long time no update.

Long time no update. I have not had a lot of news, so I have not written much. Now I have some good news which is that the thing on the side of my neck is no longer palpable!
Doctor news: I went to the ENT today to get an understanding of my voice. He explained that my polyp healed fine, that was on the left side. On the right side, my vocal cord is weak. This is not the side that the nerve goes down into the chest and is parallel with the pulmonary artery. That means that the nerve from the vocal cord was damaged another way. I have mucositis from the chemo, so that can be a partial contributor to it. I also had radiation on that side, so that could also contribute to the weak vocal cord. (Oncologist says that it is a good possibility). I am learning a lot about my voice just over the last couple of days. I understand now how to relax my voice so that I get my ‘Thelma’ voice (Marge Simpson’s sister on the Simpsons). I think this is my natural voice and the higher voice is a strained voice. I am going to practice being Thelma and I think over time with some other relaxation techniques, I will get more voice, slowly.
So from all of this, it is good news that the cancer is not directly effecting my voice because anything that the cancer directly effects, is not good. I am glad I went back and got more answers, even if it meant that nasty scope….
My energy has fluctuated a bunch. I just finished a big upswing, today I am tired, but not grumpy. My diet has gone out the window and is a moving target, so don’t even try to please me. The things that I am strict about are milk, red meat, and fresh fruit. I am working on my mucus membranes so I can get that fruit back in. My gut is much much better than it was even a week ago. (whew) The gut is a big deal in this because it is how my body can stay strong.
We have been having house guest fun. Jan, my Aunt, just left yesterday after doing her garden magic to our front yard. This afternoon Andy and I planted 60 someodd plants that Jan helped us pick out and then placed yesterday before she left.
Today is also a big day because Ze’ev just went to overnight camp for the first time. He is gone for 2 weeks with a friend. I miss him already.

Love lot you all
Rebecca