Making Significant Improvements

**WARNING GRAPHIC PICTURES BELOW**

It's approaching two weeks now since my last radiation treatment, and I must say I have made significant strides. I was just telling a friend this evening that I'm finally starting to feel like my old self again. Let me tell you, it's been a while...

Friday was my first day back to work, I was happy to be back and many of my coworkers were happy to see me back as well. I fell behind, but thankfully it wasn't too awful and by Friday afternoon I had an idea on where I was at. Now, let's rewind -

Last Monday we finally headed down to Salem where my mom kept me in good health. I was glad she did. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent resting and doing some miscellaneous shopping to get things for my foot and cooking. Thursday I went to the doctors at OHSU. My first appointment was with my dermatologist Dr. Simpson. He put together a pretty good plan to get my foot healed, and offered some good news about the blistered areas, saying they would heal rather quickly. I did inform him on my disappointment with the radiation treatments, how they caused me a whole slew of problems. After the appointment there, my mom and I rode the tram to the top of the Marquam Hill to the main OHSU campus and met with my radiation oncologist. The odd thing is this was only the third time I had ever seen her during the entire ordeal. I actually saw two other doctors far more frequently, and the appointment was supposed to be with one of them. She was the one who ordered all the radiation, which lead to a lot of my disgust on how my body was taking the numerous treatments she decided to add on to my original treatment plan. Originally I was supposed to have 13 treatments, then it was expanded to 17, then to 20 (my body started swelling at 19), at the 20th treatment, she ordered three more treatments. By the 21st treatment, my body was swollen and blisters were appearing and that is when I refused to have anymore treatments, and the other doctors also agreed. I shared some of the disgusting blister photos with you last week. This week I'll spare you those and show you the aftermath of what happens with blisters of that size, pop. So, here's your second warning. GRAPHIC PICTURES BELOW!

It is now Saturday night, and I am feeling pretty good -- relatively speaking. I think by the end of the weekend I should be ready to have my first full week back at work.

Okay, so the pictures are below... this is your third and final warning... and I promise this will be the final post containing such pictures. These are just to give you an idea on what radiation can do to one's body. Here they are:

LAST CHANCE





I'M SERIOUS






IF YOU'VE SCROLLED THIS FAR YOU HAVE NO MERCY!






LAST CHANCE!








OKAY, HERE THEY ARE -


This is the top blister (the largest) which burst. It oozed out a yellow looking clam chowder discharge. It stunk for almost a week after popping.

This offers you a glimpse at the blister close to my heal. Broken in much tougher skin as you normally have much heavier skin under your heal. It is an especially painful spot because that is where my leg bends when I walk.

On to a different subject now... I am hoping to get next week off (which is a huge push being that I've taken almost two weeks off work for being ill.) My sister's wedding is quickly approaching on December 12, and I will find out this week if I have a chance to get some or all the time off I need. Had I not been sick, it would have been totally different. So we shall see what happens...

I want to give a special thanks to Chris Gamboa and her daughter Marisa for cleaning up my Joseph house. It was quite a job as I can imagine. They prepared it for future renters and possible buyers. It looks like I might have my Joseph property rented in a week or two.

It is good to write you this week on a much more positive note. I am finally on the mend, and thank all of you who've been there for me through thick and thin... even when things were tough.

-LB