Post Treatment Update

It's been about a month since I last updated on my status. Following my final chemo infusion and radiation on January 17th, I hunkered down as I had been told that the upcoming 2 weeks was going to knock me down in the worst way due to the compounding effects of the previous 7 weeks. Well, the doctors know what they're talking about. The radiation burn around my neck seared into a hideous wound with scabbing and bleeding (I ruined a set of sheets and pillow cases). The inside of my mouth turned bright red as new skin replaced old, radiated skin. And the way the pain medication works, I was on a rollercoaster of feeling good one day, and feeling like hell the next. This continued on until about a week ago. I finally reached the apex of the pain, and have started to slowly feel better.

Last week, the burn around my neck healed up, reducing my pain significantly. Each day now I feel a little more normal. Also, I am weaning off of the pain meds, which also helps me to feel more like myself. I am currently receiving fluid infusion through my beloved chest port 3 times a week, which has helped me stabilize my weight and not get dehydrated as much.

I still have dry skin issues to resolve around the top half of my body, as my skin feels like I just got out of a dehydrator. My fingertips crack and bleed for next to nothing, but this is all pretty minor at this point.

My taste buds are still pretty much dead, and I don't make much saliva, but I'm told this is temporary. Strength and energy is still in need of much rehabilitation, and my mental outlook is in great spirits. Once I'm finally off of the pain meds, I am hoping to return to more normal days of being sociable and also working again. Going to need to work a lot to pay those medical bills!