Toothy Trouble in Paradise

Oh man, wouldn't you know it: just when we thought we were over the hump, Matt has developed an impacted infection in his lower right jaw, basically the site of where the wisdom teeth came out 3 months ago! - and has to have another (small , but still...) surgery of the mouth to "scoop" and clean it all out. OUCH.

We are not sure exactly how it all happened but oh well. He has been working to get into the doctor because his jaw had been getting increasingly painful - and there was obvious swelling too - over the last week or so. We were actually worried it was a tumor or possibly a fractured jaw (which they warn could happen due to radiations effects on bone). Happily the xrays taken today (see photo) show something going on down by the roots of his molars that Dr. Ha thinks is just a nasty infection...But with that being said he does want Matt in and us to deal with it all right away before it gets worse. One of the good things is that Matt is far enough along post-chemo that his white blood cell count should be good and thus antibiotics will be able to be used. We find out tomorrow via a check up with our medical oncologist about blood, etc. so the timing is actually pretty good. We go straight from labs and that dr. appointment to the oral surgeon - oh jiminy.

More to follow I am sure.

Just a March Update

For anyone checking in -

You would not believe how quickly Matt is bouncing back! Ye gads! While his right chin/cheek is still smooth as a baby's butt (the radiation took out the beard hair there), his bronzing/tan is peeling and his energy levels are bounding back up (I actually hope you aren't reading this Rob!). The taste buds are still out of whack (which is, frankly, more of a pain for Cathy at this point than Matt...I just want a NORMAL grocery list again!) but with that said, he is able to drink Fresca again (his favorite) and in general is branching out food-wise in a number of small ways. He is also back at work, at least 4 if not more hours a day...And we took a super long walk with the dogs on Sunday and he was good the whole time - the fatigue is rapidly fading. Yeah!

More next week after the oncologist check-up and then again after April 7 when we see 'Doogie' and find out when he wants Matt to have his next PET scan. Tah -

Treatments COMPLETE!

Matt's final radiation treatment, #38, was yesterday. See photo of him in his final wearing of the mask (which he got to bring home)(they were taking a side photo for Dr. H - cool, huh?) and the graduation "diploma" they gave him at the end! Now begins a couple weeks of recuperating and regrouping for Matt.

Oh happy day - weird day! Think about it: since Oct. 23, we have been on a track to find and kill the cancer. There were all the high highs and low lows, and "normal" life didn't really exist - however now we are, for the moment, DONE. No more zapping to deal with and schedule around; no more chemo and its meds to deal with (today, Saturday, Matt takes the last round of meds). Can you say yippee-skippy?!

With that being said we aren't done with it all - there are still check-ups to be had (mostly in April, early May) and the especially important first 6 months (so September 5 is going to be a big date for us!) to get through, but phew....

So fellow blog-trackers and well-wishers: THANK YOU. As Matt was telling the staff at Frauenshuh yesterday, especially Dr. H, he/we consider ourselves so fortunate on so many fronts. Good care and good prayers - it's hard to go wrong.

I will update this blog periodically over the coming months - especially after the check-ups and for sure September 6ish (although I imagine we will see or talk or somehow connect to each of you in the coming months). If "the nasty" comes back we are prepared and this will be update-central again, but stats say that risk, while there, is slight so we are hoping that "All About Matt's" days are numbered....

Thanks to each and every one of you: the multiple generations of McLanes and McFarlands, friends close by and in Oregon, California and elsewhere, and the friends of friends who have been tracking and caring all along the way. We truly couldn't have completed this current journey without you. Thanks and our love to you all...

Signing off for the moment,

Cathy with and for Matt (who still sleeps this morning!)

ONE LAST ZAPPING TO GO!

Oh boy - tomorrow is the FINAL RADIATION TREATMENT. We are kind of excited...Well, Cathy has the energy (barely but) to be officially excited...Matt is just plan looking forward to being DONE. He is pretty tired and the stomach is only so-so, but we are somewhat used to it being this way for a chemo week.

Check out his neck as of the other day...It's hard to capture in a photo but I thought I would post for posterity. He is very brown/bronzed - almost purple in the radiation area. It will be interesting to see how long the effects 'grow' and when they will start to reduce, especially with radiation ending....

More tomorrow as we end this chapter and begin the next!!!

Home At Last

Home at last! Geesh - we are glad this wasn't our first chemo day or it would have been hard to "look forward" to the rest....

Nothing really went wrong - they were just running behind, Matt's labs took forever (see photo of him getting his labs stick, left above), we got to see Dr. H (rad-oncologist) after radiation (see photo left below of Matt wheeling down to radiation from the chemo condos) so everything just took longer than 'normal.' Matt is set up for getting fluids/saline tomorrow and Wednesday, right after radiation - and, as I blogged early, then there will only be two more/final days of radiation - yippee and then some! So FRIDAY is the last day. Matt will be tired but anyone that wants to meet me in the radiation therapy parking lot to give a cheer, let me know.

So far tonight, the good anti-nausea drugs are doing their gig. Matt is feeling sleepy but okay. We realized we forgot to refill a couple of the drugs so Cathy has to make a night run but that's easy as our local CVS is only about a half-a-mile away. Here is to the final week of it ALL (god willing, knock on wood, keep your fingers crossed and keep those prayers coming?!).

Of note: the first round of post-treatment check-ups are now officially scheduled! We are to call Dr. Doogie (ENT) for a check up mid-April (he will make the call as to when Matt gets a new PET scan - Dr. H thinks 4 weeks is actually too early)...and we have an appointment with Dr. Lorrie (med-oncologist) for April 1 (April Fools Day - I can't decide if that is good or bad). As of Friday, it will remain for us a hyper-watchful mode for 6 months (and a few years beyond, it's true) but Matt has done everything right and has gotten good and semi-aggressive treatment so hopefully ...

Final Chemo - A Long Day

We are actually still at Methodist - it's been a long day. Got here before 9am and it's going on 5pm. Get us out of here! Matt currently is dozing as the last of the Cisplatin..we have watched three movies - a new record.

More later..

Oh! But good news: last radiation treatment IS on Friday!!! So we are truly in final countdown mode.

A new nurse is here so hopefully we will be released SOON.