Al finished treatment today!!!!!!!!! What a long and grueling 7 weeks. He hasn't gotten out of the bed much over the past couple of weeks and I expect that he will be sleeping a lot for weeks to come. That's probably the best thing he can do to recover. He is scheduled to return to work at the end of May. We will see the medical oncologist on Friday and once a week for some time. We won't see the radiation oncologist for another month. Al's neck already looks much better. His skin should heal well. We asked for a pain patch, which they gave him yesterday. It was just getting too difficult to swallow so many pills. The patch lasts for 3 days. It's actually a little bit stronger too, so hopefully that will relieve more of his pain. They told us they will lower the dosage gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
I don't know how we could have gotten through this without the support of our family, friends, teachers, cancer survivors, neighbors and caring staff at the treatment center. I also met some wonderful people on line that offered lots of support and advice. It was so helpful to talk to other people that have survived this ordeal. It really eased my anxiety to know what to expect. I was prepared for the worst and not surprised by any setbacks along the way.
Let the healing begin!