First off, I should apologize for not posting as often here as I should. It’s for good reason though. Shannon is doing a lot better now. He is able to do a little more than he could before without getting too tired. He is able to eat a little more as well but still not quite enough to stop needing the Boost drinks to supplement his diet. We both have realized now that it will be a while before he’s able to eat anything besides very soft foods but we are still hoping that some day he will be able to have a more normal diet. I think that will help his energy level too.
He has been so happy to be able to talk to some of his family and friends on the phone. It’s been so hard for him not to be able to do that since we are so far away from everyone. He has really missed talking to everyone. Now that his voice is better and he’s able do that it helps him feel much closer to the family.
We are both quietly waiting for next month when we will finally have the answers we need. We need everyone’s prayers that those results will be good. The main thing that we are both doing is taking things day by day the best we can. We’ve learned that is really the only way to handle something as huge and hard to deal with as cancer.
I will continue to post here to let all of you know how he is doing. Thank you all for your continued support. It means so much to both of us to know you are all there pulling for us.
Shannon had his appointment for an exam and to get the results of his CT scan this morning. It has been so hard waiting for this day to get here but it was worth everything that Shannon has been through up until this point. The scan was clear! It appears that the radiation and chemo have gotten rid of the tumor. The doctor did a scope exam of Shannon’s throat and he saw no signs of the cancer. He did say he could still feel a little something in the lymph nodes but that doesn’t mean there is anything left there. He said at this point there is nearly always a bit of swelling left and it does not mean they are still affected by the cancer.
The doctor has scheduled a PET scan for February 14 (Valentine’s Day…how romantic! lol). That will tell us much more and give us an idea what if anything still needs to be done. That will show if there are any tiny cancerous areas left and whether surgery may still need to be done or if we can just take a wait and see course of action. Either way he will be needing periodic scans to be sure the cancer goes and stays gone.
The appointment today and the scan results are the best answers we can have right now and we are so relieved and happy! The waiting has been so difficult to deal with for both of us. Having an answer (especially a good answer like this one) and this much information is a huge relief for us both. We will be in waiting mode again now for another month but just knowing that the treatments did so much good will help us get through this new wait.
Shannon is doing pretty well. Still improving very slowly but steadily. He has kept his weight and not lost anymore but he hasn’t gained either. The doctor said it will take a long time for the soreness to clear from his throat so it might be awhile before he can eat without pain. He said it is ok for him to continue to use Boost and to try and work on eating soft foods to replace some of that. This is what we’ve been doing so it’s good to know that we are on the right path as far as nutrition goes.
I am so happy to be able to post this great news and share it with all of you. It has been a long and difficult road up until now. Thank you all so much for all the support and the prayers. That is what has gotten us through to this point and it would have been so much harder to get here without our friends and family behind us.
I know it has been quite a while since I’ve posted an update here. I apologize to those of you who have been following Shannon’s progress and I hope that the lack of updates hasn’t discouraged or worried anyone.
Shannon has been doing better and better each day. We are both so thankful for the continued progress. There are times when it seems so slow and both of us get a little worried about that but when we think back to how badly he felt during the treatments, we realize that he has improved greatly. It’s just very hard to see it since the improvements are so gradual.
We had one of our sons and his family here from just after Christmas to this morning. It was a joy to be able to celebrate with three of our grandchildren and we had such fun watching them open their presents, celebrate a birthday and watch the new year come in. We missed our other son and his family. Having them here too would have made it all perfect.
Shannon did very well even with all the action and giggles and laughing going on around here. We had been afraid it would tire him but I think it had the opposite effect. He seemed to do much better with the family here. He was even able to stay up on New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop on TV and we had a little kiss for luck. We have great faith that this next year will be a much better and healthier one for us.
Today Shannon had his CT scan to check and see how the treatments have done and to help determine our next step. Of course, the technician isn’t allowed to tell us anything so now we will be in waiting mode until January 10 when he has an appointment with the oncologist. It will probably seem a very long time between now and then. Actually, it already feels like a long time and it’s only a few hours since the scan. We will do our best to stay in the here and now and not worry about the future but it’s very difficult to do that. So long as he continues to improve though, it will be much easier.
We are still working on getting Shannon back onto eating solid foods. It is still quite difficult for him to eat but he can eat mashed potato and gravy and a few things like that. He is beginning to get his taste back but sweet things don’t always taste right to him. We try and stick with the things that taste right for him as it’s just much better for him that way. Food is beginning to smell good to him and his appetite is slowly coming back. We are hoping that once he can eat a little more, he will start feeling more like himself again.
I want to thank all of you again who are checking in on our blog and praying for Shannon and me. It makes all the difference knowing we have friends and loved ones supporting us the way you all do. We both appreciate you all more than you know.