Just getting used to the idea of being a survivor. The recent posting with the Carnation VHC recipes and "David's story" brought back memories of just how overwhelming the initial diagnosis and subsequent treatments were. Worse was the waiting time for each radiation treatment as the Georgetown University Lombardi Cancer Center only had one machine on line and my 4 pm appointment usually did not happen until 5:20 or even 6 pm each time. Very frustrating to all the users not to mention being caught in the height of rush hour driving home. (or actually being driven home by my wife).
As my signature indicates, I went with Erbitux and IMRT option. I was blessed in multiple ways: first and foremost a Wonderful dedicated caregiver, my wife. Second, major prayer groups from work and life who all prayed for me. Third, a job that let me work at home for the duration and then take an early retirement once finished. Fourth, comprehensive health insurance which paid for the over $250,000 in medical bills (except for my "catastrophic" payment of $4,000) Fifth, dedicated doctors from the ENT surgeon who took over my case once the CAT scan indicated cancer to the oncology and radiology doctors at the Lombardi CCC Center who were not afraid of providing adequate pain relief pills and patches.
I know that with than 4 months after treatment that medically I am not "cured" nor even out of the woods (no PET scan yet since the docs all felt too many false positives this early on) but the one MRI was all clear. What is worrisome is the uncertainty of how long the lack of taste will last, how much saliva will come back, how long do I need to do these jaw exercises to keep the trismus at bay and the realization that I will need to use flouride trays for the rest of my life and always have a water bottle. On the bright side, I am now wearing 32 inch waist jeans just like in college, having lost 35 pounds and 4 inches off the waistline and only have to shave a third of my face and none of my neck. (yeah, I was one of the stubborn No PEG holdouts who is still unrepentant since at all times my bmi was within acceptable parameters of healthy) The weightlifting at the gym is only back 70% but I can finish the full yoga and pilates hour long classes again. While I know everyone is different, it is good to hear about others' journey back to wellness.
Peace and Love
Tom