> Marc, according to my understanding, this should be the worst point
> for you, when the effects are peaking. From your posting, it appears
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> should keep improving. It's either all downhill or all uphill from
> here, depending on your preferred metaphor.
:) Many thanks for the thoughts - So far, so good with the side-effects.
It's mostly wonky stuff: The fatigue has mostly gone away, though every now
and again, the wind is just sucked out of me and I can sleep a good 12
hours. That seems to be about every five days or so.
Taste buds are also on the wonky side: Some/most days, everything is just
mushed up paper - Others, like today, I can actually taste most of what I
eat, though on a fainter level, if that makes sense. I just got back from
lunch where I had chicken fingers, fries and gravy: I could taste the
gravy, sort of taste the fries, sort of taste the chicken and definitely
taste the plum sauce.
There's still a big, honkin' bald spot on the back of my head that's as
smooth as a bowling ball, but really, overall, I'm quite pleased with this
whole side-effects thing: From everything I've read, it could have been a
lot worse.
Oh yeah, *still* no super powers, either. I should complain to someone
about that :)

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Marc Bissonnette
Looking for a new ISP? http://www.canadianisp.com
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csm7532@hotmail.com - 22 May 2008 18:44 GMT
On May 22, 10:53 am, Marc Bissonnette <dragnet\_@_/internalysis.com>
wrote:
> csm7...@hotmail.com fell face-first on the keyboard. This was the result:news:363472e4-9e9a-43ea-81b1-92e6afff8825@27g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:
>
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
> Looking for a new ISP?http://www.canadianisp.com
> Largest ISP comparison site across Canada.
Cool. Over the next few weeks, you can occasionally re-read your
above message, and notice how much better things keep getting. I
almost wish I'd kept some sort of journal, but I'm just not into that
sort of thing. Plum sauce? As in with the typical Crispy Duck at a
Chinese joint? I love it with fried duck---I'll have to try it with
fried chicken.
I thought you should get a thread of your own, that you didn't start
and that wasn't a vicious attack.
---
CSM
Janet Wilder - 23 May 2008 02:26 GMT
> :) Many thanks for the thoughts - So far, so good with the side-effects.
> It's mostly wonky stuff: The fatigue has mostly gone away, though every now
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> Oh yeah, *still* no super powers, either. I should complain to someone
> about that :)
Sounds like you are doing really well, Marc. It took me heaps of time
longer to be able to taste anything. I didn't lose any hair to the
dismay of my RO.
The super powers don't become evident until you are at least a year past
radiation. :-)
Janet

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Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life
Marc Bissonnette - 23 May 2008 03:00 GMT
>> :) Many thanks for the thoughts - So far, so good with the
>> :side-effects.
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> The super powers don't become evident until you are at least a year
> past radiation. :-)
Aha! So there *is* something to look forward to after all this trial and
tribulation!
I wonder if I should start sewing a costume now, or wait until the powers
manifest to design something appropriate ?
On an amusing side-note: A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting outside,
sewing up an outside chair cushion that had a great big rip in it. The
chair's comfy as all get out, so it was worth the effort of sewing.
Anyway, my daughter, 11, comes out and says "Oh. My. God." - I look
around, expecting anything from something really gross to a bear charging
through the back yard "What is it?", I ask. "You really CAN sew!" she
practically yelled :)
Here I thought I was being super-dad all these years by teaching her how
to use all the hand tools in my shop and started with power tools last
year to avoid stereotyping about what a girl "can't do" - Apparantly, I
forgot the other side of the equation :)

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Marc Bissonnette
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The Bobert - 23 May 2008 06:28 GMT
> Taste buds are also on the wonky side: Some/most days, everything is just
> mushed up paper - Others, like today, I can actually taste most of what I
> eat, though on a fainter level, if that makes sense. I just got back from
> lunch where I had chicken fingers, fries and gravy: I could taste the
> gravy, sort of taste the fries, sort of taste the chicken and definitely
> taste the plum sauce.
I lost my taste buds early in the battle. Chocolate and coffee (see Sig.) no
longer appealed to me. They had no taste. I survived on Smoothies and milk
shakes. Regular food--fergetit. My taster woke up about 2 weeks after radiation
> There's still a big, honkin' bald spot on the back of my head that's as
> smooth as a bowling ball, but really, overall, I'm quite pleased with this
> whole side-effects thing: From everything I've read, it could have been a
> lot worse.
I wasn't as lucky as Janet. I have a wide bald streak from forehead to crown.
My hair grew back fine as baby hair, or a natural blonde's hair. There's a
little bit of fuzzy hair in my bald spot. Before chemo and radiation I looked
like Willie Nelson. Barbara and I used to watch people do a double take, and
pretend not to notice.
My fatigue and shortness of breath lasted for about 2 years. It tapered off
slowly.
A good attitude is your best medicine.
bobert

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The 5 food groups:
Chocolate, Coffee, Pizza, Quick and Easy
Bob in Central California
Janet Wilder - 23 May 2008 20:16 GMT
>> Taste buds are also on the wonky side: Some/most days, everything is just
>> mushed up paper - Others, like today, I can actually taste most of what I
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> I lost my taste buds early in the battle. Chocolate and coffee (see Sig.) no
> longer appealed to me. They had no taste. I survived on Smoothies and milk
Mine took more like 2 months. I remember being able to tell the
difference between chocolate and vanilla Boost. I couldn't taste the
flavors, but I could discern the difference.
It took about 6 months before I could taste coffee - let me rephrase
that--until coffee tasted like coffee. It tasted pretty awful for quite
a while
I can taste chocolate now, but I seem to have lost my passion for it. I
met another survivor who said the same thing.
>> There's still a big, honkin' bald spot on the back of my head that's as
>> smooth as a bowling ball, but really, overall, I'm quite pleased with this
>> whole side-effects thing: From everything I've read, it could have been a
>> lot worse.
> A good attitude is your best medicine.
I started going to the gym regularly in December. It keeps the fatigue
away as well as the tendency to feel a little depressed. I believe both
go with the territory.

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Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life