Pain in Nick's A**: FIRE IN THE HOLE!!

Anyone who loves pickled jalapenos (when I say love I mean 1-2 pickled jalapenos per nacho chip for a good size serving of nachos or equivalent) like I do, has experienced a little of what I'm going through. I OD'd once on pickled jalapenos, not pleasant, not as bad as the night I OD'd on garlic (yes it's possible...oh is it possible)...but that's another story. Anyways, take the next day's pickled jalapeno bowel movement and multiply that by 10, then have the 10 slowly decline over the next 2-3 hours. That's about what a 5th week of radiation therapy to the rectal area, bowel movement feels like. Needless to say pickled jalapenos have not graced my dinner plate in some time, no need to add insult to injury.

I was prescribed what they call butt balm (Nystatin, Lidociane, Desitin in equal parts) to slather on like diaper rash cream (which I'm now a pro at with Oliver's sensitive booty skin). It seems to work OK. I will say that the saving grace has been the Cottonelle flush-able wipes, because wiping with dry TP these days feels like wiping with 60 grit sand paper.

All in all I'm still feeling pretty good. Met with the Radiation Oncologist on Monday and he said I'm their new model patient, as I'm still working and feeling pretty good. I guess the model patient prior to me was only able to handle working 3/4 of the way through treatment. I do have to say that part of me feeling so well has been my beautiful wife taking such good care of me. The symptoms prior to the start of treatment were pretty damn uncomfortable (basically feeling like you have to take a s**t (sorry couldn't bring myself to say bowel movement one more time) all day, then you do and the feeling comes back 10 mins later) and those are all but gone. So from a bowel comfort level I feel much better today than I did day one. More than anything I just feel super tired and sick from time to time, but that's pretty easy to contain.

One more trip under the radiation gun and 10 more chemo pills and Phase 1 is complete. Still a long road ahead, but looking forward to feeling somewhat normal over the Holidays.