We all want to heal from our ailments. When a patients sees me about a problem, the usual driver of the interaction is the hope that I will point them towards a solution to their problem, so they can get back to feeling the way they did before. Of course, a problem lies within this paradigm: we adults fortunate enough to be alive in this earthly realm all are growing older, acquiring DNA damage, absorbing injuries, and slowly losing regenerative capacity. We can’t
Gosh, what a journey, and an ongoing one at that! So many dichotomies and unexpected happenings to deal with. I wish you much love and many blessings on your journey to (hopefully) a fully healed and resurrected Buzz!
Of course you're going to make it, I'm just concerned you won't be able to properly express your joy when the Steelers go 11-6 before their playoff run. I decided that I'm willing to wear a shock collar and give you the remote. When you want a shout, give a short jolt. When you want a wail of agony, hold it down for a couple seconds. When Najee scores the go-ahead touchdown in our first playoff game of the 2023 season, hold that thing down for a full minute and I will let everyone on this island chain know how stoked we are!
Hey Buzz! Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but I'm planning on watching some Steeler football with you this fall! We haven't even got to the draft yet, but I'm liking the moves Omar Khan is making. Bolstering offensive and defensive lines, getting rid of Devin Bush and bringing in some camp competition at inside LB. I was sad to see Terrell Edmunds go, but, as solid as he was, he never brought any splash to the defense. I would be willing to give up a tackle here or there for a pick or forced fumble every so often. I'm excited to see this offense build chemistry and consistently put up points. I think building a run first team is a great way to counteract these other high powered offenses in the league by keeping them off the field. Hope springs eternal! Looking forward to seeing you in person. Aloha!
Thank-you for penning your journey. 14 months ago, I finished what sounds like a pretty similar treatment for squamous cell cancer on the underside of my tongue (7 weeks, 5x/wk radiation and 1x/wk same chemo). As challenging as the treatment was, the recovery proved even more so (likely due in no small part to my belief that I could somehow will or work my way back to “normal” faster than the prognoses). A dear friend had the same cancer in virtually the same place and underwent virtually the same treatment with MD Anderson that I did. He was three months ahead of me. His forging of his trail helped me greatly on mine. Reminding me that this is a potential deadly disease with challenging and varying success rates, he died at the end of the year (it had spread to fluid in his brain undetected by tests and scans until the end). Every day is truly a gift. I am not back to “normal” but getting closer each day. I am surely better (and much lighter!) for the experience and your “journal” has been helpful to me in seeing that through the chronological markers and reminders but especially through the spirit and honesty you shared. Thanks very much for doing this. I hope your recovery continues to go well and you are back to “normal” soon! Godspeed!
I truly appreciate this comment. Oh, I can only imagine how challenging it must have been on many levels to watch your friend die from this same problem; but, yes, we don't have a better choice than to frame things as a reminder to appreciate exactly what we have. When my jaw aches while trying to chew dinner and avoid that fiery hot painful spot on my tongue, it's easy to drop to "woe is me and what if that aching jaw is tumor back in my pterygoid muscle" but I try to remind myself: "if this tumor comes back, I'll be wishing I could relive this dinner when I could actually eat and sit with my family without knowing my cancer had taken a turn for the worse." Carpe diem, I suppose. I do think I willfully ignored all the pre-treatment talks of "1 mo after treatment you might feel 50% back to your baseline, 3 mo you might be 80%, etc etc" - I just told myself I would cruise through the recovery if I could survive the treatment. I imagine most of us do. May your baseline return as soon as it possibly can! Buzz
Try eating and drinking anti-inflammatory foods and beverages.
Instead of muffins, pizza and beer (inflammatory), replace these with anti-inflammatory items to see if this inflammation could disappear permanently. Substitute with items that you enjoy, without the sugar, starch, salt, and omega 6 bad fats. Google web sites on Eating Clean...
Gosh, what a journey, and an ongoing one at that! So many dichotomies and unexpected happenings to deal with. I wish you much love and many blessings on your journey to (hopefully) a fully healed and resurrected Buzz!
Of course you're going to make it, I'm just concerned you won't be able to properly express your joy when the Steelers go 11-6 before their playoff run. I decided that I'm willing to wear a shock collar and give you the remote. When you want a shout, give a short jolt. When you want a wail of agony, hold it down for a couple seconds. When Najee scores the go-ahead touchdown in our first playoff game of the 2023 season, hold that thing down for a full minute and I will let everyone on this island chain know how stoked we are!
Hey Buzz! Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but I'm planning on watching some Steeler football with you this fall! We haven't even got to the draft yet, but I'm liking the moves Omar Khan is making. Bolstering offensive and defensive lines, getting rid of Devin Bush and bringing in some camp competition at inside LB. I was sad to see Terrell Edmunds go, but, as solid as he was, he never brought any splash to the defense. I would be willing to give up a tackle here or there for a pick or forced fumble every so often. I'm excited to see this offense build chemistry and consistently put up points. I think building a run first team is a great way to counteract these other high powered offenses in the league by keeping them off the field. Hope springs eternal! Looking forward to seeing you in person. Aloha!
Ye Gods I will be seriously underperforming my prognosis if I can't make it til this fall! Let's plan on it.
God speed, Buzz🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
<3
Thank-you for penning your journey. 14 months ago, I finished what sounds like a pretty similar treatment for squamous cell cancer on the underside of my tongue (7 weeks, 5x/wk radiation and 1x/wk same chemo). As challenging as the treatment was, the recovery proved even more so (likely due in no small part to my belief that I could somehow will or work my way back to “normal” faster than the prognoses). A dear friend had the same cancer in virtually the same place and underwent virtually the same treatment with MD Anderson that I did. He was three months ahead of me. His forging of his trail helped me greatly on mine. Reminding me that this is a potential deadly disease with challenging and varying success rates, he died at the end of the year (it had spread to fluid in his brain undetected by tests and scans until the end). Every day is truly a gift. I am not back to “normal” but getting closer each day. I am surely better (and much lighter!) for the experience and your “journal” has been helpful to me in seeing that through the chronological markers and reminders but especially through the spirit and honesty you shared. Thanks very much for doing this. I hope your recovery continues to go well and you are back to “normal” soon! Godspeed!
I truly appreciate this comment. Oh, I can only imagine how challenging it must have been on many levels to watch your friend die from this same problem; but, yes, we don't have a better choice than to frame things as a reminder to appreciate exactly what we have. When my jaw aches while trying to chew dinner and avoid that fiery hot painful spot on my tongue, it's easy to drop to "woe is me and what if that aching jaw is tumor back in my pterygoid muscle" but I try to remind myself: "if this tumor comes back, I'll be wishing I could relive this dinner when I could actually eat and sit with my family without knowing my cancer had taken a turn for the worse." Carpe diem, I suppose. I do think I willfully ignored all the pre-treatment talks of "1 mo after treatment you might feel 50% back to your baseline, 3 mo you might be 80%, etc etc" - I just told myself I would cruise through the recovery if I could survive the treatment. I imagine most of us do. May your baseline return as soon as it possibly can! Buzz
Try eating and drinking anti-inflammatory foods and beverages.
Instead of muffins, pizza and beer (inflammatory), replace these with anti-inflammatory items to see if this inflammation could disappear permanently. Substitute with items that you enjoy, without the sugar, starch, salt, and omega 6 bad fats. Google web sites on Eating Clean...
Sending good thoughts!
I mean, I suppose you're well on your way to a Sam Elliot portrayed character. Maybe The Big Lebowski or Tombstone for Halloween.
The one thing I know about Halloween 2023 is that I need to incorporate my radiation mask into whatever costume I sport.