The Final Stand - Day 31

Welcome back, and Happy Hump-day! I hope you all went out there and did something amazing.

Today wasn't all that amazing for me - it was uneventful and boring. I woke-up at 6:00 to feed, and had made my way back to bed around 8:00. I stayed up just long enough to watch the news repeat today's main headline about three times. Luckily, the story hadn't changed too much, so I feel confident I know the gist. I'm making light of the news, but I am truly happy no one other than the gunman was killed in today's shoot-out.

As usual, my alarm woke me up at 10:00 to get ready for my radiation appointment. By 10:30, I was downstairs tube feeding. You see... its starting to sound like groundhogs day. Jess made it home at 11:00 and we were out the door by 11:15.

My radiation appointment went well. There were a lot of people in the waiting room when we got there, which made me nervous. I forgot the doctors see new patients on Wednesdays, which explained the full waiting room. We had to wait about fifteen minutes before I was called back. The treatment it self went well. I didn't feel any of the tingling or burning I had over the last couple days, so I suppose that is good news.

Jess had no other errands to run, so after my appointment we went straight home. Once home, I messed about on the computer for a little while before getting in another tube feeding. I went upstairs for my afternoon nap around 2:30 and didn't come back downstairs until 4:30.

I was home alone when I awoke from my nap. I was expecting a book in the mail, so I decided to walk down to the mailboxes. I was glad to see the book had arrived. It is a book about the Pacific Crest Trail. The author has hiked the PCT three and half times, and has documented everything one might want to know about the trail: water stops, mail drops, camp sites, etc. I would have to say, receiving this book was the highlight of my day.

I was feeling hungry again around 7:00, so I prepared my fourth and final meal for the day. I had used a syringe for my first three meals, but wasn't up for the mess tonight. I filled a gravity bag with Liquid Hope and water and relaxed on the couch for some T.V. time with Jess.

Now, I am here... blogging with all of you.

I'm feeling okay today. I feel better than I would have thought. The side effects of the radiation get a little worse everyday, but they are not as unpleasant as I would have thought. The only pain I have in inside my mouth and inside my throat, but both can be avoided by simply not talking and not swallowing. The worst side effect has to be the mucus build-up, but I plan to ask my radiation oncologist about a new medicine I read about. It is supposed to greatly reduce mucositis, which it the clinical name for the mucus build-up. The mucus has not gotten to the point where it interferes with my breathing, but it is super annoying.

I'd like to field any questions you might have in my next blog. If there is anything about my journey or treatment you are curious about, please leave a question on either Facebook or in the comments below and I will answer your questions in tomorrow's blog. Please let me know if you don't want your name used. There are no silly questions, and you should know by now I am an open book.

Cheers, and goodnight!