Taste Buds.....

The Radiation and Chemotherapy report is in. 


I will have radiation treatments once a day, five days a week for six and a half weeks. The chemo will be but a "chaser"  to the radiation and administered once a week. I start next Tuesday the 24th with a round of chemo and then have both treatments start in earnest on the following Tuesday the 31st - week 1 of 6.5 


Chemo: I will be taking the drug Erbitux which is a chimeric (human/heart) monoclonal antibody and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) given by intravenous infusion - wow, what a mouthful! Basically, because I tested positive for the Human Papillomaviras (HPV), I am eligible to take Erbitux. You may be asking yourself, "Self, is this good news?". Well Self, let me tell you that it is a good thing for Gary. The Erbitux has shown to be just as effective as the other chemo drugs, but with less side affects. So for me, right here, right now... less side affects is a great thing.

Radiation: I felt like a superhero when they fitted me for my radiation mask. It has a hard plastic frame around it, with a rubber membrane stretched across. It was dipped in hot water to make it pliable and then placed on my face and upper torso to form a mold/mask you see in the picture. They then took a CT scan that will be the basis for my radiation plan. I was so excited about the mask an asked it it was mine, like in mine to keep. They look at me a little weird and said yes. It reminded me of my brother when we were in college in the early 80's and he had an art class that required him to cast a bronze face. Well he needed a model so guess who got to volunteer? We were at my Aunt Chavela's house and he whipped up a batch of casting goop, oiled my face, put a couple of straws up my nose so that I could breath (nice of the artist, don't you think?) and proceeded to goop me up. It took few minutes  (like 20!) to set and presto, a bronze masterpiece!