May 4, 2010 – Radiation 15 [20 to go] – Riding with Lora

This morning I woke up with my first case of “Sahara Desert” mouth.  The radiation nurses warned me of this wake up phenomena.  Beyond normal dry mouth (and I sip water every nighttime pee break, about every ninety minutes) large areas of my mouth were coated with a thick sludge.  I gargled water, no luck.  I ramped it up to Biotene mouthwash, better, broke up a lot off sludge, but ouch!  More water, then time for a Vanilla Boost.  We are progressing with radiation therapy.  Do the math; I’ll have less than twenty to go after tomorrow’s session, but that also means the side effects are picking up.  I saw Jeff today as we passed each other between consecutive slots on Little Bang.  He gave me thumbs up and wished me well.  His voice was hoarse but his attitude great as he asked how my tube was feeling.  The Dana Farber Club!

Our friend Lora picked me up at 8:45 am.  We had an easy ride in.  Somewhere past Natick, I noted the lack of traffic and Lora said don’t jinx us.  We came around the next corner and yup; the backup from the I-90/I-95 interchange slowed us right down.  I should have kept my mouth shut.  Nonetheless, the tie up was minor and we arrived at Dana Farber in plenty of time.

Riding with Lora was a lot of fun.  Conversation never hits a lull with good friends.  We have a plethora of topics: adult children, aging parents, why children & parents won’t do as we suggest (isn’t the sandwich generation always right? ask me in 20 years or so), our common friends, and three+ decades of history and stories.  Yes, Cousin Betsy, we talked about you.  Were your ears ringing?  (Not to worry, all we said was good and true.)  Larry & Lora have two daughters; we have two sons.  Both older children live in the Boston area and have established professional careers.  Both younger children are Ph.D. candidates and live far from home; travel is part of their world.  Mostly, Lora and I had a lot of laughs.  The funny stories won out, but we touched the serious ones, too.

Today was a “light” day at Dana Farber.  After my radiation treatment, we met with two Research Coordinators to sign me for the acupuncture trial.  A doctor’s signature was also required. Dr. H., my oncologist and team leader walked in the room.  He gave his view of the study (a positive one) and we signed the paperwork.  It’s always a treat to see Dr. H.; he exudes competence and confidence.  The Research Coordinators brought us down to the Zakim Center, the home of acupuncture and similar therapies.  We scheduled the twelve sessions, which start this Friday and conclude in September.  I may be in a “sham” (control) group or may be getting the real therapy.  If I’m in the sham group, I’ll get six certificates, each good for a treatment at the Zakim Center.  I won’t know which group I’m in until after the twelfth session.

Lora and I left Dana Farber for Worcester, but made a stop at Whole Foods in Newton.  There isn’t a Whole Foods near Worcester; sadly our old mill town doesn’t attract new businesses especially diverse food markets.  So going to Whole Foods for me is like going to Disney Land with even better eats!  We meandered through the market, department by department, selecting soup & sandwiches for lunch, freshly prepared foods (an incredibly varied and creative assortment), and items to cook later that are not available in regular food supermarkets.  Lora and I have a similar shopping pace.  We like to stop and look at everything, take our time.  And we did!  We ate our lunch, got back in the car, and headed west down the Mass Pike.  Lora, thanks for the ride and the great conversation and shopping.

When I got home, I greeted the doggies and put away the groceries.  After that, I spent the rest of the afternoon doing chores and paying bills.  Tomorrow will be a light day at Dana Farber.  The only appointment is radiation.  It will be good to have some quiet time and maybe nap time when we get home.

Thanks everyone for all the greetings and good wishes.  Your comfort and support makes my days easier and serve as a font for strength.

Love…

Richard