Monday - Recovery week 1

Needless to say - Dave is miserable, but still doing very well according to his doctors. We just got back from seeing Dr. Debo (ENT), who is Dave's primary doctor through this whole ordeal, and although Dave is miserable, he is looking as expected. Dave went into this treatment very healthy and although it will take some time, he should be back to 90 percent in a month or so. There is light at the end of the tunnel, just the road isn't very pleasant.
Dave's current state:
- Tonsils/throat: still extremely irritated, he does have a fungal infection (very normal), which we are taking medication for, but Dr. Debo would like to see Dave taking the lozenges instead of the ingested liquid. Once Dave gets past the constant gagging stage, then we will switch to the lozenges. Since this was the first of his side effect - it will probably be the last of the painful side affects to subside. Dave's radiation was directed deep into his neck (tonsils and lymph nodes) so that area has the most damage right now.
- Thick saliva: this one will probably be around for a while. Dr. Debo would like to see Dave trying ice chips to put more fluid in Dave's mouth - hopefully loosen up the spit, make it easier to swallow as well as getting his throat back in the mode of swallowing. Also increasing the fluids at night. As it is now, Dave is sleeping pretty much through the night, but when he wakes up he is very congested and his saliva/snot is thick, causing him to gag and dry heave to get it out of his system. Dave welcomes the sleep, just doesn't relish waking up to the hacking.
- Skin: Dave's neck is definitely in the healing mode and his outer layers of skin are becoming very dry and starting to flake and peel. It is also extremely painful, to the point that I have to be very gentle when I put the cream on his neck. If there was a way that I could spray it on I would. Any sort of rubbing just causes pain. To put the degree of sunburn into perspective...take your worst sunburn, and then neglect to take your skin's warning and continue to go out in the sun every day for a month. Essentially burn upon burn upon burn, so now he has to heal from it...it takes time, and the pain has to be endured.

So Dave is hurting on the inside and outside of his neck - moving his head, stretching the skin, swallowing, all bring about pain - although the good thing is that our bodies are remarkable and this will all heal - time, patience, hydration, and nutrition. We are taking things one day at a time and Dave should start to feel better in a week - until then we press on.

Pictures in tomorrow's update.