Burned to a crisp

As I probably mentioned earlier, I had a "boost" in my radiation treatment on Friday. I did not know the true ramifications of this until this weekend. EEEEKKKKK!!!!! My neck is blistered and peeling, although it doesn't really seem to hurt very much. My tongue, however, is another story. The whole top of my tongue is literally cooked. Painful beyond anything I can describe.

Painful to eat or drink. Painful to spit. Even painful to talk. Even to TALK!!! Salt water is the only thing that feels good. If I could just hold salt water in my mouth all the time, I would. Everything else, even just regular tap water, burns. The only thing I can eat without major work is salty soups, lukewarm. I can get a few other things down (think one or two bites) by using a spoon to bypass all the blistering and kind of dump the food into the back of my throat. Not the most fine dining experience ever.

Even the lidocaine burns, burns, burns. I did figure out that if I mix it with salt water it is tolerable, though not quite as effective. Even straight up it only lasts about 5 to 10 minutes, but the pain of putting it in my mouth is so intense I won't even do it again.

I'm not sure what the consequences of living on less that 500 calories and 12 oz of water a day are. The rosacea on my face, which is usually barely noticeable is approaching WC Fields caliber. My neck is sloughing off burned skin despite the regular aloe slatherings. The ethyol injections are bruising my stomach and drying out that skin, too. I cannot begin to tell you how miserable I am, and am to be around.

We went to the Scandinavian festival today with my friend, Patty. It was fun and there were quite a few things to see. However, I have never been to an event in my life with more food booths. I thought I was just my skewed perception, but Kelly and Patty both agreed. Cruel that is. I did have to tell Karina no on the carmel apple. I watched them all eat some amazing food, but I just couldn't watch someone eat a carmel apple. That is my favorite. I even like those carmel apple suckers. Some day.

Alexis and her brother Ben are staying with us tonight on their way to a vacation in Seattle. They ordered pizza and they went to Dairy Queen. I avoided the pizza, but I had my own smoothie, so I wasn't envious of the DQ. Well, maybe a little.

We have more visitors due this week and I have five more days of radiation. I have to plead with them to do something about my tongue tomorrow because I can't take it if this gets worse.

I'm off to get more aloe. Whine, whine, whine, whine. Sorry.

Kiara