DAY 155 - Day 58 in Recovery Paradise

I have some good news to report. I went to my ENT specialist today for my first checkup since she diagnosed me with tonsil cancer 155 days ago. After her exam today, she said that I look really clean and that there was no sign of cancer. I now have to go back in two months and do regular checkups for the next five years. Somewhere down the road, I will have another PET scan to make sure the cancer hasn't come back. As you can imagine, we are all very relieved here in this house. My thanks go out to all of you who read this and have been kind enough to send me words of encouragement.

I had bean soup for dinner tonight and a bit of ice cream afterward to celebrate. I'm still waiting for that cheeseburger, however.

Song of the Day: Jimmy Buffett - Cheeseburger in Paradise

DAY 153 - Day 56 in Recovery Paradise

I'm feeling a bit better today. My sore throat is almost gone, and the little gag reflex thing doesn't seem to be there. It's been there for months. I woke up this morning and it was gone. I still have dry mouth and upset stomach. I had five single-can meals, 1500 calories today. My stomach is just a little bit upset.

I managed to list four things on Craigslist, hopefully to get rid of some things in the garage. I also did some work for my job today.

Song of the Day: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

DAY 152 - Day 55 in Recovery Paradise

A bit improved today. My stomach is still sore. My mouth is very dry. My mucus is a dry foam. I took a couple of naps and did a little bit of work for my job. I'm still planning on going back to work part time in the near future, but I do need to get over this stomach issue first. I had two double meals today, so my calories are still in decent shape. I must say, I'm getting very tired of feeling bad. But the good news is that while my mouth is dry, it has no sores. I'm able to talk without sores rubbing on my tongue.

I made ham sandwiches and salad for dinner tonight. Sarah had four ham sandwiches. She surprises me how much food she can put away sometimes. The local TV station came to her school today to interview her class about a class project making a "Recycle City." She is the second kid who was interviewed by the TV reporter. Here's a link. She now thinks she's a TV celebrity.

Song of the Day: Dion & the Belmonts - Teenager in Love

DAY 151 - Day 54 in Recovery Paradise

My mouth is very dry. The upside of a dry mouth is that there is not very much mucus. My throat is still a little sore. I still have acid reflux pain in my stomach. I tried some oatmeal this morning. The first half came back up in a few minutes. The second half stayed down. I drank one Ensure, except for a few sips. Later in the day I tried the few sips and it came right back up. I had other meals today. Total calories for the day: 1,655.

My daughter Sarah is going to be in The Nutcracker. They had their official photos in their costumes today. She looks very cute. This is her fifth year. The local production uses over 500 kids in different casts--about 100 per show. The parents have an opportunity to take snapshots for the few moments they are in their costumes. This year Sarah plays the part of a child in the street scene before the curtain rises for the first act.

Song of the Day: The Nutcracker Suite - Dance of the Reed Flutes

DAY 150 - Day 53 in Recovery Paradise

My stomach is upset, throat sore, lump in throat to swallow around. Only had two meals today. Not much changed.

We went to the ballet tonight. I was glad I was able to make it. It was fun; nice to get out of the house. The worry was that I would get sick at the ballet, but I didn't. However, I got a big set of dry heaves within a half-hour after coming home. I will try to get some thin oatmeal down tomorrow morning.

I got some good news this evening. My youngest son, Dustin, has been accepted into Sac State University and will transfer in January.

Song of the Day: Loggins & Messina - Your Mama Don't Dance