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For the next 2 months plus, Ray will be undergoing chemo and
radiation treatment. He'll be unable to work during this time. Ray
& Cherice have 1 son and another on the way. It is a difficult
situation from every aspect, but financially, very hard.
Ray & Cherice were by my side nearly every day of my
husband's 3 month hospitalization. I had Workers Comp. to cover my
financial bases, Ray & Cherice helped me cover all the others.
It's time to Pay it Forward.
Mar. 18, 2014 - What a way to spends the day — with Cherice
Heilesen at Huntsman
Cancer Institute.
From the beginning (from Ray's FB updates):
Feb. 14, 2014 - The news came in at 10:12 this morning. Positive
for squamous 8 cell carcinoma (cancer in my tonsil) and positive for
human papilloma virus. Chemo in my future.
Mar. 10, 2014 - 1st day of appointments in preparation for
chemo/radiation therapy — with Cherice
Heilesen at Huntsman
Cancer Institute.
- SoOoo, this morning's first appointment is actually the 2nd
of 10 prep appointments. I spaced off the chemo prep specific dental
exam I received on Tuesday of last week. Really, today is 2nd day of
prep appointments. Left home at 7 something this morning and braved
Southbound I-15 traffic. There was a wreck in Centerville and people
have to make sure that it's not anybody from the "ward"...
Gotta do 5 miles an hour and get a real close look...y'know, might
want to send over a casserole or something. Of course, it was minor
damage to all vehicles on scene and none of the lanes were obstructed.
The wife and I had left in plenty of time, so, no biggie. Got to the
Huntsman Cancer Institute checked in. Didn't have to wait long at all.
My wife was asked to stay in the main waiting and I was escorted to
another waiting room that had changing rooms connected. Put on a gown
as instructed (YAY, partial NUDITY) and posted this original post.
Then, asked to follow to the room with a CT scan machine in it. Laid
on my back on the CT machine table and the folks in radiology went to
work. They made a head rest that specifically fits my bald noggin, and
then inserted an upper and lower mouth guard in my mouth that was warm
and conformed to my bite as it cooled. Then, draped a wet and warm
sheet of mask material over my face and head and began molding and
shaping it to my chin and nose and cheeks. I had no idea what the
material looked like, they had me keep my eyes closed the whole time
the mask was cooling and drying. I got a good look at the mask later.
They then gave me a quick scan, and 3 tattoos to accurately align me
with the machine each time for treatment in coming weeks. I'm just
gonna tell everyone that I got tattoos 'cause they make ya tough:-)
When that was done, I changed back into my street clothes and my wife
and I went and did a little shopping 'cause we had some time to kill
before my other appointment today. When we got back to the Huntsman,
we went up to the 3rd floor and checked in for my PET scan. Again, my
wife stayed in the main waiting and I was shuffled to a room with a
recliner. The nurse explained to me that the stuff she was injecting
via my previously placed IV would need an hour and 15 minutes to
circulate my system, and I was to do nothing during that time. HOLY
BORING! I then had to change into some hospital sweat pants (more
NUDITY) and go into the room with the PET machine in it. Laid down on
table of that machine and spent 25 to 30 minutes coasting in and out
of it. I was then asked to get up and wait a few minutes while they
switched out the table from the concave and cushy one to a hard flat
one. The mouth guard and mask were then presented and my head was
strapped down, tattoos aligned, contrast administered via IV, and I
coasted for another 15 minutes in and out of that machine. Left Salt
Lake at about 14:30 and went and picked up our son from school. Got a
quick bite to eat at home, changed into work clothes, and headed in to
pick up some missing hours at the ol' day job. Left work at 21:30
gotta be back there at 05:30 and leave by 11:00 to be back at Huntsman
at 13:00 tomorrow for a couple more:-)
Mar. 11, 2014 - Things went very well at both my appointments
today. The first was a speech evaluation, which didn't involve any
evaluation of my speech at all. The gal talked, and I talked. She gave
me some exercises to do with my mouth, because I will be getting some
sores and my tongue will suffer some consequences. There will be nasty
thick mucus and not enough saliva to go around. She re-interated that
this will SUCK, and that "yes, I will have a feeding tube",
but it is a LAST RESORT. I must eat and drink. I must eat and drink. I
must eat and drink.
Mar. 11, 2014 - My 2nd appointment was a meet and greet with my
oncologist. He will be administering the chemo. He went over the 2
types of chemo that I am gambling to get. The reason I say gambling
is; I have agreed to participate in a clinical trial that is very
specific to the type of cancer that I have been diagnosed with. I may
receive the clinical chemo, I may receive the regular tried and true
regimen chemo. I will be randomized by an outside source and be put
into group 1 or 2 accordingly and be treated according to that group's
regimen.
That was today.
3 more appointments tomorrow.
Mar. 14, 2014 - Wednesday was alright, but yesterday
sucked.
Eye test and peepers are fine. Then hearing evaluation.
My hearing suffered some high frequency range loss years ago and I've
been very protective of my hearing ever since that diagnosis. So,
hearing hasn't changed and my eardrums are healthy.
The last of
3 appointments was with a nutritionist. She gave me guidelines for
caloric intake. She touched again on the importance of the mouth
exercises that the speech therapist assigned me to do throughout this
ordeal. And, she spoke in depth about the role that the tummy tube
will play. As soon as my wife and I returned from Salt Lake, I changed
clothes and headed into work to pick up as many hours as I could that evening.
Thursday morning began with no breakfast because of the
procedure coming up in the afternoon. Clocked in at work a couple of
minutes before 6 a.m. and clocked out (had to get home and shower,
meet up with my wife, and head into Salt Lake) at quarter after 10. As
I left work, I remembered that I had been asked to stop by a metal
building project. Spent about a half hour there discussing the
assembly of the skeletal steel. Headed home and quickly got cleaned up
and out the door again. Checked in at radiology on the 3rd floor of
Huntsman Cancer Institute (about 30 minutes sooner than we had to)
just before noon. We were told that things were running a little
behind but, the nurse took us back to get me prepped anyway. I got
changed into the hospital sweat pants and gown and then got the
rundown on the upcoming feeding tube placement. A procedure ahead of
mine got postponed, so in I went. The drugs that the nurse
administered did not put me out, which is exactly the way I like it.
The team talked to me the whole time. The nurse mentioned that she had
only given me the least amount of drugs to get me through. "I'm
good with that." I said. They had me scoot over onto the bed to
take me back to be with my wife where I had changed clothes. As the
procedure drugs wore off, the nurse stopped by and sat me up a little.
I got light-headed, so they adjusted the bed with my whole body flat
and the bed at an angle that put my head below my heart. This went on
for a couple of hours. NOT A GOOD TIME! Each time I felt good enough
to be sat up a little, the pain at the surgical site intensified, the
light-headedness returned and we'd start over. During all this sit up,
lie down business, the nurse gave me tons of IV fluids, and she made a
few phone calls. Another thing that happened was, as the pain
intensified and I got light-headed, my heart rate dropped. This
happened I think 3 times. The heart rate deal was why the nurse gave
me fluids and made phone calls. A doctor came and talked to me about
the recovery goings on, and determined the level of pain was likely
causing the heart rate thing. Finally, I was given a low dose of pain
killer, it kicked in and I was able to get up without feeling faint
and hit the "head". I guess walking to and from a bathroom
break is a good sign, so, a prescription got called in and discharge
papers signed. The wife and I stopped by the pharmacy we use near our
home, and I spent the night watching tv and snoozing off and on in one
of our couch's recliners. Thursday sucked.
I'm off from work
until Monday thank goodness.
Mar. 18, 2014 - Here's an update;
Spent the weekend
healing from being "stabbed". Just dealing with tolerable
pains at the surgical site now.
Yesterday, my wife and I headed
up to Huntsman Cancer Institute for my VSIM. A virtual simulation of a
radiation treatment. Folks in Radiation/Oncology ran me through a
"dry run". Mouth guard in, mask on, head locked into
position with mask, and tattoos aligned. My 2 jobs while they do their
thing? "Breathe normally, and remain still."
I learned
that I will be receiving the regular regimen of chemo and radiation. A
big dose of chemo on day 1... That's today. 6 radiation treatments per
5 weekdays (this week is 6 treatments in 4 weekdays) for 6 weeks to
total 36 treatments, with a 2nd big dose of chemo on day 22 of the 6
weeks. That's it. The next 2 plus months will be tough.
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