Change
of Treatment
It
is a beautiful day, weather wise, a nice dry sunny day, and after a week of
rain this is great.
I
feel really good and I am back from the doctors. I saw three doctors. They all
agree that the mass on my neck has gotten larger. That clearly tells us that
the chemotherapy is not working. The doctors say that I understand very well
what is happening in my throat. The mass is clearly pressing against the esophagus
and interfering with my ability to eat. So it is time to change my treatment
plan.
On
Monday I will have two different types of CT scan’s the first one is going to
let them know exactly what changes have occurred within my body since they
found the cancer back in February. The second CT Scan is to mark my throat in
preparation for a new round of radiation. The first round of radiation was aimed
at the tumor on the adrenal gland,(left one on top of the left kidney), this
round of radiation will be aimed at the mass on the left side of my throat. I
do not know yet just how soon the radiation therapy will start. The radiation
oncologist was refreshingly honest with me and told me that this treatment may
NOT work. He cannot guarantee that I will be able to eat solid foods after this
round of treatment. I like it when doctors are truthful with me but at least we
have something that we can try. I want to try this and I will pray for the Lord
to bless me that this works at least for a while.
While
we are waiting for the radiation to start and hopefully work the doctor is
putting me on a prescription for Ensure Clear. My health insurance will not
cover it if I go through my local drug store. Therefore my doctor is calling a
local medical supply house and is going to get it through them, this place will
even deliver it to the house.
Just
to be on the safe side on the ride home from the doctor’s office we stopped and
bought some of the Ensure because I didn’t have any left at the house. I am
very glad that I did. The doctor called and she is having a little trouble getting
through to Louis and Clark and may not be able to place the order until Monday.
This way I will have some to get me through the weekend.
Now
I have found that foods the consistency of a banana or mashed potatoes seems to
stay down. Tonight Mom is going to make twice baked potatoes and use the hand
mixer to make sure the mashed potatoes are very well mashed. I told her how I
had often fixed mashed potatoes and added mashed carrots to them and that I
really liked it. I asked if she would mind doing at least my portion that way
tonight. She said we can all eat it that way it sounds good.
The
doctors want me to eat whatever solid foods I can manage to keep down. If any
of you have ideas about ways that we can cook foods so that they are the
texture of mash potatoes and can give me a greater variety of foods that I can
eat I would be very grateful. My idea of mixing the potato and carrots was to
help me get a greater variety of food and nutrients into my ole body. I have
lost almost 30 lbs. since the first of this year and this is a very rough way
to lose weight.
