04-12-2010 Visit with Dr Green

  I had a follow-up with Dr Green today, the first since my radiation was completed. Dr Green said that the burning of my cartilage in my throat was intentional because the cancer had invaded it. Now it is dying and time to stop it from dying out. He prescribed 400 Trental three times a day and 1000 iu of Vitamin E to increase the blood flow in the capillaries. Green scoped me today without numbing again only this time there was no pain in doing so. I think I am getting use to it plus Rathfoot discovered that my left nostril is crooked and harder to pass through, we stay to the right one.

  In addition he also recommended that I stay on the pain patch and keep break through meds in addition. He said that I would be in a lot of pain should I quit right now due to the swelling in my throat and the damage done to the capillaries.Green is pretty much straight forward and honest which I admire for that as are the other two doctors. None of them sugar coat anything. I didn't care for Green at first but after the over burn that was done and when he came to my room at the hospital I saw the man actually cared and then it all changed.    

   I was in hopes that by now I would be winding down this blog as things went back to normal but it just isn't to be. Every word I speak brings on pain and breathing itself many times does as well, and breaths sometimes are hard to come by. The referred pain in my ear comes and goes, just as before when it all started. I thought I was getting use to the pain but then after speaking with Green, I think it is the pain patch that helps more than I know or give credit to. Having Loratabs today I did use them twice. I'm not as afraid of them like I am the Morphine.

  Denise and me ate at Shoneys in Dandridge where the ladies are just great, best service anywhere. It was good to see them again. We don't go there like we once did as I am trying to keep the weight down, I weighed in at 204.5lbs. I thought as I ate how at one time I couldn't swallow and while my swallowing has become more restrictive lately, I can still swallow most things I try to. Sometimes with a lot of liquid and I still get choked easily but at one time I couldn't even do that. In some ways I have come so far yet in other ways I have regressed.

  I start the treatments this week but these do not sound as bad as the other ones, we shall see. I took a moment to say high to the ladies in the Chemo Hut but I didn't get to say hi to the ladies at the Radiation Dept except for one. Charity saw that we were in the waiting room and came out to say hi and talk a bit. It was nice to see them all, especially since I wasn't being worked on, lol. If I don't make it through this it will not be from the lack of excellent work, even though there has been a mistake or two along the way.

04-11-2010

 Nothing much happened today so we'll see what tomorrow holds, which is actually today as I write. It caught up with me and I got nothing much accomplished today. I'll be calling Panella today and see which way we are headed and request a scan on my throat. The pain has been intense today but I refrained from taking anything until now, when I awoke at 4am with intense pain. The fatigue has been unreal. The swelling in my throat has led to more difficulty in swallowing, that is also probably what has led to compromised breathing as well. I've began a few days ago using Ibuprofen which helps some I think along with Morphine when the pain gets too bad.

  Tomorrow, which is now today, I'll call Panella to see what besides Morphine I can take. I have 2 more patches left which I would love to come off of but we will see. It will be another week before I see Panella but this week I see Green. I'm sure that by now Panella has seen Rathfoot's report, Schindler has already received it. Thing is, Panella doesn't seen to read it like Schindler does. My voice gets a bit weaker each day from the swelling and dying of the cartilage in my throat. Now we see what failure is looking like.