Life after Radiation

Over the last few months since I have been home from my latest rounds of radiation I have found that life does go on. As I mentioned earlier, the actual treatments went very well. There wasn't any major pain besides the tingling in my left arm. That was something I was learning to get used to. The thing I worried about was the delayed side affects that I was promised would come. They were talking about being very tired and groggy, about having a very severe sore throat, increased heartburn, possible ulcers/holes developing in the esophagus,  and the possibility of loosing function of my left arm. All of these things really weighed heavy on my mind.

After being home for about a week the sore throat had began to set in. It first started out as difficulty swallowing food. It felt like I always had something in my throat that wouldn't quite go all the way down. I remedied this by drinking a lot when I ate.  Think of it as the way a toilet gets clogged. (I know gross right, just bear with me) As I would eat and then swallow, the food would go down to a certain point and then slow down, I assume that is where the radiation fried the back of the esophagus. With the tissue having been damaged, there isn't much saliva in that region to help things flow smoothly. The food would almost come to a stop. I would quickly drink something and then, whoosh!! down it would go. I have found out that some days are worse than others. The pain in the throat is pretty much always there, though the level of the pain differs from day to day, and depending upon how hydrated I am. I have found myself trying to drink as much as I possibly can to ease any extra pain that I might arise.

Before I began my radiation treatments I was having trouble sleeping because of the actual pain in my back. It hurt to roll over in bed, it hurt to lie down sometimes. Since the radiation, I have found that some of my symptoms have eased. I am not taking pain pills for constant pain, only when I really need it, this includes not only my prescription pills but Aleve and Advil too. I have been able to sleep through the night and although I still do wake up in the morning with a very stiff back, once I stretch out and get moving, I can manage quite well.  Over all I should be doing much worse, I have been blessed because of the many prayers that have been offered on my behalf, for that I am grateful. I honestly have no other explanation for the great results I have experienced. I know prayer works miracles I feel blessed to have such a miracle take place in my life.