"You look good!"

When a doctor stops in his tracks to comment about how good you look you know it is a good thing...this is what happened to Rob this week.  Rob had a follow up with Dr Nason on Monday and he hadn't seen him since the day he started radiation.  We knew that without any scans he wouldn't know any more news than us but we were pleasantly surprised by his reaction.  He walked in the door of the exam room and before he even got fully in and shut the door he looked at Rob with a smile and said "You look good. Do you feel as good as you look?".  He then did an exam of Rob's neck and inside his mouth.  We asked him about some small concerns we had but he said everything looked great and he was very pleased with how Rob is doing.  We talked about the upcoming scan and how things will look in the next while.  He told us that Rob will need some debulking of the flap done.  This is something we knew might be needed but not done until 6-12 months after surgery.  Basically the flap they put in is too bulky so Rob will have a procedure similar to liposuction on his flap to make room for teeth.  We meet with Dr Hayakawa (his plastic surgeon) next week and will find out more about it then.  We also talked about getting teeth on the bottom and he sent a referral to a dentist who specializes in reconstruction after cancer.  The debulking needs to happen before teeth come so likely it will be later this year but it is good to get the ball rolling on it.  It was so encouraging to have a good appointment and to be reassured that things look normal.  There is no test to confirm that the treatment got rid of all of the cancer but it was obvious that Dr Nason felt very good about Rob's recovery.  We left there on Monday feeling encouraged and relieved and we continue on each day praying for complete healing and walking each day in faith.


Tonight at 8:30pm Rob has his follow up CT Scan.  The first time you go for a scan it is a little scary but now it feels routine for us.  We will not hear any results tonight but are thankful to get this scan done so they are able to see what Rob's new "normal" is post surgery and treatment. 


Rob finished radiation on December 3rd but some of the side effects can linger.  One problem some people have is chronic thrush.  The radiation changes the balance in your mouth and can encourage the growth of thrush.  We thought that the medication had gotten rid of the thrush before Christmas but last week Rob woke up with a sore throat and knew right away it was thrush.  It is down his throat which makes it hard to treat.  Luckily he had a refill for the Nistatin mouthwash and within an hour he was able to start treatment for it.  I also spoke to the nurse and let him know what was going on.  When Rob sees Dr Butler at the end of the month he will have a look and see if it is gone.  We pray that this round of Nistatin works and it is not a chronic problem for Rob. 


Last Sunday we met with a couple that went through the same diagnosis 9 years ago.  We were introduced through Cancer care and were told that we were similar to this couple.  It was great to meet with someone who knew what we went through and to be encouraged by them.  We talked about each of our stories and asked them questions.  For me it was good to talk to a wife who had been in my position.  To hear her talk about leaving the hospital every night while her husband lay there and to have felt the same emotions that I did was very interesting.  Rob and I both pray that 9 years from now we will be able to do the same thing for someone else.  We are grateful that we were able to spend time with them and they are open to us contacting them anytime. 


Rob continues to improve each day and is getting his strength back.  When you think about all his body has gone through he is doing very well.  Rob has had a lot of time to think over the last 8 months and he has also dreamed of a lot of things he wants to do with his life.  We are still unsure about when he will return to work but while he is off he has started some new hobbies and wants to plan a trip to BC in the summer to see the mountains (neither of us have ever seen them!).  He says when you are diagnosed with a life threatening illness you realize life is short and you need to live each moment to the fullest.  As a family we look forward to going on adventures and making the most of each day!


Love Karen