Just to let you know, I am now down to only two weeks of rad treatment left. What a difference a week makes! My neck is now the brighest shade of red I have ever seen. It is painful. I have some type of new prescription creme to use on it. I hope it works! The Rd DR now has me on fentyl [not sure of the spelling] patches for pain. The liquid pain med I was taking started to burn my throat every time I drank it.
I have lost 24 lbs so far, but everyone on my medical team says they are not concerned, due to the my current weight, the fact that I am still eating by mouth, all of my blood work looks good and I am so close to the end of treatment.
Who knows what the next two weeks hold, plus the weeks on the down side? I will keep posting as long as I can.
Thanks to you all for your support.
Every Friday I look for you weekly update. You are doing great!!!!! Keep up the good work and it will all be a distant memory very soon. Please keep checking in even just for a short post.
Im not that far away, if you need a hand with something, let me know.
I was looking for your posting also; hope those patches help.
You are almost finished, but for most the hardest is yet to come, hang tough and keep up the good fight!! Semper-Fi Bob
This was the post I was looking to find since I have been on this site! Awesome! I am about to begin my journey in the next 2 weeks as well. I have pretty much decided against doing the 3 cisplatin doses as I just do not feel that the extra 5% boost is worth all the long term side effects! I am very excited to read your next couple posts! I too am from PA (Harrisburg) but like a lot of people transplanted to Florida. Good Luck
ChristineB,
Thanks for your kind words. I'll keep checking in, promise!
mgmichael,
So far, the patch is doing NOTHING for my throat pain. Hopefully, it will get better.
Bob,
I will continue to do my best in the coming weeks. I am getting tired, but now it is time for me to dig down and find some more fight somewhere in my body.
Don't know if you pray Bob, if you do please include me.
Thanks!
wfc
you may need to up the patch potency. they come in 12,25, 50 and 75 mg doses. first time round the 25's worked okay but now I am on 50s. Bear in mind that it takes at least 24 hours before the fentanyl gets into your system at full strength. Plus I change my patch every 48 hours not every 72 hours, on my doctor's orders. I found out that they never lasted the three days for pain relief. Be sure to contact your doctors as getting pain relief is an important part of healing.
Charm
wfc,
Keep hanging on. In no time you will be posting from the post side of treatment!!
THe patches didn't do anything to pain for me. maybe they just don't work for all of us. Like most things do the same . I need extra anesthesia to put me out so I guess I am different.
Jim:
During your appointment at Moffitt, you may want to ask about Tomotherappy. I'm sure they have a machine. The radiation is much more precise than the IMRT with less scatter. The primary use of this machine is with solid tumor cancers.
It may be worth asking the questions.
Sandyst
Jim
I am just a little bit worried about your line"i have pretty much decided not to do the 3 cisplatin"
while i am a great believer in being your own advocate,i also think if Medics advise a course of treatment its a good idea to respect their expertise if you are confident in their qualification to treat you.Rob was never offered chemo,which at the time i thought was great news and meant his dx wasn't as bad as some people weknew at the time.He had a recurrence 8 weeks after finishing all his surgery/treatment and was offered no further options.i often wonder if this would have happened if he had been given concurrent chemo and the guys going through this crap at the same time as he was are still here to tell the tale,and had much worse initial dx than he did.I know some people take the view point that chemo can be held in reserve if the worst does happen,but sometimes if the worst does happen its too late.
I guess what i am saying Jim is throw everything at it you are offered .A few weeks of crap is better than the alternatives.
love liz
wfc, definetely listen to what Charm posted about the fentanyl he's dead on there. I've been on the patch for about a year now and am finally able to start dialing down and getting off the stuff. The patch works by heat and changes in temperatures can cause more pain meds to be released and have it run out sooner, I generally get around 60hrs out of my 72 hour patch. It's really addictive as well so I carry backup pain meds wherever I go because I've been caught dry and started going through withdrawels...pretty nasty stuff but it does the trick for my pain.
Keep your chin up man and good luck to you, for me going through chemo/rads tx was the hardest part. If I can do it I'm sure you can man.
best wishes
Eric
I liked what liz had to say as well and totally agree with her
EricS,
The fentanyl did nothing for my pain, so I am off of it already. I went back on the oxycodone liquid. It burns my throat for a few seconds, but it works for my pain and that is all I am concerened with.
Good luck to you Eric.
WFC,, it didn't even burn my throat I've had stronger cough drops. But that doesn't mean they are no good, just that I need other narcotics.