Day 15 The End Of The Third Week / May 19, 2017
The third week of treatment is officially over. I now have the weekend with no chemo and no radiation. These small breaks make all the difference.
When Kim and I started the radiation treatment we would run across the same people every day. The treatments are scheduled every 30 minutes so you start to see the same faces and talk every day. As we were talking to the couple ahead of and behind our appointment time we learned that both were in their final few days of treatment. I remember looking at them, feeling bad that they looked like zombies, but being jealous they were almost done.
Today while I was being cooked a young couple came into the radiation treatment waiting room. Kim recognized they looked lost and tried to give them some assistance. It turned out the young lady was recently diagnosed with esophagus cancer and is starting her radiation therapy on May 25th. She had a ton of questions about the radiation, how I was holding up, what side effects I was already feeling, etc... I let her know that there are good and bad days, but all in all in the beginning it is more psychological than it is physical discomfort. I also told her to be happy she didn't have to deal with the mask, she agreed.
When we left, Kim was excited. She looked at me and said, "You realize we are almost halfway done and now we are the one's people are jealous of". It was encouraging. Even though we still have a ways to go, we have already gone a long way.
Today I have been driving Kim crazy. I am having such a hard time eating because of the consistency of foods, the taste of foods and my stomach just not wanting to eat food. This last week I have only been getting a few hundred calories in a day. This has caused a few small arguments between us. I know she is right I guess chicken soup is not a great of a staple as I thought it was. If I do not keep my weight and strength up, the result will be a feeding tube.
We both do not want this and the only way around it is to keep my calorie and protein intake up. Kim has bought every imaginable protein, fruit, milk, yogurt and I don't know what else to try and make me protein shakes to keep me healthy. She spent the entire evening cooking for the family and then after she cleaned up dinner she started making me different shakes to try. I am okay with most of them, and I know I will have to start supplementing my small meals with these shakes from here on in.
Here's to a great weekend full of protein shakes, calories and an abundance of energy. Monday we start week four.
When Kim and I started the radiation treatment we would run across the same people every day. The treatments are scheduled every 30 minutes so you start to see the same faces and talk every day. As we were talking to the couple ahead of and behind our appointment time we learned that both were in their final few days of treatment. I remember looking at them, feeling bad that they looked like zombies, but being jealous they were almost done.
Today while I was being cooked a young couple came into the radiation treatment waiting room. Kim recognized they looked lost and tried to give them some assistance. It turned out the young lady was recently diagnosed with esophagus cancer and is starting her radiation therapy on May 25th. She had a ton of questions about the radiation, how I was holding up, what side effects I was already feeling, etc... I let her know that there are good and bad days, but all in all in the beginning it is more psychological than it is physical discomfort. I also told her to be happy she didn't have to deal with the mask, she agreed.
When we left, Kim was excited. She looked at me and said, "You realize we are almost halfway done and now we are the one's people are jealous of". It was encouraging. Even though we still have a ways to go, we have already gone a long way.
Today I have been driving Kim crazy. I am having such a hard time eating because of the consistency of foods, the taste of foods and my stomach just not wanting to eat food. This last week I have only been getting a few hundred calories in a day. This has caused a few small arguments between us. I know she is right I guess chicken soup is not a great of a staple as I thought it was. If I do not keep my weight and strength up, the result will be a feeding tube.
We both do not want this and the only way around it is to keep my calorie and protein intake up. Kim has bought every imaginable protein, fruit, milk, yogurt and I don't know what else to try and make me protein shakes to keep me healthy. She spent the entire evening cooking for the family and then after she cleaned up dinner she started making me different shakes to try. I am okay with most of them, and I know I will have to start supplementing my small meals with these shakes from here on in.
Here's to a great weekend full of protein shakes, calories and an abundance of energy. Monday we start week four.
You got this baby!! Don't just do the time, show them who's the boss!!
ReplyDeleteLove ya brother. Stay on post.
ReplyDelete