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Health Update -Pic Rang the Bell!

mogley98mogley98 Member Posts: 18,291 ✭✭✭✭
in General Discussion
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Well I say with Pic not sure because I can't preview anymore with the Forum changes and the picture adding changed too.

Anyway, I have an entirely new respect for anyone who has dealt with Cancer treatments (Health issues in general) or has lived through it with a loved one. It is easy to say how difficult it is.

When I started I was driving myself to the Chemo and Radiation appointments, I could still eat most anything I wanted just had a lot of "gastric distress" . I had no idea how bad this was going to get, even though the Doctors told me I would be on a liquid diet by the end of the treatments I had no idea.

My Esophagus was so badly damaged by the radiation it got to the point I couldn't drink the Ensure or even water. I had to dissolve most of my pills to swallow them. They gave me pain meds and I tried to avoid them due to fears of Constipation and addiction. That was also a mistake on my part.

Wife had to start driving me to each appointment, my vertigo was so bad the techs had to lay me down and hold me on the table until I stopped spinning to get the treatments so I wouldn't fall off. Even with the Nausea meds I was close to tossing the precious water I had sipped on for hours just to get 8 ounces down. I couldn't get the Ensure down or any real food. I was crashing hard, losing faith and confidence.

I had two more Radiation treatments to go and I threw in the towel, I said enough I just couldn't do it. No more damage to my system. I told my wife how sorry I was that I let her down but I was through. The pain was Biggly, they gave me a Fentanyl patch and Hydrocodone but it wasn't relieving the pain. They also gave me some stuff that is supposed to coat your esophagus to make it easier to eat but no go.

All three of my Doctors called to try to convince me to finish but I told them I was just too sick, they gave me IV fluids but that really didn't help. They discussed a PEG feeding tube but since the goal is to remove the esophagus and use the stomach to replace it they don't want to put a hole in my stomach.

God intervened on Sunday night, my Fathers sister who is 80 showed up in the evening, drove straight in from Florida. I haven't seen her since my Dad died. She came in my room and prayed with me, she used to be a Nun and she left the order. She gave away her home a few years ago and now she lives in a 22 foot motor home and works with the Sisterhood in some fashion. She usually sleeps in Church parking lots and gets meals through her faith in the fact that everything will work out fine.

I still skipped Monday's treatments and Tuesday morning the phone rang, two more Angels called.

It was the two young technicians from MUSC. They implored me to finish, they said they started this with me and want me to finish with them. If I would just come in they would get me out of the car, wheel chair me to the Tomography room and load me on the table. They even offered a Uber!

Here is a shout out (and I've already contacted everyone I could at MUSC Hollings's Cancer Center) All my caregivers have been good but these two technicians were amazing through out this entire ordeal, when I was too sick to make it on time they said just show up and we will work you in and they did so every time. Their compassion and dedication to their job was over the top inspiring to me. They ALWAYS treated me with the utmost respect and genuine concern for my well being.

Anyway, I got the treatment on Tuesday and felt even worse Wednesday but my ROCKSTAR wife got me up cleaned me up and dressed me and when I walked in they got me in the back as soon as I showed up. We finished on Wednesday. I rang the Bell, I actually told them I felt like I had lost the privilege to ring since I was such a wuss. They insisted otherwise.

To describe the pain, I saw a movie once where the monster broke out of the persons chest. That is it, like an axe was slammed into my sternum. When I was asked to explain more I told the Doc it felt like I had been hit by a truck just everything hurt, headache, stomach ache, Chest on Fire, nausea, nothing left inside.

To add insult to my misery my lower tooth started bothering me I think it needs a root canal the nerve is fired up so I can't let cold or hot touch it Doc wants me to wait, too concerned about infection having it pulled or RC done.

So today is Friday, I've been in bed or on the sofa for two weeks now, Haven't done much of anything.

I've lost 20 pounds, wife and daughter said I have uncovered a six pack LOL

Still sipping elecrolyte water, I never used a straw to drink until now but it helps guide the fluid past the tooth, tiny sips. Even with the patch and the Hydrocodone the pain of things touching the esophagus is extreme, but I try to mask it so I don't upset my wife. Ensure is too thick so I am mixing it down. No peanut butter, no ice cream, even room temperature broth is like sipping fire.

The good news, They say I will start healing now, I pray that is the case.

I told our previous member and cancer journalist if they had offered me a way to opt out painless and quick I would have certainly considered it. I pray for Greg and his Wife June and all others who are ailing in a newly understanding and humble way.

I get a Pet Scan on December 23rd to see how well the treatments have worked and I pray for a Christmas Miracle.

The link below should be me ringing the bell and the two angels with me.


https://imgur.com/v1gyOU1

Why don't we go to school and work on the weekends and take the week off!
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