We are now 25/33 Radiation & 6/7 chemo treatments down and on the home stretch..
Side-effects from the chemo are minimal, but the radiotherapy is now taking it's toll with Jen complaining about thick saliva and pain in her 'original' tongue + swelling of the scar tissue where she had her neck dissection but this is considered to be a lot less than what a lot of other patients go through around a similar time phase. Jen's major concern is the taste of food and she is having mad cravings for a variety of different foods but gets disheartened by the fact that she can only have soft foods for now with no taste whatsoever..
Still defying the doctors and nurses with Jen only using Paracetamol to control the pain although it looks like the lignocaine and oxycodone will be required soon as the pain level has slightly increased over the past few days.
More importantly, we have only lost approximately 2kg (4.5 pounds) since the start of treatment but this in fact more than what she was weighing post-op as we put on around 4kg between the operation & start of treatment. Doctors are still keen to put in the nasal gastric tube just in case, and will weigh her again on Friday before making a final decision.
The MO, RO and nurses are rather surprised that we have been able to cope so well till date, and despite knowing that the next few weeks to come will be the most difficult, I am grateful we have been able to hold up as well as we have been able to till date.
Hopefully, this provides others just about to embark on the journey some sort of hope and I can't wait till treatment is completed and I can confidently say that the cancer is gone!
Will keep you posted once our final treatment is completed next Friday, and thanks everyone once again for your support & responses back to the questions at hand.
Kind Regards, Jay & Jen
6/8/12: Wife 33y/o with no risk dx with Stage IVa SCC L of Tongue(T4aN2bM0) 3/9/12: Induced birth @ 36 weeks - Baby Hunter! 11/9/12: OP - 3/4 Partial Gloss, Radical ND & Tongue Rec. 24/10/12: 33xRad + 7xChemo 7/12/12: Tx complete 21/3/13 & 21/6/13: NED 24/7/13: SCC in Lungs - OP: Lobectomy (VATS) 29/1/14 passed away