07-06-2010

  Today I went back to HBOT. The Colonel wasn't there again, he is still ill. We got a new person in today, his foot exploded. He is a diabetic. HBOT went well, a bit long but then again they had to go over what to do with the new guy. Funny, it is now second nature to me, all the things we do each day. Popping the ears, wearing the hoods, placing the cushions, the water... it is all too familiar. downing was in rare form again today, Gary set him off again. When people talk at me and get in my personal space I thank God that Lewis Byrd trained me to stand there and take it. Picture the Marine Sargent in the movie "Full Metal Jacket". Applicable in that condition but not this one. Perhaps that is why Jesus said "Physician Heal Thyself".

   My hair is still curly and has grow slower than I'd like but it is growing, I still don't need a haircut. Denise still hates my beard, lol. My fingernails and toenails are slowly growing the rings out of them. I am told that Chemo even stops your nail growth and that is what caused it. My skin is back dark again but I still have to wear sunblock on my neck plus a big hat.

 The neuropathy is an anybody's guess as to how bad it hurts and when it hurts... but it is for sure it will. Usually it in later in the day when it gets bad but occasionally it starts out that way. I would imagine that another dose added each day would help with the pain but it also kills my balance even more. The current level of pain is tolerable until it gets wound up and the balance lost I can compromise for as far as walking. I did discover that I cannot stand for too long.

   The energy level after HBOT is exhilarating most days but short lived. Until this oppressive heat set in I was able to get some things done. In the heat though I cannot breathe, so I am confined to only short burst outside. Most of the people I know who have had throat or mouth radiation say the same thing. I still hit these walls, we all hit them only this is a hard wall and the second wind never comes.

   My strength is picking up some, actually quite well. Unfortunately so is my weight. While I have grown a garden I really don't like anything except the green beans and melons, everything else is like by everybody else... I just like growing one.

  My voice still sounds like "The Godfather", lol, but it beats "Sling Blade". My throat still hurts, sometimes in a way I have to take something for breakout pain, sometimes not. The thing is though... sometimes not, something that wasn't just a few months ago. I have pains that my body send I would imagine from the Chemo or all the abuse this treatment has done but it isn't nothing that I can't live with.

  Going to the beach always clears up my NHL and so that part is normal, thing is, it is clearer than ever before and staying clear. I am not sure but this HBOT could work and indeed seems to work on CTCL. Oxygen kills cancer so I see no reason why not.

  I turned in my application for retirement to UPS/IBT to get it started. I hope I get back to where I was but somehow I doubt that will happen. we are 1 month away from having the scan run to see if I am clean and if my lymph nodes are clear.