The road back to normal

Over the past couple of weeks, I have had some ups and downs.  A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling great. I was able to work out every day, I was eating well and I was very excited and anxious to get back to work and return to a normal life. Perhaps it was partly cabin fever from the winter, but I needed to get out of the house.  On Thursday, January 13, I went to U of Chicago to have the port removed from my chest (another step toward closing this chapter of my life). That was the second week of January. I made arrangements with my doctor to send a note to human resources stating that I can return to work full-time with no restrictions.  I was to go back on the Tuesday after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 18th.  Well, Tuesday morning came. I got out of bed, showered, got dressed and  made breakfast. Suddenly, I felt chilled (a very familiar feeling) and I knew I had better take my temperature.  I did have a cold over the weekend and a minor cough, but thought it was just a minor cold and that it would pass.  Sure enough, I had a fever of 100 and had to call in sick my first day back to school. 

Fortunately, it was finals week and I was going back to school to organize myself for second semester. So, on that Tuesday I went to have my blood tested to see how my white blood count was.  It was fine. Everything was in the normal range and no antibiotic was recommended. As the week went on, my cough worsened and my fever went higher. So on Thursday, I went to an urgent care doctor to listen to my lungs and perhaps get a chest x-ray.  The doctor saw an infection in the x-rays and prescribed an antibiotic.
After calling my own doctor with this news, I was put on a second antibiotic. I've been getting better and better ever since. Thank God for antibiotics.

I finally was able to return to work yesterday, January 24th. I taught one of my three classes. We're on the block schedule and each class is 90 minutes long. It was suggested (recommended) to me that I go back to school on a part-time basis until I feel well enough to take on the full load. The substitute that was hired to cover my classes is doing an outstanding job and is willing to continue until my return. So, this week I am testing the waters to see how I do with 2 of my 5 classes.  My throat is still very sore and talking doesn't exactly help it heal. But I have Lidocaine that I can put on the throat for temporary relief and water helps keep it moist. Last night I had the best night sleep in weeks!  My feeling is that I'll get better and want to take on the full 5 classes, but perhaps after a few more weeks of healing. I am going to see how this week goes and then reassess.

Many people understand that the road to recovery is a long one with many bumps in the road. I have experienced my share of set backs over the past several months so I will continue to write these posts. I appreciate those of you who have taken an interest in my experiences and continue to check my blog. I never realized how many people have had similar experiences to mine or know someone who has. Unfortunately, most have had some experience with this disease and can somehow relate and connect with what I've been going through.  Thank you for taking an interest.

N.E.D

No Evidence of Disease!  No surgery! Yahoooooooo! I am one happy camper. Thank you all for your prayers. They've been answered. My family and I are going out to celebrate. Cheers!

Positive news!

I just got home from U of C and I am very anxious to share what I've learned.  The CT scan of my neck shows that the lymph node has actually gotten smaller! I just had a bad infection.  So, with that news the next step is to take the PET scan (full body) this Friday.  My surgeon is VERY confident that the PET scan will come back as negative for cancer cells. However, if for some reason the lymph node lights up and comes back positive, I will be scheduled for surgery the following Wednesday (Jan. 12) to take out the lymph node.  If I go through with the surgery and the lymph node is removed they will biopsy it right there to find out whether or not to do a complete neck dissection. As of right now, I am feeling very optimistic and confident that we will get good news on Friday. I'm ready either way.

I still am experiencing quite a bit of pain in my throat.  Today I learned that what I've got going on in there is the equivalent of first degree burns.  No wonder it hurts. 

The surgeon told us that she'll call me with the results sometime Friday late afternoon or early evening. Once I find out, I'll share the news.

Happy New Year!

Since Christmas Eve I have been getting better and better. My family and I go down to Gilman, Illinois where Karla is from and stay with my in-laws Jim and Dorothy.  I really believe that that good 'ol country cooking and the few days of rest down in Gilman helped to get me on the right track.  Of course, the antibiotic I have been taking for the past two weeks has probably had something to do with my progress as well. Anyway, my family and I had a wonderful Christmas weekend.

When we got back to Chicago, I insisted on going out to eat and I've been out to eat each night since last Sunday night.  I don't even remember the last time I had gone out to eat. It must have been sometime in August. So,  New Years Eve was a great night as well.  The weather was so mild that I was able to stand outside and watch the kids ice skate at Milenium Park with my brother and my niece. Afterward, we had another feast.  I still can't eat a lot, but I sure am happy to be able to eat whatever I want. 

This week I have an appointment on Tuesday for another CT scan of my neck. Then I meet with the surgeon. She'll look at the previous scans and the new one to compare. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I won't need surgery.  The surgeon will also decide if I should go through with the PET scan that is planned for on Friday.  That's all for now.  I'm feeling great and a lot stronger. Happy New Year!