good news and mixed thoughts

Phil had a CT simulation today and it looks like radiaiton will start next Wed. A resident asked how difficult it will be for us to drive into Philly for radiation 5 days a week for up to 6 weeks. Heck, people commute over an hour one way like that for years to work. Just real thankful it's not winter!!!! By the way he gained 5.3 pounds in less that 3 weeks. I feel like the mom of a preemie :) He told me he swallowed a bass (fisherman talk).The only real scary thing was that it was mentioned the radiation could reopen the fistula. He had a fairly good week so I am holding onto that. Its weird the stuff he can eat and not eat. Like he has trouble with scrambled eggs but not fried. Can eat corn and other cooked veggies but not angel haired pasta. His wedding ring fell off so I asked are we still married?! Gotta have some humor here with the darn cancer. Our 40th anniversary is in December so I told him maybe we need new rings. Irene

Hi Irene

Great that things are looking positive. Its a great help when the tests are finished and the treatment plan made and you know where you're going (even if it is a drive!).

Phil is certainly doing well on your cooking - putting on weight is fantastic. Its also great that you have found food patterns. I can eat things one day without problems that react badly the next day. What is angel haired pasta. We don't have it in the UK?

New rings for December sounds a great idea, along with a huge 40th celebration.

All the best for next Wednesday and the rest, will be thinking of you both and praying for the very best outcome.

Sue

hi eastwest, i have 28 radiation treatments. mon - fri each week for 5 1/2 weeks. the drive was 2 1/2 hours each way. what works for me was to have 9 guys who took turns driving me to my treatment. your friends would like to help you fight the cancer. don't be afraid to ask them for help. it will relief you and it will reward your friends. it is amazing what you can learn of each other on a 5 hour drive. so please ask friends to chip in on the driving.

weight gain - super and keep that up.

andy

Andy thank you for the idea. Our one son is unemployed at present so he can help. I lost my job in June which turns out to be a blessing too.

Sue   Angel hair pasta is a very very thin spagetti. Do you have problems with eating certain foods? Irene  

Hi Irene,

Thanks. Sounds logical from the name.

My food reactions are pretty inconsistent. What works well one day will have me dumping or camping in the bathroom the next.

I am best with protein, fruit and veg, complex carbohydrates. Cake and coffee is about the worst. Seems mixing caffeine and sugars is a no no. Having coffee after a balanced meal and having a cake with a herbal tea is much more successful.

Other things that make me ill are eating too much ( too much for me is about half what I used to eat before the cancer), getting upset or overdoing it.

If I pay attention and behave I do very well, but I keep breaking the rules!

Hope Phil is still putting on weight, and that the next weeks go well.

Take care,

Sue

On Aug 30, 2010 5:53 PM eastwest wrote:

Phil had a CT simulation today and it looks like radiaiton will start next Wed. A resident asked how difficult it will be for us to drive into Philly for radiation 5 days a week for up to 6 weeks. Heck, people commute over an hour one way like that for years to work. Just real thankful it's not winter!!!! By the way he gained 5.3 pounds in less that 3 weeks. I feel like the mom of a preemie :) He told me he swallowed a bass (fisherman talk).The only real scary thing was that it was mentioned the radiation could reopen the fistula. He had a fairly good week so I am holding onto that. Its weird the stuff he can eat and not eat. Like he has trouble with scrambled eggs but not fried. Can eat corn and other cooked veggies but not angel haired pasta. His wedding ring fell off so I asked are we still married?! Gotta have some humor here with the darn cancer. Our 40th anniversary is in December so I told him maybe we need new rings. Irene

That was one reason we chose Jefferson; it's closer to where we are. I loved the doctors there. I sent you all of the information on doctors we used in a private message. I have no complaints about going to Jefferson