Firmly on the road to recovery

Friends, thanks for being with me.  It’s been a long 9 months!  This may be my final post, as I’m firmly on the road to recovery.

Cancer-free!

Scans continue to be clear, showing no cancer.  Yay!  But not shocking, since my pre-radiation scans also showed no cancer: if it was there post-surgery, it was undetectable.

Rehab & healing continue

Rehab and appointments occupy much of my time. 4+ hours/day home exercise if I do all the things. I sometimes try to “double up” and do two things simultaneously, but still, sheesh.

That said, my remaining physical symptoms – salivary and tongue function, speech and taste changes, lymphedema swelling, jaw/neck tightness – are all ones I can live with.  Even if these didn’t improve beyond their current state, they won’t get in the way of me living a full life.  (Though you might hear me kvetch just a little bit, cuz if lettuce is bitter forever I’m sure gonna miss salads.  And I hope vanilla ice cream doesn’t always taste disappointing.  But if so, so be it, as these are genuinely small things.)

Also, my executive function has room for improvement.  I make mistakes with scheduling, for example, which I really hope improves.  In the meantime, thanks to y’all for being gracious with my screw ups, and I try to have patience with myself as well.

So things continue to heal.  My body and mind have more repair to do, and I trust I will get there.  All in due time. 

Future & follow-up

The doctors plan to follow me very closely for the rest of my life. I’ll see an oncologist and/or surgeon every 3-6 months. They have a whole protocol for future scans. This is all similar to what followed my 2010 oral cancer saga. They’ll presumably watch me even closer now that I’m a two-timer.

Because of the radiation, I’ll see a dentist 3x/year.  And some symptoms, like those related to scar tissue (aka fibrosis), may show up many years down the line. 5? 10? 15? Never? They can’t say.  For this reason, some of my rehab will likely be recommended “forever.”

We don’t yet know if the “field dysplasia” (similar to field cancerization) on my tongue will develop again, as in the years preceding this cancer.  My guess is yes. If I have surgery for that again, as I did in 2018, that seems the most likely reason I’d reactivate this blog.

I currently anticipate getting back to work by early next year.  I don’t yet know what shape it will take (and don’t yet have energy to start figuring it out) but it will unfold in due time.

Thank you

I’ll say it again: THANK YOU!  I’m tremendously fortunate to have such community, with loving friends, family, and colleagues who care about me.

If you’ve sent a note or card or email, left a comment on the blog, cooked food, given a ride, sent healing vibes, visited…for all this, my gratitude overflows.

Our bodies are amazing.  When I reflect on all the parts that work right every day, I’m in awe.  May we all have moments of appreciation for the small miracles of daily life.