Evening, Angels.
I almost feel a little silly even posting tonight, although the peaceful feeling I have (fueled a tad by lack of sleep and--oddly enough--my continued, childlike resistance to encroaching slumber) has me in a very nice place, indeed. Due to this relaxed state, I am now getting an extra hour or two a day of sleep. Probably five hours total, instead of 2 or 3. Progress, I'd say.
Nothing I've been told to be watchful of, in terms of adverse effects of radiation, has been happening to cause distress. On the contrary, my discomfort is all the usual, some unrelated, stuff involving my pain. I still take 1000 mg of Tylenol, but now it has increased from every 8 hours to every six, to finally every five or so. There's what they call "referral pain" in the chest nerve bundles and the occipital neuralgia in my forehead that I feel I have to deal with definitively. Fortunately, Tylenol quells it enough for me to say that my level 7+ pain is usually decreased to about a 3, with its help. Every other drug is out, contraindicated, or interactive with the steroid I take. Welcome to my world, for the time being.
Christmas was pleasant, and I made what ended up being a huge vegan lasagna that Steve and I are still eating off of. It will probably last the entire weekend. No shortage of food here in the house. Since doctors are all unavailable for the weekend, any questions (and I don't have many) will be postponed until Monday. Totally fine by me. I am going to just chill and enjoy having nothing pressing to do for a couple of days. Technically, I've been approved for LOA/FMLA until October of 2020, so if I chose to I could just not go back to work until then, 1/2 pay notwithstanding. It's always something, isn't it? I'm beyond worrying now.
So, I'm going to go back now to just chilling and wish you all a wonderful weekend, and probably hold off on updates until after some Monday phone calls. I've decided to initiate communication if I'm not contacted first. Pain meds will be on the list of questions, as well as proposed scheduling for treatment. As it sits, it's likely that I'll be having 5 days per week of proton radiation, in conjunction with chemo, for six or seven weeks, for this lung mass. That was the last estimate by the medical oncologist.
I continue to thoroughly enjoy all contact of any type or amount and promise to answer (sometimes at considerable length, I know) every email, text, or message. For now, I'll continue to forgo voice communication. I'm feeling better than before, but not by enough to risk a coughing spasm which increases my pain. They say pain's a great motivator, and they are right.
Bless you all, and please accept my love and gratitude.
Ken
Ken
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