update

[Guest guest]

Hi friends just a quick update after another chemo and my first week

of radiation treatments. Since this was my third chemo, my hair

started to fall out in huge clumps right on schedule. The next day I

got a hair catcher for the shower drain at the hardware store, but

by the next day I figured there wasn't much point, and I asked my

girlfriend to trim my hair down to a stubble, so I don't spend a

ridiculously disproportionate part of my life cleaning up my falling

hair! Of course, she couldn't resist doing a Mohawk first and taking

pictures...I have lost another six pounds or so, but I am claiming

that four of that was hair!

Aside from losing my hair, which should come back in three or four

months, I am definitely feeling more effects, both good and bad,

from my treatments. First, the good - my tumor is definitely

smaller, the swelling in my neck (mostly lymphatic fluids) is also

smaller, and I have lost the " hot potato " voice and my voice is more

or less back to normal. The bad - although the swelling in my neck

is overall a good bit smaller, there has been some spread, over the

point of my jaw for the first time, and the new swelling is painful

and tender - I could not sleep on my left side because the [ressure

of the pillow on my face was painful. I have nausea now most of the

time, and I have already lost about 3/4 of my sense of taste. My

stomach is more sensitive, and I cannot eat very spicy foods or most

raw vegetables or fruit (not that I was eating that much of the

latter two anyway). My energy is also very depleted. I am not able

to keep up with reading and replying to every message, but I

appreciate all the good wishes you all have sent.

Randy