Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween to everyone. Diane and I are writing this blog together on Halloween Night. We have had the most trick or treaters we have ever had since living here. Brings me back to when i used to go trick or treat'n a couple yeras ago JK. Now, we both get big'n fat eating all the left over candy, but thank god Diane bought some pretty generic candy this year...not to appetizing.
Well I am a week from being done with the treatments. If everything adds up I have only 5 more days of actual treatment and it could not be soon enough. This burn on my neck is really starting to hurt and the side effects are at a maximum. I still have a voice, though a raspy one, it's still a voice. According to my doc at this point I should only have a wisper, but i actually have more than that, which is a good sign. I thought on this blog I would give you a day-in-the-life of me going through this treatment schedule. My first appointment is at 9:00 am, so I wake up at 7:30 am every morning. I leave the house by 8:30 and do my first radiation treatment at 9. I am out of there by about 9:20am. The treatments are pretty fast, it is really only about 10 seconds of radiation a side. After my first treatment i do some arrends and then go workout for about an hour. (i'm down to 200 lbs now but have built a bit of muscle and it really gives me some nice energy to get through the morning) After the working out, when I have a lot to do, I stay down in SLC until my second appt at 3:30 pm. Latley because the side effects are so strong i am really burnt out about 12 noon and go home to take a nap. The reason radiation makes me so tired is because my body is working over-time repairing all the damage the radiation is causing.There must be a minimum of 6 hours between treatments. I go in again at 3:30pm and I am out by 3:50 pm. I then drive immediately home and take about an hour nap and am refreshed for the evening. I usually pop my first pain pill at 4:00pm (Loritab). then Diane comes home about 6pm and we eat dinner, which has been soup for the last 3 weeks. Getting a little tired of soup, I am craving a nice hamburger. At 8pm i pop two of the the more major pain killer (Oxycontin) and it puts me in a good mood for the rest of the evening...matter of fact I am on them now. so if i start sluuuuurring mmmyy woo rdsss! jk. Actually it is a very effective pain killer without any side effects. We are then in bed by 10pm. Sleep by 10:30pm. Thats my day Mon-Fri. Weekends are just plain lazy.
You may say to yourself, that is a lot of driving, well my driving just go alot more fun. A little over a week ago, i received my brand new 2008 BMW 535i. I LOVE THIS CAR !!!!! It is sheer pleasure driving this everyday and i count my lucky stars that i was able to save up and get one. I am a car guy and this is the ultimate car. Well getting late and i am forcing Diane to watch the movie "Saw" with me tonight, she wil be very scared!!!!! Well we both say goodnight and thankyou for all your input.
Chris and Diane

Hump Day! ......Yea

I will start this post with a statement. You might be a redneck........if you get treated wih radiation twice a day and you have vocal cord cancer! Thats a new one for Jeff Foxworthy to put in his show. Just thought a little humor about the sunburned neck I now have would be fitting and i have not lost my sence of humorthroug this nor will I.
I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to everyone who has posted on this blog. I really appreciate the kind words and encouragement you have given me. Some of you I have not talked to for quite a while and it is nice to hear from you.
Well I am half way done with the 64 treatments that I have to do and that feels good. The side effects are becoming more apparent day by day. I have a sore throat all the time, but i am on some major pain killers so i don't notice it that much. Biggest trouble is when i am sleeping for the night and wake up at 4 in the morning and swallow. That feels like razor blades in my throat. But eventually i go back to sleep and it becomes less of a problem. Food has been a trial and error type of deal. I can eat foods that are liquidy or that break up into small pieces. Bread is a no no, and so is potatoes, some pastas, spicy foods, and tough meats. It has been an adjustment for me, as I am a big meat eater. I am defiantely not eating as much as i used to and i am eating more soups and veggies. I actually think having this disease will change the way I eat from now on. I have been working out 5 days a week since starting the treatment... and i feel great about that. Say goodby to that double chin....I have lost about 9lbs so far, but i am gaining muscle. The exercise gives me tons of energy in the morning and to make it to my 3:30 pm appt. After that I am spent. I go home and nap. I can't believe how much sleep this requires. I took a nap today at about 1:00 pm till 2:45pm and I am now getting tired at 9:30 pm. CRAZY! I used to be a night owl....not anymore! Diane and I are in bed at 10:00pm evernight and it does feel good.
Anyway, back to the side effects. Tastebuds have changed a little bit. Some foods taste more bland to me and some taste vibrant. Also getting alot of phlem in my throat that comes and goes at night mostly. Also even thoughmy neck is red, I still have not had a problem with itching, ot irratation or peeling. Maybe later? The only other big change has been Diane and I adjusting to each other being home everynight together. It really is a big change, I was always gone for 3 nights a week for the 7 years that we have been together. Diane is used to her "alone" time and me too. So this had been a big adjustment for us. I think we are finally starting to get it down. Not sure how you nine-to-fivers do it everyday with each other (JK) Truth be known.....I have really enjyed being able to see my wife every day and sleep in the same bed everynight. I do think I will miss that once we get back to our normal life. She had been a godsend during this time and she is "stepping up " and taking great car of me during these hard times.......but i know I am in for it when she gets pregnant...at least thats what she tells me!
Talk to ya next time!
Chris

Working on week three

It has been a very interesting first few weeks. Chris and I have gone from spending three or four days a week apart to being together everyday and night! It has been an adjustment, but allowed us to bond even more than I ever thought we could,I guess that's what I signed up for when we got married, bonding for life! :)
I think now we finally have a good treatment schedule for Chris. He now has treatments at 9am and 3pm. Chris has joined a gym to keep up his energy and we looking for good soup and easy to swallow food recipes. So if anyone has some please feel free to email me at damend@utah.gov. We are starting to see a slight burn on Chris' neck. Also this week he has had a bit of a sore throat and some fatigue.
Some good news, Chris sold his WRX and is getting ready to pick up his BMW soon! We will be sure to post lots of pic's of the new car. Thanks again for all the support and great comments! We love them!
Diane