Now she's had her first treatment with "Keytruda", the checkpoint inhibitor drug. The effects of radiation mostly waited to show up after the radiation itself was done. Mom is getting impatient with all the "You will feel worse before you feel better". She wants to start the "feeling better" part now! The tumor is shrinking, and the drainage is slowing, but the pain has kicked up a notch. Long. Slow. Slog.
We finally get a break from the daily shuttling back and forth to and from St. Louis. The tumor is shrinking like mad, but the burn effects from the radiation make up for that. Basically, the skin on the outside looks like the usual red color inside the mouth, while the inside of the mouth is pale as the skin outside usually is. If anyone has seen the white area that develops when they accidentally bite their lip, basically mom's whole mouth looks like that inside, except for the tongue. Today, it looks like I'll finally have time to take a machete to the jungle overgrowth that is my lawn, currently... They may have to send search parties in after me... Dr. Goofus-ston, I presume?
