Monday, January 19, 2009

The last week went very well with the doctors; my Radiation oncologist gave me permission to go back to work on February 2nd and the notes in my medical records made the comment NERD. Now that does not mean he thinks I am a nerd it mean No Evidence of Reoccurring Disease. He also gave me a return to work letter which I have given to my HR department and they have given me the OK to return to work as well.

We also meet with the medical oncologist who gave me the OK to get the feeding tube out. I can not get an appointment with the Gastro doc until January 28th so I have to wait until then to have it removed.

Next week we are meeting a nutritionist who will help with getting me on the right kind of foods. Right now I drink a lot of Boost to supplement my diet. I am hoping to keep my weight where it is for the long term. It would be OK to loose another 15 pounds but I would like to do that with diet and exercise at maybe a pound a week.

For now that is about it, until March at which time I will have my PET Scan which will be the final clean bill of health and then I will be checked ever 6 months for a couple years and then once a year until I get to 5 years cancer free.

The healing process in my mouth is still slow, my tongue is still sore and I hurt my throat eating soup that was to spicy. It will be a few weeks before I have any more news, I will let you know when the feeding tube is out and how it goes with the nutritionist. I am starting a new way of life, a new way of thinking and a new way of living. I have been walking a 1 ½ miles but yesterday extended it to 1 ¾ miles. It is a very slow walk but after a mile I start to sweat a bit and I am tired after I finish. It is a start and one I do everyday. I am sleeping better and doing more around the house each day. That is not say much since Patty has done everything for months.

Let me say I am luckiest man in the world to have Patty as my wife. With out her I do not know how I would have got through the last 4 months. Patty has been there every step of the way. From the first visit to first ENT doctor who ordered the fine needle biopsy and when we got the conformation that yes indeed I did have cancer and every appointment and treatment after that. She held a pail while I threw up in it, got up in the middle of the night to give me medicine. She has supported me, given me hope when I had none, and not only was my wife, but my nurse, and my cheerleader, she was there when I needed her. There is nothing more that you can ask is for someone to be there when you need them and Patty did that. Thank you, I love you with all my heart, you’re the best.