On the road again . . .

Well it’s been almost 3 months since my last update and I must say I’m feeling pretty good. I still have some issues with my throat, mainly when I get up in the morning, but it’s getting slowly a bit better.


I hit the road in late September and spent 4 out of 6 weeks in Europe, a week in Norway, a week in the UK and a week in Germany, a week back home in Texas and then a week in Belgium. It was great to meet up with my European working buddies and get to thank them for all of their support while I was going through my treatments. We celebrated with a few pints of Guinness.

The first 3 week stretch was a bit tiring towards the end, but I think I would have been tired whether I was recovering from my illness or just because of the hours I was putting in. I did a lot of traveling those weeks and maybe partied a bit harder than I should have.

Terry met me in Germany and while I attended meetings all day she toured around Bavaria. We did get to spend some time together the first couple of days and she enjoyed some kick-back time as well.

My lower throat still seems to have a film of sticky yucky slime that I can’t seem to clear out. Once I eat something for breakfast that seems to clear the majority of it out for most of the day. My salivary glands seem to be coming back a bit, I don’t have to drink as much water during the day to keep my mouth and throat lubricated. I also don’t need near as much water at meal time. Some foods are just naturally dry and I drink more then, sometimes I can get most of the way through a meal without having to drink anything. I’m almost sleeping through the night now. I only get up a couple of times to take a drink. I’ve cut down on my water intake, so the trips to the toilet are more infrequent as well. (I guess that may be bordering on a bit too much information)

My appetite has improved greatly; I’ve gained back 14 pounds. I’ve noticed it’s not all muscle. I need to cut back on the snack food I could eat with impunity 3 months ago; it’s beginning to accumulate around the waistline again. My ability to taste has improved a bit. I can usually taste most things to a certain extent for 4 – 5 mouthfuls, and then everything turns bland again. I can taste some bold flavored things a bit longer. I still have to watch the spicy foods; they’re still too hot for me. Although the last couple of times we went to the TexMex restaurants here in town I’ve tried the salsa and chips and have been able to tolerate a few bites. I’ve started adding a few drops of Frank’s Hot Sauce to my lunch at work to start acclimating myself to spicy foods. It’s going to be a slow process, but I think I’ll eventually get back to where I’ll enjoy eating again.

I met with Dr. Eller and Dr. Richard a few weeks back and they were happy with my progress. Not much more to be said about that, they were both regular check-ups and neither advised me to change anything. I’ll still be seeing them every few months for awhile.

I ended up having some interesting conversations with many of my Euro-friends. Most were amazed that I didn’t look much worse then I did. While I was 30 pounds lighter, I really hadn’t changed much. I didn’t look sick the last time they saw me, and I didn’t look liked I’d been ill recently. I didn’t seem any different from the last time they saw me. After running through the usual medical stories a few of the conversations got around to how I was really doing and some of the mental aspects of the illness and recovery. How it had changed my life, what I was doing differently. It got a little deep at times and I probably blathered on longer then they were really interested in listening.

We celebrated Thanksgiving at our friends Steve and Dagi’s house; it’s grown into a tradition. I don’t remember the last time I cooked for Thanksgiving. We did something a bit different this year after Steve said grace we all volunteered what we were thankful for. It was probably a little different then the usual thanks stated in homes around the country. We had two cancer survivors and a number of care givers present, it was a bit emotional. It gave me a chance to thank everyone for their support over the last 11 months; I couldn’t have gotten through it without them. Especially Terry, she’s put up with so much this year, but never faltered or complained, she was always there when I needed her.

So that’s the latest. I’m pretty much back into my old routine, life is good.

Y’all take care, back at ya soon.

Miller, out