22 Jan - Back at it today after a day off due to MLK holiday. No issues with the radiation -- took a picture of the mask today (on my iPod) -- will upload it once I get the pic onto my PC. Still having hearing issues, have a meeting set on Friday morning with the hearing lab. Want another test prior to Chemo "round 2", which is scheduled for Monday. Also trying to get an appointment with the therapist whose role is to help me continue to swallow properly throughout this treatment. I've not had difficulty with this yet, but am definitely starting to feel things differently in my throat. It is not hard to imagine this can become a huge issue. It is difficult to eat enough food now due to a combination of factors: 1. I always feel "full" because I drink so much to keep my mouth & throat wet, 2. My sense of taste is whacko, so very few things taste "right" and even less tastes "good", 3. I'm tired from interrupted sleep. I get up about every 60 to 90 minutes to wet my mouth & throat.
On the good side, the treatment definitely seems to be working. The tumor on the left side that seemed to bind several glands (probably the saliva gland along with at least one or more lymph nodes) is no longer a large hard mass. It is both smaller and now is soft, like normal tissue again. Not sure when we'll have any actual scans whose purpose is to measure the size the tumors to gauge the effectiveness / progress of the treatment. I'll ask the docs that on Thursday when I see them again.
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