July, August and September 2011

During some part of July my Radiation Oncologist got me setup for hyperbaric treatments.  The chamber looks like an airplane.  They slowly bring up the oxygen level.  Then they put a big plastic hood on you.  It takes two hours.  You can have no electronics or phones.  They play movies.  I usually sleep the whole time.  I have extreme fatigue.  I could sleep 15 hours a day if I had the time - but that doesn't work with kids and doctor appointments.

I also start seeing the pain management doc prior to my bowel resectioning.  She put me on high does of morphine.  After the resectioning surgery I was able to come off the morphine.  Then boom - the radiation damage caused bladder cystitis at the end of June.  She put me on 30mg of extended release morphine twice a day and up to 15mg of Valium a day.  Valium is a great anti-spasmodic.  The pain was unbelievable.  I was having break through pain.  I saw my pain management doc last week she added 15mg of immediate release morphine up to 4 times a day for break through pain.  There is no cure for bladder radiation damage so the only treatment is meds.

I see so many specialists as well as my son seeing a psychologist and psychiatrist.   We have at least two appointments a week between the two of us if not more. More later -