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I had my PET Scan on Wednesday (6 months to the day that I started treatment) and on Thursday my radiation doctor said I was all clear. To celebrate I bought a Nissan GT-R. OK, not really. I couldn't slide that purchase by the wife. So instead I asked my doctor if it was OK if I went camping and caving. He didn't see any problem with that so that's what I did.
This weekend I went to Fulford cave with Sean's Boy Scout troop. The temperature dipped down to below zero at night and the snowshoeing trek to the entrance to the cave about wiped me out. The caving itself was challenging but not too tough. Hey, if 12 year olds can do it then I can do it. I took a few pictures of the camping and caving. They can be found here. The cold weather didn't cause me any more problems than I had before cancer. It was a good outing but strenuous.
The prior weekend I went skiing at Vail. I only made it until lunch and then called it a day after I almost passed out in the lunch line. I figured I had better quit while I was ahead before I got sloppy and hurt myself.
My mouth is irritated by foods with any hint of tartness, spiciness, chocolate or high sugar content. Tomato soup bothers my mouth but I can at least taste it so I have it 4+ times a week. I still can't taste much and my salivary glands continue to operate at minimal levels.
The Neuropathy in my hands and feet seems to be getting better. The Neuropathy in my chin and when I look down has not changed.
The imbalance in my hearing may also be getting better or I'm just getting used to it.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Recovery Day 113 - Happy New Year!
Happy New Year everyone. I'm hoping that 2010 will prove to be more healthy for Cathy and I than 2009 was.
My salivary glands have decreased their already pathetic output and my taste buds haven't shown any improvement. I was hoping Santa would bring me some taste buds but that didn't work out. Consequently, food is still a problem. On New Year's Eve I went with Cathy and Sean to a local hamburger joint for lunch. I ordered a small cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and mayo. I added ketchup at the table. While it wasn't a tall burger I couldn't get my mouth opened wide enough get a bite of bun and burger. It also had close to zero flavor. The only thing I could really taste was the ketchup. The ground beef pieces also got stuck in my throat. I ate about half the patty and skipped the other stuff. Fortunately, I ordered a large malt and that kept me from feeling too hungry. I ate a few of Sean's fries but they had little flavor to me.
So what do I eat? It's still limited but here is what my normal weekday is like.
Breakfast 1175 calories
Cream of Wheat
Whole milk with Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink plus 2 tsp of fiber powder
Yogurt
Lunch 800 calories
Campbells Cream of Tomato To-Go soup
Peaches (small can)
Pudding
Boost High Protein drink
Dinner 700 calories
Cream of Mushroom soup (using whole milk)
Peaches, Apricot or Pears (large can)
A couple days ago nothing sounded good so I ate a can of corn (whole kernel, not creamed). I put a little bit of pepper and salt on it and it wasn't too bad. A lot of foods are either too difficult to eat or just taste awful - mostly due to lack of flavor. One example of awful was a Taco Bell Burrito Supreme. After four small bites I couldn't take it any more - and I was really hungry at the time.
The Neuropathy in my hands has spread to my palms. I occasionally get it in my chin too. Whenever I look down I get a shock in my abdomen that radiates from my spine to my stomach. It doesn't hurt too much and it only lasts a second. But it takes me by surprise each time.
I still get heartburn in the evening. To combat that I'm now taking Pepcid AC in the morning and Prilosec OTC in the evening. That helps, but only when I remember to take them. I sometimes still need to take a couple of Tums.
My salivary glands have decreased their already pathetic output and my taste buds haven't shown any improvement. I was hoping Santa would bring me some taste buds but that didn't work out. Consequently, food is still a problem. On New Year's Eve I went with Cathy and Sean to a local hamburger joint for lunch. I ordered a small cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and mayo. I added ketchup at the table. While it wasn't a tall burger I couldn't get my mouth opened wide enough get a bite of bun and burger. It also had close to zero flavor. The only thing I could really taste was the ketchup. The ground beef pieces also got stuck in my throat. I ate about half the patty and skipped the other stuff. Fortunately, I ordered a large malt and that kept me from feeling too hungry. I ate a few of Sean's fries but they had little flavor to me.
So what do I eat? It's still limited but here is what my normal weekday is like.
Breakfast 1175 calories
Cream of Wheat
Whole milk with Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink plus 2 tsp of fiber powder
Yogurt
Lunch 800 calories
Campbells Cream of Tomato To-Go soup
Peaches (small can)
Pudding
Boost High Protein drink
Dinner 700 calories
Cream of Mushroom soup (using whole milk)
Peaches, Apricot or Pears (large can)
A couple days ago nothing sounded good so I ate a can of corn (whole kernel, not creamed). I put a little bit of pepper and salt on it and it wasn't too bad. A lot of foods are either too difficult to eat or just taste awful - mostly due to lack of flavor. One example of awful was a Taco Bell Burrito Supreme. After four small bites I couldn't take it any more - and I was really hungry at the time.
The Neuropathy in my hands has spread to my palms. I occasionally get it in my chin too. Whenever I look down I get a shock in my abdomen that radiates from my spine to my stomach. It doesn't hurt too much and it only lasts a second. But it takes me by surprise each time.
I still get heartburn in the evening. To combat that I'm now taking Pepcid AC in the morning and Prilosec OTC in the evening. That helps, but only when I remember to take them. I sometimes still need to take a couple of Tums.
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