Two steps forward, one step back

[Or have I already used that title before... ?]

I guess I never followed up on the ENT visit.  Sorry.

She didn't think that there was much going on that was a big deal.  Her theory is that the radiation has irritated and inflamed my trachea, and that that's a reasonable side effect to expect.  Also, sometime during the chemo treatment (maybe in late Spring or early Summer?  I forget now) I was having an issue with my vocal chords.  That has apparently improved somewhat, but it's not totally better, and that's exacerbating the situation with the trachea.  And since the whole ear/nose/throat area is connected, the bottom line is that that's kind of messed up and irritated and dried out and that's what's causing my coughing and congestion and sinus pressure and headaches, etc.  She told me to start taking an expectorant, to get off the Afrin, and to keep using saline spray and drink plenty of fluids.

At least that's her theory.  But I'm starting to wonder if this is another example of a specialist not seeing things outside of what she considers her scope.  Namely, that something is going on in my lungs.

Earlier this week I had my first scan since radiation.  (The previous scan, in August, was in between chemo and radiation.)  The good news is that there's no sign of the cancer returning.  But other parts of the scan confirm the fact that I haven't been feeling all that well.

My oncologist thinks I probably have some kind of infection.  The current plan is to take a round of antibiotics, and if things don't start to improve within a week, then go to a specialist to investigate things further.

It's kind of frustrating.  I was feeling so good for such a short amount of time, and it's now been 7 weeks that I've been feeling kind of sick in one way or another.  I suspect that there may actual be several things going on, and maybe catching a cold from Dylan (and/or another one from someone else on the plane flight home) may have been part of it.  And Dylan caught another cold yesterday -- I'm really hoping that I don't catch that from him.  And/or that this winter is just one bout of illness after another.

So I have been working somewhat, and it felt good to get something productive done.  But I'm not really sure where that stands in the near term.  I didn't go into the office today, and I might not go back at all until I'm feeling noticeably better.  I think it's really important right now for me to try to get a decent amount of rest and not push things too hard too fast.

In a somewhat brighter note, my brother Larry came out from Indiana for Thanksgiving with his wife Galit and their 7 month old son Ruben.  Although I was coughing way more than I would have liked during their visit, I was as a whole not feeling all that bad.  We had a nice holiday dinner, Ruben and Dylan enjoyed being with each other, and we had a couple of expeditions out -- both to one of Dylan's favorite destinations (Little Farm in Tilden Park), and what seems like the must see destination for everyone that visits us from out of town (Muir Woods).

That's about it.  I'm impatient for a return to normalcy, and things could be better, but from the long term perspective, things aren't too bad.  And I had a chocolate cake baking in the oven while I typed most of this, and things can only get so bad when there's chocolate cake around.

Dylan (and Nemo) with the butternut squash that gave its life for our Thanksgiving soup

Lorien reads to Ruben and Dylan

Ruben on a swing for the first time!

Dylan happily mimicking Ruben

Galit, Ruben, and Larry at Muir Woods

Lorien and Dylan gazing up at the redwoods at Muir Woods