Finished with week 5 - on to Week 6

It's Marjie again, and since Dave hasn't updated this since Wednesday, an update is due. Overall Dave is doing well - thankfully we are done with Week 5. Wow 25 treatments done, 8 to go (YEAH!!!!!). Overall Dave is still looking good - pretty much maintaining his weight and going through the inevitable roller coaster of good moments and bad. I had to badger him to put the post in on Wednesday. Here is this week's photo:


We saw Dr. Amin (radiation oncologist) on Friday and he confirmed that Dave only had to do 33 sessions, so if there is no delays then we will be done with the radiation a week from Wednesday. He is impressed on how the treatment is going. Dave is actually doing really well with the treatment and we have been able to keep his side effects to a minimum. His side effects continue to be the very thick spit, and it has reached the point that it gags him as he is trying to get it out of his throat. He has had a few episodes of dry heaves as a result of the spit. We did mention about the medication for Dave's throat causing him to gag - and Dr. Amin took a look and okayed the fact that Dave wasn't taking the meds. Dave's routine of water and rinsing is sufficent to keep things in check.
Dave's neck is still looking very good - slight redness, which darkens if he goes outside. He has been very good about putting the XClair cream on twice a day. The area is not really sensitive to touch, although he is careful about the shirts he wears to ensure that nothing rubs against his neck excessively. So my husband is becoming a redneck. We have noticed little scabs along the top of his back and shoulders - thinking that it may be from the radiation table - and the doctor did look at them and was not concerned - just put aloe on them to help healing.
Dr. Amin also stated that Dave's weight was actually up 1/2 a pound from last week - so the we are on the right track with Dave's diet (3 ENSURE Plus, 2 glasses of JUVEN, and a daily walk). Actually we found that Walmart's generic (EQUATE) is just the same and about $1.50 cheaper per 6 pack. It comes in cans rather than plastic bottles, and we can recycle the cans and can't recycle the bottles in this area.
The final area is Dave's attitude and energy level. He is sleeping a lot more lately, more out of boredom, I think, rather than fatigue. He is tired of dealing with the symptoms. He is getting out though. He helped with the yard yesterday morning (edged the lawn) and then mowed the back yard(riding lawn mower). We have been going on a walk in the late evening as the sun goes down. We are also having a sprinkler system put in, and Friday they came out and dug the well for the system, Dave set up a spot to supervise it in the shade, then he proceeded to start watering the backyard with the sprinkler and had fun for the next couple of hours telling me to move the sprinkler every 30 minutes or so.
Overall things are going well - just ready for this to be all over. Thanks again for all the thoughts, comments, prayers, cards, emails, and support.