Progress? Maybe some.

My feet hurt. I know most of you just check in to see what my current status is and hope I will report some improvement. I do know there is one Dutch guy out there that just checks in to see what new plague has befallen me. It did seem that for a number of weeks something new and painful was dropping in to say hello on a regular basis.

The last time I spoke with Dr. Richard we discussed whether I really needed the last chemo treatment. We decided to go ahead and do it. I figured my body had gotten used to it, we hadn’t seen any new side effects, so what could it hurt. Well, my feet hurt. I can’t logically connect it with the radiation treatment (but I’m just the patient), so I’m thinking it’s the Erbitux, chemo treatment. One of the listed side effects of Erbitux is drying and cracking of the skin around the thumbs and finger nails, this also applies to the big toes. Where is my pain you ask? If you were lying on the floor on your back the area between 5 o’clock and 8 o’clock on the outside portion of your heel (that portion that would be touching whatever it is you’re lying on), it also radiates in towards the ball of the heel itself. This portion of the heel is fairly well calloused. It’s not an uncomfortable pain, just noticeable. It just makes me think, what next?

Not much to report this week. I haven’t noticed any real changes for the better except the left side of my neck where the radiation burn is seems to be getting better. The right side still has some very tender areas. I can also see a difference in color where the skin has healed versus the tender skin. My main job is to keep the area clean and moist.

On Tuesday I saw Dr. Akins and the nurses. We had a long discussion concerning my pain medication. We both agreed that I was still in need, but that I should start to back off as soon as I am able. I started cutting back on Thursday and I will only take 5 Percocet today (Sunday). I think by the end of next week I should be able to limit the Percocet to just meal time and go back to Tylenol for pain management. I told him we had decided that I wouldn’t travel to Green Bay, that it just wouldn’t be smart at this time. Too many medications, still eating through the feeding tube etc., he agreed, that was probably smart. Little did we know it was probably a great decision.

On Wednesday Terry left the house at approx 8:15am and traveled to Green Bay via Dallas, TX and Chicago. Her plane was delayed landing in Dallas and she then missed 3 following flights to Chicago. Once in Chicago she was delayed again and didn’t arrive at her mother’s house until around 9:00pm. That would have been devastating for me had I traveled with her. I wouldn’t have been able to eat, and I would have had real problems taking my pain medication. Although I really wanted to be at her mother’s 95th birthday party, we sure made the right decision.

On the brighter side, I did get to spend some quality couch time this weekend watching the Master’s golf tournament. On the down side, the dogs didn’t get breakfast until I got up. Normally, Terry feeds them around 4:30am during the week and around 6:00am on the weekends. They have her trained real good. They don’t bug me in the morning, they know I’m not getting up until I’m ready.

So, while I didn’t see much healing progress this week, I did manage to reduce the pain medication. I see doctors Richard and Eller later next week, hopefully I’ll have something good to report.

Cheers,
Miller, out