Cancer Of The Month Poster Child / April 6, 2017

After having my teeth extractions and finally getting released from the hospital, I made my way downstairs with Kim and Ryan.  When we get to the lobby of the cancer center Ryan notices a large display.  This display announces that April is Head and Neck Cancer Month.  Next to this display are pamphlets, posters and a jar of maroon and ivory ribbons, the official colors of Head and Neck Cancer.

Ryan is not one to miss an opportunity so he led me over to the display table and grabbed one of the cancer ribbons out of the jar.  He then pinned the ribbon on me announcing I am the new poster child for Head and Neck Cancer.  Well, at least I got it in the right month!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teeth Extraction Surgery / April 5, 2017

Image
It is April 5th and I am back at Orlando Health hospital for more outpatient surgery.   This time I am scheduled to have eight teeth and my tori bones removed from my mouth.   I am not as concerned about the dental extractions, but don’t get me wrong they will suck, as I am bout another round of general anesthesia. I have been assured that the hospital staff knows how hard anesthesia is on my body, and I have the same anesthesiologist.   This guy seems like he is really on the ball and is telling me all of the precautions he is taking so we don’t have the same problem as last time.   He also explains that since I ma having dental surgery, he has to intubate me for my oxygen through my nose.   He warned me that I will have a bloody nose and sore throat when I come out of surgery. Kim is concerned enough for both of us, and I feel really bad for her.   People always worry about the patient, but the caregiver has just as hard of a job if not harder.   The patient just has t
Read more

Throat Biopsies and Getting My Port / March 28, 2017

Image
March 28 th and I arrive at Orlando health hospital for my first outpatient surgery. I am scheduled to have several biopsies of my nose, mouth and throat. The ide is for the surgeon to put me under and then use forceps to take small pieces of tissue from several of these areas.   Once he takes these tissue samples he will bring them to pathology to be read.   If cancer is found on any of the samples then we found the cancer.   If cancer is not found on any of the tissue samples, he goes in and takes a second pass at each area.   Hopefully between two sets of sampling we can find the primary source of the cancer. I am also having a port inserted into my chest.  This port is a mechanical device that goes under the skin on the left side of my chest.   Once it heals up it can be used to draw blood without having to start an IV and can be used to give my the chemotherapy without destroying my veins.   This port has a tube that goes directly into the main vein in my heart, so we h
Read more

Day 17... I Have Passed The Halfway Point In Radiation / May 23, 2017

Image
Wow, I can't believe today I have gone passed the half way point in my radiation treatments.  From here it is all downhill.  The side effects of the radiation will start to intensify, but at least I can see the end approaching. It is the day after my chemo treatment, and this is always a hard day.  I feel like I have been run over by a large truck, twice.  I spend a lot of the day resting and napping so that I don't exhaust myself or get myself too nauseous. After my radiation treatment I get to go back to the cancer center and have fluids run through my veins. This may not sound like a good thing to most people, but for me it is a boost of energy and helps push the chemo drugs out of my kidneys and out of my body.  It really does help with the recovery. On the fun side of things, my body now does a new trick.  The radiation is obliterating my sinus cavities. I have to do a sinus rinse every day to keep my sinuses clear and keep working smooth.  Now when I do my rins
Read more