Belated Update - I Gotta Wear Shades!

Wow! It's been a month since I put pen to paper.

Quick update.  I'm much improved, starting work at Craigburn next week - two days a week.  I will be all clear to start at the hire the week after.

I find out mid September whether they destroyed it all or not.

I had my PEG tube removed last week, so that is a big step toward my new normal.

I'm getting down to the business send of my recovery, where we start to get an idea of what symptoms will be part of my 'new' normal - e.g. life-long.  It's funny because when these possible chronic symptoms were explained early on, in the context of death looming, they were so insignificant.  As you jump the hurdles and the darkness is behind you a bit, these once insignificant symptoms start obscuring the light at the end of the tunnel, just a bit.

The remaining symptoms are:

Tinnitus: This is constant, but pretty low level and I would trade keeping this forever to lose a few other symptoms, if that's the way this game was played.  I've been in bands to some extend most of my life, so I should have tinnitus anyway.  Plus there was that Eskimo Joe concert - sorry in joke for the Cheeseworld fans.

Taste: This has come back to 80% I reckon.  If it doesn't get better, I could live with it.  I have enjoyed meals in the last fortnight, which I thought I might never do again and I can drink, and enjoy beer now.  Still nor getting that really sweet sensation of fruit or desserts - meh!

Mouth Dryness: Probably one of the concerning symptoms.  You do hear of people who never recover full salivary function.  I spend a fair bit of my day with 'desert mouth', which makes eating dry food, such as sandwiches really difficult and affects my voice.  I will probably not be able to maintain 15 minute monologues, which will be both a welcome relief to my students, but also a disappointment as we may stay on course for the day.  The dryness causes some stertorous noises in the night and maybe also because of my neck swelling, some sleep apnoea. This symptom also has a more serious side as it causes dental complications into the future.  I have re-started the acupuncture to stimulate the salivary glands, so I look forward to getting over this one.

Weight-loss:  I lost about 10kg in the end, getting down to about 65kg.  I put on about 5kg which allowed me to have my PEG removed.  I have not been able to break the 71kg mark for about a month.  I assume the immune system is still cranking up my metabolism.  Hopefully that winds down over next few weeks and I can get back to my 75kg 'rig'.  My appetite is still not back to normal.  I have some nausea and never really find myself feeling hungry.

Throat Pain: This is nearly gone, but just lingers in one area and fires up with certain foods.  Tomato or capsicum based meals. Some spice heat causes issues with my throat.  Generally though  it is pretty good.

Neck Swelling: This one is purely about vanity.  My lymph system has been annihilated around my neck region, so there is poor drainage of the interstitial fluid, leaving me with a swollen neck and jaw area.  So whilst I am 5kg below my normal weight, my face looks like I've been grazing in a good paddock.  When you add the fact that I have no facial hair below my ear line, and am left with just a stubble shadow moustache, it all comes together to create a pretty special look.  But as I said, this issue is all about vanity, so no sympathy from Carly Simon for this one!  I am doing lymph drainage massage to try and re-establish the flow before it becomes a chronic issue.

I think that's it for my symptoms.

I have been keeping busy, doing some work around the house, trying to weld, doing some paperwork for Alison's growing business and for Blackwood hire, and starting to hover around the teaching team to get my pedagogical mojo going again.

So all in all - 'I gotta wear shades!'