Hello all and happy holidays!!!

I am officially back home from my moms where I have spent the last 13 days of recovery. We gathered my stuff and went straight there on my last day of treatment. I have a check up visit with radiology tuesday and at least this time they will not be torturing me. My last day as I pulled my self up off that cold, lonely table the techs looked at me and said " Mr. Nathan, we ask everyone, would you like to keep your mask?". I took a long hard stare at it and just shook my head as I couldnt speak. For the longest I wanted it but at that very moment as I looked at it something told me leave it behind, that is your past now. But anyhow, I had about 7 or 8 straight days following of terrible gagging and coughing and choking which by each day got better. I am now just on the patch itself and have recently started drinking diet sprite by mouth. The tube is still there and I am growing more and more annoyed by the daily process of the tube. I guess I just wonder when I maybe should start trying to eat again? Drinking the sprite has really soothed my sore throat from all the dry coughing and earlier the mucous that has really slowed down. I still gagg pretty bad when I try and brush my teeth so I am scared to try and eat anything yet but want the tube gone badly so I can feel somehwat normal again. 14 days tomorrow away from treatment, any enlightenment of when that end of tunnel shine may show? I hate carnations,ensure andanything with a vanilla or chocolate smell, I just want to taste a Dr. epper again damnit!

Your Friend,
Nate

SCC left lateral tongue, left neck dissection. 2 nodes positive. 3 All Clear then ITS BACK 8/23/11 Shows 1cm in tongue in CT SCAN, Radial Free Arm Flap with Radical Neck Dissection 9/20/11 , All Nodes Negative, But Tongue Tumor Poorly Differentiated. Awaiting next step in treatment on 10/5/11... RIP Nate 7/28/12