Treatment #9
Friday's RT went without note, except that the radiologists looked relieved that I arrived half an hour early, and they must have been running ahead of schedule as when I left, the department was deserted so I'd like to think they maybe got an earlier than expected finish on a Friday, which is always a bonus.
Friday night in, I made a peppered pork type creamy dish with basmati rice, which my wife said was spicy, but I have to concede I could not taste quite so emphatically. Half a glass of wine, and buckets of water was my chosen accompaniment for the evening.
Saturday involved a lovely fry-up, the full-on English breakfast, which I enjoyed immensely. Fatty foods do seem to be easier to eat, because I am now definitely feeling the dreaded sore swallow and tender tongue. I have now tried the minty gloop (oxetacaine) which is neither pleasant nor unpleasant. It tastes like cheap toothpaste, but is surprisingly effective in settling the oral discomfort down. I have a sort of routine whereby I take the gloop, have a few sips of water or tea, and then rinse my mouth with the mineral mouthwash. The instruction says not to eat or drink anything for 15 minutes after the wash, so it is just as well I don't mind lukewarm tea/coffee.
Again, I am finding drinks with a small fat content from the semi skimmed milk we use are easier on the mouth than just water. I tried a licorice infusion/tea drink which although surprisingly tasty, had a moderately astringent effect on my mouth.
Saturday night involved a visit to my in-laws so that wife could get cards and pressies, and then we attended a housewarming party which turned into an impromptu birthday do for my wife.
I must confess to drinking far more alcohol than is normally sensible for someone in great health, let alone poor little old me, milking sympathy due to the quite radical appearance of my new face.
I awoke on Sunday with parts of my mouth firmly adhered to other parts of my mouth via a combination of extreme dryness and thick mucous. It took a couple of hours of various administrations of the aforementioned gloop and mouthwash before my mouth felt anything like normal.
The rest of the day was spent in a state of mild to moderate discomfort. I cooked a roast dinner, swamped mine in gravy, but still baulked at Yorkshire puddings due to tightness of throat and uncomfortable swallowing.
Later on I discovered that steamed steak puddings are very easy going on the throat, so I managed 3 for my tea.
So here I am on Monday morning. My throat is sore, my upper palate toward the back of my mouth is moderately painful. I have had two goes with the gloop, and it feels manageable now, but I'm unsure whether I fancy anything to eat just yet. I'm going to stick to my theory that foods with a fat content will be easier and go for thickly buttered toast.
I have noticed that my days now seem to be revolving around the appointments, and I can't seem to get going until after I have come home. But now that I have noticed this, I am determined to counteract this phenomenon by actively finding some activity to occupy myself before the appointments.
Tea tonight will be the fish pie I predicted I would be eating at treatment #10. Soft and moist, it would seem, is the way forward........
