After the relative quiet of Christmas and the New Year things are beginning to start moving again.
Been feeling physically fine for a while now, my shoulder is still a constant ache but I think the new physio exercises are working and my pain killer intake is now minimal. Getting used to having a dead area on the side of my head but I think it's shrinking a bit; my ear and my neck are still numb but the area around my ear seems to be getting a bit of feeling back, maybe just my imagination. Scars are fading as well, particularly the big one which runs from behind my ear to my throat and as it kind of follows the creases of my neck it's not hugely visible. Even had a go at shaving it myself a couple of days back and was fairly successful (Deb had been helping before). Was laughed at by a couple of mates (more of that story to come) when I said it was like trying to shave a coconut; they rightly said it was a useless analogy, so I've thought of a better way of describing it. Imagine strapping a piece of fillet steak (or sirloin if you prefer) to the side of your face and trying to shave it.....you can feel a minor sense of pressure but no sensation of what the blade is doing....it's hard, specially when you can't turn your head enough to see the side of your neck so you have to rely on feel even though you don't have any. It''s really odd.
Another bit of positive, probably not mentioned in here so far that me and my son Josh, who's seventeen, are massive Everton fans but rarely get to go to games due to living two hundred and fifty miles from the ground.....but we went up on the 29th as a Christmas present for us both. Met the aforementioned couple of mates (Matt & Jaime) in the pub before the game along with Matt's sister Tori and had a brilliant time before, during and after the match. Laughed so much, shouted so much (not great for my throat maybe) and enjoyed so much that for the longest time since this started I completely forgot about cancer, so sincere thanks to the three of them (despite dissing my analogy) and the other 39,087 inside Goodison for making it such a special day! And we won.
Anyway, back to the job in hand. Saw a speech therapist and a dietician on Thursday who pretty much went through stuff I was already aware of but it was good to meet them, very nice people who I'l see weekly during treatment. Had to make the choice between a naso gastric feeding tube (which goes into your stomach via your nose) or a percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy (PEG) one which goes direct into your stomach. Have gone for the PEG for a couple of reasons; first it's not visible and second my gag reflex is such that the naso gastric is likely to cause problems and I may keep coughing it out! PEG looks like this (originally I used a photo of one I found online but now edited to show off my physique, or otherwise)....
....having it fitted next Thursday, so another overnight stay.
Funny thing about eating is that due to changes in your taste buds food tastes different and/or tasteless. You can actually develop an aversion to things you used to love that stay with you after treatment is done! So the lesson is to not eat your favourite food during treatment in case you grow to hate it (no prawn curries for me then!).
It's fitted before treatment starts (even though I won't need to use it for several weeks) because of the risk of infection......and infection while on chemo can be "life threatening" and frankly my life feels threatened enough without adding another scythe to the Grim Reapers arsenal (that's not a bad analogy, I'm getting better at this!).
That's about me up to date I think....ooh, apart from the financial advice people at my local cancer support center (Force in Exeter, lovely people where me & Deb can get counselling, alternative therapies like massage, acupuncture etc) told me I can reclaim expenses for all my appointments up to now! Don't know what the mileage rate will be but I reckon it's about twenty trips of thirty miles each so six hundred miles.....be a useful sum. And then I'll get the same for the thirty-five radio/chemo trips while I can still drive; then a hospital car for when I can't.
Feels like the calm before the storm at the moment. Report back when I can.
Mike.
Been feeling physically fine for a while now, my shoulder is still a constant ache but I think the new physio exercises are working and my pain killer intake is now minimal. Getting used to having a dead area on the side of my head but I think it's shrinking a bit; my ear and my neck are still numb but the area around my ear seems to be getting a bit of feeling back, maybe just my imagination. Scars are fading as well, particularly the big one which runs from behind my ear to my throat and as it kind of follows the creases of my neck it's not hugely visible. Even had a go at shaving it myself a couple of days back and was fairly successful (Deb had been helping before). Was laughed at by a couple of mates (more of that story to come) when I said it was like trying to shave a coconut; they rightly said it was a useless analogy, so I've thought of a better way of describing it. Imagine strapping a piece of fillet steak (or sirloin if you prefer) to the side of your face and trying to shave it.....you can feel a minor sense of pressure but no sensation of what the blade is doing....it's hard, specially when you can't turn your head enough to see the side of your neck so you have to rely on feel even though you don't have any. It''s really odd.
Another bit of positive, probably not mentioned in here so far that me and my son Josh, who's seventeen, are massive Everton fans but rarely get to go to games due to living two hundred and fifty miles from the ground.....but we went up on the 29th as a Christmas present for us both. Met the aforementioned couple of mates (Matt & Jaime) in the pub before the game along with Matt's sister Tori and had a brilliant time before, during and after the match. Laughed so much, shouted so much (not great for my throat maybe) and enjoyed so much that for the longest time since this started I completely forgot about cancer, so sincere thanks to the three of them (despite dissing my analogy) and the other 39,087 inside Goodison for making it such a special day! And we won.
Anyway, back to the job in hand. Saw a speech therapist and a dietician on Thursday who pretty much went through stuff I was already aware of but it was good to meet them, very nice people who I'l see weekly during treatment. Had to make the choice between a naso gastric feeding tube (which goes into your stomach via your nose) or a percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy (PEG) one which goes direct into your stomach. Have gone for the PEG for a couple of reasons; first it's not visible and second my gag reflex is such that the naso gastric is likely to cause problems and I may keep coughing it out! PEG looks like this (originally I used a photo of one I found online but now edited to show off my physique, or otherwise)....
....having it fitted next Thursday, so another overnight stay.
Funny thing about eating is that due to changes in your taste buds food tastes different and/or tasteless. You can actually develop an aversion to things you used to love that stay with you after treatment is done! So the lesson is to not eat your favourite food during treatment in case you grow to hate it (no prawn curries for me then!).
It's fitted before treatment starts (even though I won't need to use it for several weeks) because of the risk of infection......and infection while on chemo can be "life threatening" and frankly my life feels threatened enough without adding another scythe to the Grim Reapers arsenal (that's not a bad analogy, I'm getting better at this!).
That's about me up to date I think....ooh, apart from the financial advice people at my local cancer support center (Force in Exeter, lovely people where me & Deb can get counselling, alternative therapies like massage, acupuncture etc) told me I can reclaim expenses for all my appointments up to now! Don't know what the mileage rate will be but I reckon it's about twenty trips of thirty miles each so six hundred miles.....be a useful sum. And then I'll get the same for the thirty-five radio/chemo trips while I can still drive; then a hospital car for when I can't.
Feels like the calm before the storm at the moment. Report back when I can.
Mike.
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