little further and will be able to keep on walking.
Is there any artificial throat slime I can take to make my throat feel not so violated? That's the hardest part; even though the radiation is targeting a tumor which is between my nose and my mouth, the residual damage being done to my throat is the most painful.
Well, now that my whining is done, I hope I can contribute in some way. (Sneezing... now THAT is a new adventure worthy of the Marquise de Sade.)
Thanks in advance for all the support. I am learning now what questions to be asking my doctor. Trouble with being new to something like this is that you don't know what you don't know.
Blessings,
Susan (Joylight)