The wait begins, or the waiting is the hardest part.

Now that the treatments are officially over. The wait begins. It will be 8 weeks before I am giving a PET scan to determine if all the cancer and the tumor itself have been obliterated and is gone from my body. This period will allow me now to start healing as well. Although the radiation doctor said it will be another 2 weeks before I turn that corner and start really healing up for good. The last couple of days have been the worst as far as symptoms are concerned, and the next couple of weeks should be more of the same. I seem to be on constant pain killers, so everything is kind of foggy. The repetition of my liquid diet has grown old real fast and it is no fun in administering everything including water through a feeding tube. My face and neck are blistered from radiation and need constant lotion or cream. They feel like a really bad sunburn. I have a constant runny nose. I am now clearing my throat repeatedly from what the doctor called mucutis build up. It has to spit out or painfully swallowed. All of these symptoms seemed to have peaked out now that treatments are over. It's like they determined how much you body can take and once it reaches it max. they stop it. Any way, I was warned of all this and I am prepared to deal with them as best I can over the next couple of weeks. The fact of knowing my treatments are all over makes it a little bit easier to deal with. That and the fact that every day that goes by, is one day closer to being done with this and on my way to a full recovery also helps me endure. Andrea has been great in taking care of me and Isabella, on top of working a full time job. She is exhausted at the end of every evening, but gets up every morning and does all again the next day. She deserves a special vacation once this is all past us. Thanks again to all of you who helped with rides and what not over the last 6 weeks. We appreciate every bit of helped we have received so far.