The Final Stand - Day 44

Congrats! We made it through our entire cancer treatment. First, a complex surgery that included a partial glossectomy and radical neck dissection. Then, a combination attack that included six rounds of chemotherapy and thirty rounds of radiation. It has been brutal to say the least!

I say "we made it" because I feel all of you have been standing next to me throughout this entire  journey. I cannot begin to qualify nor quantify the support I've received. I have no doubt in my mind this journey would have been a complete nightmare without the daily support of all you readers. You see... even if you don't leave a message, I can see how many visitors have taken the time to read each blog entry. I never would have expected to have over one-hundred people taking a daily interest in one man's blog.

I tried to give you a look into my life. I tried not to hold back my thoughts and feelings. I wanted to leave an unedited story of my life that might one day help someone else facing their own adversity in life. You have allowed me to remain resilient. There were days when I definitely fell hard. But, with your support, I was able to see past the temporary sufferings and push forward with my head held high.

Today has been a little better than yesterday. My mouth still hurts quite a bit, but my energy level seems to have improved overnight. It might be the emotional high I'm on for having completed my last radiation treatment. I'm still coughing-up every couple minutes, but at least we resolved the issue of running to a sink. Jess hooked me up with some Styrofoam cups to carry around. It's way more convenient.

Jess and I headed out to my final radiation treatment at our normal time. By the time we got there, my mouth was hurting pretty bad. There is one sore on the side of my tongue that likes to give me trouble. When it hurts... life is not fun. Anyways, when the nurse came out to get me, I asked if it was possible I get some kind of lidocaine rinse for my mouth. My doc was in his north office today, so she had to call him. (I didn't think my request would initiate such an issue.) Well, they didn't have any rinses there in the clinic, but could have a request submitted to have a dose bought to the clinic from the E.R. I didn't want to prolong this visit any longer than I had to, so I declined the offer and bite the bullet.

The treatment went well. I could feel some mucus slowly making its way toward my airway with only a minute or two of treatment left. I was nervous, but made it without having to freak-out. The nurses were very nice and gave me a certificate and a carnation for having completed my final treatment. I also got to keep my mask. I don't know what I'll do with it, but I figured the kids might get a kick out of it.

 

My plan for recovery is to attempt a daily workout. I have an exercise bike that I really like, so I may start there. I'm really bad at pushing myself too hard, expecting immediate results, so I need to be more deliberate with my plan to avoid burn-out. I'll figure something out tomorrow!

I'm not sure how interesting my journey will be during the recovery process, but I am willing to keep you up-to-date if that is something you desire. I know this has been a long, exhausting journey. I can continue to blog daily or space the days out a little. You let me know.

 Last thing... my GoFundMe is still going. It seems to have stalled-out, but I'm also not sure confident the links on Facebook and Instagram have been working. I you wouldn't mind, help me out by spreading the word. The web address for my GoFundMe page is:
 https://www.gofundme.com/from-cancer-warrior-to-trail-junkie