A Much Better Week

What a difference a week makes. Last week this time I was finally getting my nausea under control, but mentally I was down. I felt like I had taken several steps back. I was not where I hoped to be nearly two months after the end of aggressive radiation and chemo treatments. On the other hand, Theresa reminded me this is the first time in over two years I have not been on pain medication. With the withdrawal from pain medications behind me, my physical health improved through the week.

On Wednesday I had an appointment with my ENT. He was very pleased with my progress. The next visit, March 12, he will take a sample of my lymph node to validate the remaining lump is no longer cancerous. If by chance it is, I will undergo a neck dissection to remove the mass. The ENT also encouraged me to work up to three 3 oz drinks per day and to exercise my tongue by chewing gum. It takes me about two minutes to drink an ounce of Arizona Tea, but its getting easier each day. The gum, on the other hand, is difficult to chew. My tongue is becoming more mobile, but I still cannot move my tongue to the right past the mid-line of my mouth.

On Thursday I met with my radiation oncologist. He confirmed both the mass in the base of my tongue, and the mass in my lymph node have shrunk by 75%. While he won’t yet declare success, he says I am on the trajectory that leads to a successful outcome. He also encouraged me to play my trumpet, which forces me to exercise my tongue. I tried to play once or twice in January, but I was not able to form an embouchure. This time was different. While I have little strength, I am now playing my horn 20 minutes a day. Finally, the doctor agreed to approve increasing my work schedule to three hours a day. I am probably at least a month away from actually going into the office.

I’m anxious to learn what the next few weeks will bring. I feel like I’m on the cusp of more breakthroughs. To give myself the best chance of recovery, I’m currently doing the following activities to improve my physical and mental condition: lifting weights three times a week, walking on the treadmill, sipping fluids, playing my horn, chewing gum, staying away from public places and working 10-15 hours a week. And, in true “Dave” form, I have tracked all of these activities, my nutrition intake and medicines in an Excel spreadsheet.

Talk with you next week!

Nausea, CT Scan is positive, So many friends

Its been a while since I’ve posted an entry. I have not felt physically well the past week. Nausea began around Tuesday increasing in intensity through the weekend. I’d recently began some new medications for my mouth that had side effects of nausea. So we shifted those medications, but the nausea only increased. We also inadvertently forgot to change my pain patch, which causes a variety of withdrawal symptoms, one of which is nausea. Since I’ve had no pain without the patch, we decided to move ahead with stopping its usage.

However, it was a casual conversation Theresa had before a rehearsal with our family doctor, who plays in the band with her, that lead to identification of the issue. He suggested the nausea was caused by an acid imbalance in my stomach due to the liquid food I’ve been consuming. Sure enough after taking a Pepcid, the symptoms reduced dramatically. We will work with the nutritionist after President’s Day to determine how to break this cycle.

On Thursday last week, I went to the hospital for a CT scan. We received a voice mail from the radiation oncologist office late Friday. She indicated the CT scan revealed positive results. Both cancerous masses are continuing to shrink. When Theresa spoke with our family doctor at band rehearsal, he indicated the CT results were impressive. I will meet with my ENT doctor this Wednesday and the radiology oncologist Thursday to receive more details. But, for now, it appears the treatment is having the desired effect on the cancerous masses. Thank you, God.

Finally, I would like to reinforce my appreciation to all of you for your support. I’m not sure this was best, but I decided early on to not respond to any blog post. I’ve found that increasingly difficult. I read every post, often more than once. I’m overwhelmed when I see posts from friends and co-workers I’ve not seen in years. I want to reach out and say, “Thank you for caring. Its so good to hear from you.” The cards, letters, emails and blog posts have come from so many different corners of my world. One doesn’t realize how many friends one has accumulated until times like this put a spotlight on that reality. I want to thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for reaching out with support, no matter how small. It really does keep my spirit in the right place, and brings back many fond memories from my life experiences.

Swallowing Test

This past Thursday, I completed a video swallow test to determine what, if any, nutrition I could begin to take by mouth. Here is how the test works. First, while sitting in a chair, a “video x-ray” machine is positioned to record the motion of one’s oral cavity and throat. Second, a speech pathologist gives the patient white barium solutions with different consistencies to swallow. Finally, the radiologist and others watch the barium solution move through the mouth and throat to assess risk and swallowing capability of the patient.

To begin, the speech pathologist gave me a spoonful of barium the consistency of nectar. This went down okay. There was a little gurgle when I swallowed, but nothing of concern. Then I was given a spoonful of barium the consistency of honey. I was able to swallow, but there was some discomfort in my throat when I did. Finally, I was not able to swallow well when the consistency was as thick as pudding. My tongue had trouble manipulating the substance . Then when I swallowed my gag reflex was triggered.

For the entire test, none of my swallows indicated risk of aspiration. This is good! In other words, my throat was able to direct the solution to my esophagus and away from my wind pipe.

So while I would have liked to have advanced further, I am now cleared to begin swallowing liquids the consistency of nectar. We were given a substance to thicken broths and drinks to the right consistency. Initial attempts at sipping these liquids indicate I have a long way to go, but it is a step forward. For that, I’m thankful.

I am doing what I can to suppress my desire to have more normalcy to my life. Over the past six weeks since treatment stopped, I’ve gone through periods where I work to accelerate my recovery to times when I just sit back and wait for changes to occur. I find it best when just I accept where I’m at and enjoy life as I am able.

Finally, last week I began to work from home one to two hours a day. I’m very thankful to my boss and human resources for allowing me to begin working again, even though its minimal. This has helped my mind… and the days go by just a little bit quicker.

Talk with you soon.