Brian Krashpad

**pictoratus** · February 16th, 2011, 06:38 PM

Sounds like you're on the mend, Brian.

All the best.

**Ch0jin** · February 16th, 2011, 06:39 PM

Jeez man I missed all that too. Hope you have a speedy recovery

**Brian Krashpad** · February 16th, 2011, 07:05 PM

Thanks fellers. Here's a pic of coming home to Casa Krashpad after the last radiation therapy session, with the radiation mask that held me in place:

Here's one of my techs and the zapper they blasted my neck with:

marnold*** · February 16th, 2011, 07:20 PM

Sounds like the "fun" someone else I know went through with cancer of the jaw. What do you do if your mouth no longer produces saliva? Or is it only on one side?

**Brian Krashpad** · February 16th, 2011, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by marnold

Sounds like the "fun" someone else I know went through with cancer of the jaw. What do you do if your mouth no longer produces saliva? Or is it only on one side?

It's only on one side, also, some small part of the function of the destroyed one might come back. But basically it ain't gonna be right. At present it's pretty gross, all "ropey," for want of a better term. Too much mucosa content and not enough water content. I have some prescription stuff to help break it up, but it'll remain problematic methinks. Also, every night I have to put flouride in dental "trays" and soak my teeth in the flouride, uppers and lowers, for 5 minutes, in order to try to avoid cavities, and that'll continue forever. Because the radiation screws up the teeth and doing even small dental procedures is very problematic; something about having to do some sort of hyperbaric treatment or something, just to put in a filling. Ugh.

Beats a dirt nap though.

**bigoldron** · February 16th, 2011, 09:09 PM

Hey Brian, glad to hear you doing as good as you are. I haven't been on the Fret in a couple of weeks had not heard your recent happenings. Just know that we're praying the cancer is gone and you will heal completely. MAJOR Southwest Georgia MOJO is coming at ya, Bro!

FrankenFretter*** · February 16th, 2011, 09:18 PM

Hey Brian, sorry to get in on the mojo train a little late, but good thoughts and vibes sent your way from Oregon. Hopefully the worst is over now. We're all thinking about you, brother!

**Brian Krashpad** · February 16th, 2011, 09:47 PM

Thanks Sean and Ronnie Beth!

It's been a very interesting adventure to say the least. Just glad the surgery and treatment is all behind me now. Wish that the side effects from the treatment went away immediately, but unfortunately that's not how it works, haha.

Thank goodness I have lots of pain meds, because I can sure tell when a dose is wearing off. Right now I'm on a transdermal pain patch that's supposed to be for every 3 days, but I'm changing it (on doctor's orders) every two days instead (fentanyl 75 mCg), plus 10 mg of oxycontin pills every 4 hours, plus lidocaine/maalox mouth rinse every 2 hours. I literally keep a running list so I can keep track of all the dosages and coordinate them for doing the least work in re-dosing, and avoiding missed dosages or overdosages.

Who'da thunk staying doped up would take this much work?

**vroomery** · February 16th, 2011, 10:16 PM

I'll definitely keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I'm glad the worst is over now. It sure seems like you've been a beast through all of this.

As far as the pain meds...i would probably be tempted to just take more when it started hurting haha. I guess thats probably not a good idea though.

**Brian Krashpad** · February 16th, 2011, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by vroomery

I'll definitely keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I'm glad the worst is over now. It sure seems like you've been a beast through all of this.

As far as the pain meds...i would probably be tempted to just take more when it started hurting haha. I guess thats probably not a good idea though.

Thanks.

As best I can tell the docs are being very conservative with my dosages, though they have gone steadily up over the last 3-4 weeks. When I went into the chemo lab this last Monday for rehydration (saline water I.V.) and was having a bad day, I could tell my chemo nurse was kinda pissed about me still being in pain, because she basically got hold of the doc and lobbied for upping my dosages. I'd been doing 50 mCg pain patches, which was in turn up from the 25 I'd been doing previously, and by the end of it the doc had OK'd me combining them for 75 (by wearing 2 patches at once, one a 25 and one a 50).

Still there's the definite possibility of having a problem tapering off. I didn't have a problem doing so after the surgery , but then I was doing hydrocodone, not oxycodone like I am now.

Cross that bridge when I burn it down, I reckon.

**wingsdad** · February 16th, 2011, 11:29 PM

Brian, I've been following along, admiring your courage, resolve and your ever-present remarkable gift of humour, even in the face of such adversity that would bring most people, myself included, literally to their knees.

So while I'm late to pipe up, I nonetheless wish you the very, very best of outcomes ahead and a speedier than expected recovery.

mick
^^

**Brian Krashpad** · February 17th, 2011, 06:39 AM

Originally Posted by wingsdad

Brian, I've been following along, admiring your courage, resolve and your ever-present remarkable gift of humour, even in the face of such adversity that would bring most people, myself included, literally to their knees.

So while I'm late to pipe up, I nonetheless wish you the very, very best of outcomes ahead and a speedier than expected recovery.

mick
^^

Thanks Mick! Actually I am very fortunate and have a lot less to contend with than some people undergoing the same treatments. I'm younger and in better health than many such patients, plus I had plenty of weight so that a weight loss would not necessarily endanger my nutrition/health. Also I'm a non-smoker.

duhvoodooman*** · February 17th, 2011, 08:27 AM

Prayin' that the rough water is past for you now, Krash, and you've got smooth sailing ahead! Your optimism and good humor throughout this ordeal has been inspirational.

Tig*** · February 17th, 2011, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Brian Krashpad

Dude, call Men in Black, Ghostbusters, or Chuck Norris...
There's a ghost alien tryin' to steal your mail!

Robert**** · February 17th, 2011, 08:36 AM

Great to hear you are doing well. You are an inspiration.

**Katastrophe** · February 17th, 2011, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by Brian Krashpad

Cross that bridge when I burn it down...

I think that might be one hell of a song lyric right there....

**Brian Krashpad** · February 17th, 2011, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by Tig

Dude, call Men in Black, Ghostbusters, or Chuck Norris...
There's a ghost alien tryin' to steal your mail!

Haha, that made me laugh!

Every time I see that pic though, all I can see is what a wreck my front yard has become in the past few months.

Here's a better pic, albeit a stock shot, showing what the masks look like up close:

In the pic previously posted, of the zapper machine, you can see the black plastic headrest piece that the mask clamps onto. It holds your head in place very exactly so the dose goes just where it needs to go. I now have 2 very distinct "stripes" going down my face which very clearly delineate where the entry and exit radiation fields were. I'm told that these stripes will fade over time, which would be nice.

**Brian Krashpad** · February 17th, 2011, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Katastrophe

I think that might be one hell of a song lyric right there....

Haha, yeah I'll have to work it into my as-yet unwritten post-cancer masterpiece, "Pain In the Neck."

**tjcurtin1** · February 17th, 2011, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by Brian Krashpad

Haha, yeah I'll have to work it into my as-yet unwritten post-cancer masterpiece, "Pain In the Neck."

Brian, I can't believe that here you are in the midst of this cracking US up.... ! God Bless you, man - keep on keeping on!

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