16 down and another good doctor day - With the clinic being closed for Thanksgiving they decided to do doctor day early.

Long story short, doctor is still tickled with my progress. Side effect symptoms are limited to loss of all taste, a small burn on inside of my left cheek and a perpetual bad taste in mouth. That alone is enough to make you lose your appetite.

But I still have saliva both sides, no throat problems yet, can still swallow and have no radiation burns on skin of neck (Aquaphor twice a day) and wear pretty much nothing but loose fitting tee shirts.

Since treatment began I've lost 9 lbs, not as bad as I thought. Nurse gave me the heads up that when you reach 10% body weight loss that's when you get a PEG tube, so get busy and start eating more. I have 13 lbs to spare before reaching 10% (no I'm not going to try to see how close I can get to the limit). She asked me what my distress level is (0 or 1, ie no distress), fatigue level (mild, need a nap in morning and maybe in afternoon, she said fine, just don't sleep all the time), and nausea (none, though stomach seems a little gripey sometimes).

I discussed the bad taste in mouth with doctor and he said that's pretty common. As far as he is concerned I can do well from here to end of treatment on Ensure alone, but do 7 of them per day. I think that might be a plan.

Tuesday mornings I eat brekfast with the RC model airplane flying group and a friend noticed that I ate all of 2 over-easy eggs, 3 strips of bacon and two biscuits smothered in syrup. He said doesn't look like you're having any trouble eating to me.

With 4 good doctor days in a row I know this might come across to some as if I'm bragging. Don't get me wrong I'm tickled pink it's going this well. I'm just hoping others can see it's not always bad for everyone. Keeping my fingers crossed that weeks 4 through 7 don't up-end the apple cart too much.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I'm feeling good enough to make the drive to Dallas tomorrow to mom's house.

Tony