Sunday, Nov 18

I woke up this morning anxious to begin treatment. Radiation went better than I expected. The mesh mask that snaps tightly over my head, neck and upper chest creates pressure on my throat making it difficult to swallow. I have to mentally relax as it would be easy for me to panic as it feels like I could choke with each swallow. Unlike the radiation preparation sessions which were up to 45 minutes of being strapped in, the actual treatments are only 15 minutes long. That's a relief. To stay mentally calm during these sessions, I mediate on God's attributes.

After leaving the radiation facility, which is located adjacent to the hospital complex, I was admitted for my first round of chemotherapy treatment at NKC Hospital. I received several hours of fluids and anti-nausea drugs by IV before the chemo was administered. The chemo drug itself took only about one hour to flow into my body. No nausea -- yet!

Overall everything went smoothly today. The radiation mask triggers pain in the tumor area and intense headaches... a small price to pay for a cure.

I'm in a new single-bed hospital room with WI-FI access. In fact I'm creating this entry from my hospital bed just moments after the chemo treatment finished. If all goes well, I will be released sometime on Monday.