Well it's been just over a month since my last radiation treatment and it's been slow going. I was expecting to heal as fast as my tonsillectomy's but I should have figured it would take longer since the radiation penetrated deeper into my skin. Anyway here's a report of where I'm at.
My saliva stopped overproducing and being ropy around March 1st, about 2 weeks after my last treatment. It's been fairly normal except for some dry spots in my mouth. So I've been using mouth moistening products to try to prevent this dryness. It's weird since when I experience this "dryness" it feels like I have saliva in my mouth, I just feel these "dry" spots like I drank a really dry glass of wine. So my mouth is dry but not dry. Maybe it's a Tao thing.
The sores in my mouth have been slow going. I still have blisters on my gums though they have diminished. I took some pictures of the inside of my mouth this week so I can document the progress of it's healing. I didn't take any earlier pictures because I couldn't open my mouth enough to get a good shot of the back of my mouth. Anyway, I noticed it kind of looks like the surface of Jupiter.
So, I imagine it pretty obvious, but I still have pain in my mouth. It comes and goes depending on how much I talk and stress it. I was off Hydrocodone for a while but that was when I wasn't talking. After starting work again, on March 6th, I started taking it again. As a result I had to start taking it again all day until I realized my pain level is tied to how much I talk so I've been trying to talk less and as a result I have to take less pain medicine. Usually only in the evening after a long day of speaking on the phone providing I.T. support. It is what it is.
It's good to be back to work though. My energy level is about 90% but I just need to pace myself so that I don't slip backwards and slow my healing or get sick. My son has been sick all week but so far it looks like I dodged that bullet. With work, commuting, healing, bills and all the other worries I have on my plate I'm really surprised I didn't catch is fever too. Very thankful for that.
I've pretty much gotten used to my g-tube and it hasn't given my any problems for a while now. I was hoping I'd be off it by now, but whatever. I'm drinking water and aloe water throughout the day orally. It hurts like a level 7-8 every third sip but I'm trying to keep my mouth moist and keep hydrated. I tried eating cucumbers last night only after 1 or 2 it burned the inside of my mouth and it felt like a small chunk got stuck in a pocket between my cheek and gums. It's difficult to move my tongue around with the pain and all so eating, aside from the pain, is awkward as well. This is really disappointing because my birthday is coming up this week and I was really hoping to feast on it. Doesn't look like that's going to happen, but I remain hopeful.
It's been a month so I imagine my mouth should start healing faster. I have a follow-up appointment with my Radiation Oncologist on Monday so maybe I'll have more information as to what I can expect as far as healing after that. I really want to be done with this, but I'll get there, it's just taking a little time.
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