Just getting by

Good morning everyone,

The treatments are coming along. I must admit that even VINCENT (my alter ego) is having troubles coping with the pain. This past weekend has been just brutal.

Using a pain scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the absolute worst pain you can imagine or have ever experienced, there were times that the pain erupted to 14 or perhaps even 15. I woke up the other night moaning the pain was so excruciating.

I was taking liquid Tylenol 3 until last Thursday when I went on morphine. There have been times since I went on the MOS that the pain has been steady at 10 for hours on end. No kidding it is absolutely the PITS.

I have treatment number 12 of 25 this morning and then I hope to be seeing The Pain Management People. I have to go to the next higher level of pain killers. Since yesterday morning I have not been able to drink or eat without first taking a cocktail dubbed a "Pink Lady". It freezes your throat and mouth for about 15 minutes during which time I was able to choke down some water and 4 spoonful of soup. I am a wreck this morning. I am hesitant to take the morphine because the reaction I get is so unpleasant.

I can hardly talk the pain is so immense. This weekend has been a battle of endurance. The Cancer Clinic was closed over the weekend and while Brock & I called the 24 hour help line, all we were able to get was the "Pink Lady" cocktail and a go ahead to increase the morphine doses by 25% and the frequency of the doses reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours.

I fully expect to go on a three day morphine patch but that is not likely to help me to eat and drink. I think I must investigate a "food tube". Leastway I'll be able to keep my nutritional levels up to standard.

I'll post more after my appointments today.

Rick