Christine,

Thank you. I was surprised to find my eyes tearing up when I wrote that. I do miss her so much. She did live a long, happy, and healthy life, to just a few weeks short of her 87th birthday. She was still vibrant and energetic until just a few years ago, when her mind and body both began to fail.

October 12th this year is the 2-year anniversary of my last rad treatment. It's also my 59th (ouch) birthday. The tubes and I didn't get along very well and my rad treatments were stopped just a bit early because I had to have emergency surgery that day. My colon had twisted (probably because it had nothing to process) and was gangrenous. I was in the hospital for a month that time. I went through 5 tubes in 5 months - due to infection, med clogs, one fell out, one got sucked into my abdomen and my body was trying to digest it. I was very glad when they said we could take that last one out.

But I still recommend to people in treatment that they get one. They just need to actually USE it. If I had, maybe I wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble.

My troubles with eating have changed over these past almost 3 years. At first it was the cancer that hurt. Then it was the surgery. Then it was the 2nd surgery, which added the problems of an even smaller tongue-stub and no teeth. Then there was the burning from radiation which got progressively worse during treatment and took several months to heal. Still with no teeth, then the dryness started. Then, about 10 months ago, I started having trouble swallowing.

Now, after having my throat dilated 3 times, the remaining problems are that "shelf" in my throat, the dryness (which I think is improving), and no teeth. I'm going to Shands Oct 14th to meet with the surgeons, so maybe we can fix that teeth thing, too.

Yup, it sure IS a long and winding road we travel! At least I'm still traveling that road, though, and I have no intentions of stopping any time soon.

Lani