Radiation effects . . .

Since the 4th of July, its been a transition period. We went from recovering from the first chemo, to dealing with side effects of the radiation treatments. It seems like radiation #10, on the 5th, was the one that started the side effects.

That day was an overall good day. Addison rode along for the appointments. Kevin got to visit his mommoe and brother Steve after radiation. It was very good for him to see his mom and brother, but I started to noticed something seemed off. That morning, he had a rough time clearing his throat. He was starting to feel discomfort in his actual throat for the first time. One of Kevin’s biggest fears is the effect on his teeth. The radiation and chemo both take a toll on the mouth. In order to kill the cancer, good cells are also destroyed.

Addison rode along fro the day. She always brightens our day.

Relaxing after a long day. Elmer took good care of him.

Food & Nutrition: This week food became a little battle between Kevin and I. Food became less and less palatable. By the 11th radiation, he didn’t even want to eat pudding or watermelon anymore. As the dutiful care taker, I continued to push for him to try and eat anything he could. Those that continue to eat, have less side effects and a quicker recovery. I finally gave up this battle of wills when he developed a sore throat and it became a pain issue. We are now using the peg tube for all nourishment. We find that the best schedule for Kevin is 1, 8oz serving every two hours during the day. Most nights, he wakes up and needs a feeding about 3 am as well. This keeps the pain in his stomach from the peg tube and inflammation in his stomach lining at bay.

Saliva & Phlegm: Each day, his phlegm is getting thicker and thicker. Kevin said one morning, “Feels like I have a mouth and throat full of spider webs.” We know this will continue until his salivary glands actually dry up. That will come with another set of challenges and issues in itself.

• Baking Soda Rinse: 1 tbsp baking soda or salt, with 8 oz water. Gargle and rinse mouth as many times as needed to thin the mucous. Kevin can’t handle the salt though, so just baking soda.
• ACT Dry Mouth Lozenges: Great for helping improve salivation and seems like it increases the good saliva.

Mouth Sores: We are watching for, and trying to treat, sores as soon as we see them. As the phlegm has thickened, his gag reflex is sensitive. I hadn’t been able to get a clear view of his throat until Monday at the weekly doctors appointment with Dr. Lowther.  His throat is starting to get radiation burn and his poor uvula has a white sore on it. Still working on him to get the oil on that sore and hoping it will heal soon. We know this is just the beginning and I know I must be more persistent in getting him to open up and show me his mouth.

• Magic Mouth Wash: This stuff is really the shit; good and bad. It is a prescription that is a mixture of lidocaine and a bunch of anti-fungal/bacterial medications. He gargles this, then swallows, 4 times daily. The immediate relief is the good shit. The bad, Kevin says it tastes like shit. He had a hard time gagging on it at first but the pain relief is motivating.
• CBD Oil (Jaiden’s Juice): Right after the first chemo, he had two small sores forming. I used CBD Oil and applied it right to the sore. The next morning the sores had healed. The sore right now that we are having a difficult time getting the oil on is right on his uvula. This sore is caused by radiation.

Fungus & Thrush: As the radiation causes saliva to thicken and blood cells to the mouth to shrink, this means his natural defense, white blood cells, will be outnumbered and can no longer maintain the fungus that grows naturally in the mouth. We are now on the watch for white spots on his tongue, roof of the mouth, or back of throat. Kevin has always had very good oral hygiene. So far, so good. The baking soda rinse and Magic Mouth Wash both help prevent Thrush too.

WBC: Kevin has to have a blood test prior to chemo on Wednesday so we tested in Monday. His white blood cell counts are low but Dr. Patel, his Kaiser oncologist said that is normal with chemo. We need to be very cautious, possibly wearing a mask when leaving the house, as his immune system is very low. Another reason the sores aren’t healing as fast I’m sure.

The doctors office gave him a few handy bags for the car that we decided are very useful for him to be able to use as a spittoon. He puts a paper towel in so its not so gross looking.

Amazon: Nausea Bags

Keep us in your prayers my friends. We are tough but we also know this will get worse before it gets better. All text and messages to check on us boost our moral. Even if we cant get back to your texts or messages, please know we read every single one. While I am caring for him in person, your messages are a tremendous part of our emotional treatment!

#CimoliStrong #WeGotThis #CancerSucks #HowCanSomeoneSoHandsomeHaveCancer?