Ten to go; I like the sound of that!
Adam & I left Worcester around 8:45 am, arrived in the lobby at Dana Farber around 10:10 am. Stopped in the lobby so I could take a Bacliphen – chemo hiccups on the rise. Went down to L2, so I could work on relaxing the hiccups away. Sequenced well, too. Three people jumped slots for me and when the waiting room was empty, my hiccups were gone. (Or rather, Jim told me they were gone and they were.) Music for today was again from Dar Williams’ Out There Live; tracks played were “The Christians And The Pagans”, “If I Wrote You”, “End Of The Summer”, and “Spring Street.”
On my way out of radiation, I ran into Jeff & Nancy. Jim’s last treatment is tomorrow! (My last is two weeks from tomorrow! Why does Wednesday suddenly sound so sweet?) We’ll keep in touch by email, but have had a month (plus) of unique bonding. Today, we compared radiation burn on the neck (oh, how motivated am I to somehow find a way to add an Aquaphor neck treatment to each day! Jeff was told that the neck heals in about two weeks), swallow therapy results, and diet/weight trending. More, we checked on how the other was feeling. Jeff is very upbeat, ready for these next steps, which do not involve a daily ride to Boston, much as we truly love and appreciate Dana Farber. I felt like my older “treatment” brother was graduating and I had to wait another “class year” for all the cool stuff at the next level. While Jeff was getting zapped for 34 of 35 times, I talked with Nancy about our families and future plans. Thursday, I’ll feel like the senior on the job. But I will officially be short.
The other main factor in Monday’s speed appointments besides weight (message received, doctors!) was pain control. Medical oncology (Dr. H.) upped me to the next level of low term pain patch. Radiation oncology (Dr. T.) suggested, when eating is difficult, to take 3 oral pain meds up from 2. This will be an ongoing “game” between pain and the meds over the next two weeks. In this case, I am the playing field, but certainly not the bored.
Thanks everyone for yours words of support. Today is an up day, so the words feel sweeter, but on the down days, they are my constant comfort and source of strength.
Love…
Richard
drum rollllllll let the count down begin...
ReplyDeleteOMG, I go away for a few days without interent access, come back and read that there are ten treatments left to go. Ten. TEN! I am amazed and thrilled.
ReplyDeleteI need to go back and catch up on your posts, but please knonw that I am so happy that things are progressing so well and I have missed you terribly. I have taken you with me into the strange wilds of the Florida panhandle, have told all sort so of stories on you and have felt your presence as I have traveled.
I am so very happy to be back with you.