Radiation 2 of 3 completed! Tomorrow will be the last day.
I woke up with severe swelling in the lymph nodes of the front of my neck. No other new or worsening symptoms suggestive of an upper respiratory infection, but scary, nonetheless. It’s been tender to the touch, hurts to move my head any which way since the skin pulls, and there’s a constant burning sensation in the area. I wasn’t able to get an answer for potential causes until meeting with the radiation oncologist this afternoon. She showed me the treatment images, and the submandibular glands do get a low dose of radiation, so they are likely angry right now. Mystery solved, but symptoms will worsen with each treatment 😩 I sure hope they get better quickly!
I’m also starting to experience some throat irritation, dry mouth, and just general worsening of neck pain and neuro symptoms (denser numbness, increased tingling, burning, pain, etc).
Overall, just feeling pretty crummy. So sick of my body getting beat up and not being able to heal and recover in the ways I want and need. Hoping for some better sleep tonight, and manageable symptoms going forward… Seems sad to have such a low bar. I’d love to feel fantastic and healthy and vibrant! 🙏 and be cancer free!
Welcome! Thank you for being here! My name is Lauren Doyle. My husband and I have been married since 2013, and together since 2011. We have 2 wonderful kids and live in the Twin Cities suburbs. I have both a Master’s and a Doctorate and am a board-certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. I also have the student loans to prove it.
In 2019 our lives were turned upside down. Our daughter was born with a serious heart defect that required open heart surgery when she was just 5 days old. A couple weeks after her birth (while she was still in the hospital), I found a mass in my abdomen which required major emergency surgery to remove. At first, we were told it was just a fibroid; we learned about a week later that the mass was a rare and aggressive type of cancer – leiomyosarcoma. Through multiple surgeries and chemo, I have come out the other side, changed in many ways. I am now considered Stage IV, with a chemo-induced heart condition, and struggle with several other severe side effects from treatments.
I continue to work and live and love as best as I can. I will not claim to have all the answers about anything, but I can tell you I have learned a LOT in my 35+ years of life thus far. My passion has always been helping and educating people in whatever ways possible. I am hoping this blog will allow me to do that for a broader population beyond the patients I see at work, share my unique journey, and help keep friends and family in the loop along the way.
Thank you again for being here.
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Lauren MG Doyle 