Seventh chemo was uneventful. No effects today on the day after. Five rads left to go. My neck is oozing and bleeding a bit; I have to pick up a Silvadine prescription this afternoon. Neck and throat pain increasing.
My message about this treatment is that it can be manageable. I've been lucky, no doubt. I was very fit going in � I ran a marathon four days after my diagnosis, and most people won't get that fit in time for treatment.
But I did every single thing recommended. Mouth rinses, jaw exercises, staying on top of stomach upsets and fighting constipation. I've stayed active, which has helped me avoid depression. I've forced myself to eat even though I can't taste things and sometimes my mouth feels so dirty that it's almost sickening to swallow. I've taken each bump in the road as a challenge but haven't looked at them as final turning points. I've tried to bounce back every time. While I've tried to minimize pain meds, I've used them when I need them.
I've let people help and I've consciously looked at and talked to other cancer patients so I don't start to feel like I'm getting a particularly raw deal. I'm not. The twenty-something parents of little kids who are getting chemo and radiation and those little kids are getting a raw deal. I've already had 52 years of a life that's as good as I can make it. I've got a beautiful, healthy 22-year-old son. (And we're going to have many good years more.)
Illness happens. Till now, it hasn't happened to me, but that's just been luck. It sucks, but it can make us better people with greater empathy and a deeper understanding of the good in others.