Recovery: week 4

I'm happy that time flies so fast... It seems like yesterday I was starting my recovery... 4 weeks later I would say I'm still very optimistic. It isn't easy and I never thought it would be. But, I'm sure it will improve everyday/week/month/year. My faith is stronger than never before. I enjoy talking to God or talking about God, what he did to me and my family. I have been fortunate with great friends and support since day 1. 

About my physical status, things are stable I would say. I have some pain in my ear from time to time. I can't relate it to something specific. I searched on line and most people describe the same pain few weeks off treatment. I will wait until my next appointment on August 30 with Dr Salem and we will see what she thinks about it. A week ago I was able to eat using pain killers for my throat. But now it's really hard to swallow again. In some forums on line most people say they didn't eat anything up to 16 weeks after the treatment was over. I will be patient and try again soon.

Emotionally I'm doing great. I'm happy to be free to take my girls to places they like. I go to church now... We just came back from a week at the beach. The only problem is my spittoon but I'm fine with it. I hope people around me too.

Recovery is a long and personal process. Optimism and positive attitude help a lot

Stay blessed and thank you all for your love and prayers...

Aisha

Recovery: week 3

No much changes from last week, except my hair. I have more hair growing now. I'm able to eat by mouth, but I still have to take the pain medicine to swallow. I use my feeding tube here and there. But I try to eat my main meals by mouth.

I feel great. For the first time in 7 months I did not see a Dr this week.

I'm so amazed. God is great and I enjoy all the blessings in my life. I went to a birthday party where I ate meat and corn...

Stay blessed and thank you all for your love and prayers...
Aisha

Recovery: week 2

Like I said last week, things will only get better.

I feel good. I saw Dr O'connor on Friday and she is happy with how things are moving. Yeah!

Last week I was using 4 cans/day with my feeding tube. I couldn't do more unfortunately. I noticed some improvement in my throat, sometimes I'm able to swallow some water when I wash my mouth.

I ate my first meal today ( 6, August) around lunch time. I was able to eat enough. It's still hard to talk about the taste but I enjoyed my meal. I'm very excited and can't wait to try other food.

I cut my hair. I hope now growing, it will look like the one I had before.

I'm so blessed. God is God.


Stay blessed and thank you all for your love and prayers...
Aisha

Recovery: week 1

I forgot few side effects in my last week list:

7 - phlegm, yellowish, greenish and blondish, smelly and heavy mucus
8 - mouth ulcers
9 - Fatigue. I'm sleepy all day and all night.
10 - lost of taste

When you read on line people usually feel some improvement 4 to 16 weeks after radiation therapy. It takes up to 5 years to heal completely. I thing it's all individual. The most important factor is to morally feel better after the treatment is over. Then the rest will follow easily.

That been said, one week later, I feel some improvement already. My hair is growing back different from what I had before but it's growing. The ulcers in my mouth are all gone. I used magic mouth wash ( a combination of Lidocain and an anti fungal drug). It's really magic. My voice is slowly coming back and it doesn't hurt when I speak ( Tenisha and I have fun whispering)... My throat is sore but clearing up too. The phlegm became a normal mucus/ saliva. This morning I decided to go ahead and drink tea with honey as recommended by many people on the internet. It hurts a lot when I swallow. I handle the pain with no medication. The fatigue is there, it's more like I'm sleepy all the time. I wish I could sleep all day long. When I drink honey/tea, I can't tell it's sweet or sour. I have the same taste in my mouth when I drink water. But I know from now on it will only get better. I have nothing to worry about. Of course I wish I could eat and taste the food today. Sometimes I'm sad I can't talk to my baby who enjoy talking to me. But 4 or 16 more weeks it's fine with me. I'm lucky enough to be able to take care of my kids or to have lost only 10lbs while I read about 20+lbs people loose.

I know I'm blessed. I appreciate and will concentrate on the positive.


Stay blessed and thank you all for your love and prayers...
Aisha

Treatment over. Thank you all !

I'm so blessed with all the love, help, support and prayers I received during that period. Thanks you so much. I will never forget. I hope you will keep on praying for me. The recovery is also a long and stressful process.

I will now start the long way to recovery. I have tried my best to take it day by day from the beginning. I have to admit it was very helpful.

These are the main side effect of my treatment.

1 - Sore throat, no swallowing,

2 - Hard time using the 5 feeding a day as prescribed, now just 3.

3 - lost 10lbs

4 - Very low voice; it hurts when I speak.

5 - Bad memory.

6 - Hair lost

My main goal is to be able to eat in 8 weeks so they can take out the feeding tube.


Stay blessed and thank you all for your love and prayers...
Aisha.