Radiation Planning Appointment

Today was my radiation planning appointment.  Very interesting. 

The object is to get you positioned so that the radiation gets to the right place – and to make sure that you’ll be in precisely that same position for every treatment. 

To do this, they make a mold also called a cradle. Here’s a link to one brand of cradle.

Radiation Cradle

Once I was in the basic position, it was a matter of fine tuning – lots of minor adjustments until the technician thought she had it correct.  Then she called in the physicist who took a look and gave his approval. Next was setting the mold – a little more pushing and shoving to make sure my position would remain stable. She made X marks where the lasers were hitting.  One on each side and one on my chest.

Then the radiation oncologist came in and put little stickers all over.  These will show up on the CT scan.  My head was positioned so that I couldn’t see any of this. 

Then came the CT scan.  Didn’t take more than a couple of minutes. 

Once the scan is done, the technician removes all the stickers and proceeds to the tattoos..  At the center of each X she put a drop of dye and then stuck it with a tiny needle.  These will be the targets for the lasers when I have each treatment. Not exactly body art, but probably the closest I’ll come. 

They had me scheduled to start treatment next week, but that’s been postponed because I’ve been feeling really crappy lately.  Running a slight temperature, not able to eat much, and just no energy at all.  Had some blood tests yesterday to see if anything shows up.  I wonder if I haven’t just got myself into a self-perpetuating downward spiral.   Not eating is not good and leads to lack of energy, and all the other problems, etc.  So I’m trying to get some good food and plenty of fluids inside me to see if that makes a difference.  Would be nice if it was a simple as that. 

In the meantime, my head fuzz continues to grow very slowly.  I can actually feel it moving when it is windy. 

Taste buds are still AWOL.

 

 

 

Chemo done- waiting for radiation

Nine days after my final chemo treatment, I see some small progress.  My brain isn’t as fuzzy as it was; and I have actual little bursts of energy.  I think that I’m a tiny bit less of a slug than I was a couple of weeks ago.  Bad news is that there’s NO progress with my taste buds.  

 

A timely query from a cousin gave me a jump start back in my genealogy projects.  I was very into that for a couple of days, but then ran out of energy.  But I’ve got a good start on resuming the things I was working on before all this cancer stuff started.

I had a good meeting with my radiation oncologist.  Side effects from that should be limited to fatigue and skin damage similar to severe sunburn.  I’m so fair that I’ve had more than my share of severe sunburns so I know what it’s like to have blisters & peeling.  Next meeting is a planning meeting on March 18 to set up preparation and schedule.  I’ll get zapped every day Monday through Friday for 6 ½ weeks.  At least it’s only a 10 minute drive from home.

Hair continues to regrow slowly. Very slowly. But at least it’s there. 

With any luck, my brain will continue to clear and I’ll find my energy level increasing.  Come on taste buds!!!!!!

 

 

The Chemo Club

 

Nobody wants to join. We become members by circumstance –  like drawing the short straw. 

My chapter of the club gathers on Thursday mornings.  I’ve seen some of the same faces since I joined the club in October. Others have come in beginning their treatment; while others have left the group because they’ve finished treatment or their circumstances have changed. 

Like every club, we have a common bond. In this case its cancer. There’s a certain feeling in the room – a sense of compassion and camaraderie because of that bond.  It doesn’t matter that we probably are very different in every other way.  A few of them are clearly very ill, but others show no external signs of disease.  Some love to chat, some play computer games or read magazines or books. Occasionally someone will ask a person what kind of cancer is being treated; others may volunteer their condition, but I truly have no idea what cancer most of them have.  But it is clear from the smiles and the looks in everyone’s eyes that we are connected to one another. 

My final chemo treatment is coming up this week. I’m thrilled to be finally done. I’m really looking forward to having the chemo side effects going away.  But I’ll miss seeing the Thursday morning chemo club.  I’ll wonder how they’re doing and keep them in my prayers. 

I cannot end this post without adding praise for the staff at my treatment center. They’re all great.  Nurses, assistants, office staff.  I don’t have words to express my appreciation for their work, their compassion and their dedication.  Angels, all of them.

 

 

 

Almost done with chemo

 

Taxol #10 yesterday.  Two more to go. White Blood Cell count was low so I go back this afternoon for a Neupogen shot. 

Benadryl sleepiness wore off by late afternoon to be replaced by the steroid high. Took an Ativan (Lorazipam) before bed to help get to sleep.  I’m sure glad that I don’t need to take that stuff regularly – it can be very nasty stuff. 

The steroid high will wear off late today or early tomorrow and then I’ll crash.  I take fewer steroids with Taxol than I did with the A/C so the crash is shorter but it still feels like getting hit by a train. Naps are the answer. 

Although the drug effects are cumulative, my side effects are still very minor. Some distressed nails but none have come off.  Occasional tingling in fingers. Occasional bone pain in knees ankle and toes but nothing serious. 

The fuzz on my head is becoming more noticeable but only if you look hard.  I’m still a baldy – but a fuzzy baldy.

 

 

 

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel

 

Had Taxol #9 yesterday.  Still going well.  Minor side effects still include fatigue, no taste buds, fuzzy brain, some digestive issues, some fingernail issues, minor bone pain and some tingling in the hands. 

The only one of them of any concern is the tingling.  Hoping it doesn’t develop into neuropathy which may be the only side effect that won’t reverse itself. 

I’m ready to be finished with this.  I know it will take a while for the effects to diminish but I’m hopeful that by mid march I’ll be able to taste food again.  I really miss my taste buds. 

Of course the following radiation treatments will have another set of side effects.  Oh, well. 

I thought I’d get started on taxes, but that hasn’t happened yet.  Requires too much thinking.

Thinking is not my strong point these days.  On the breastcancer.org site there’s a thread about vanity.  All participants talk about matters of appearance.  My vanity issue has to do with my mental abilities.  I hate being so fuzzy.  I find that I can’t read some of my favorite authors because their stories are too complex.  Very frustrating. 

Despite my whining about minor issues, things are going very well. 

I’m fascinated by the fuzz on my head.  I keep touching it so often that I’m afraid I’ll rub it off. Grow, hair, grow!

Only 3 more chemo treatments to go.!

News Flash!!

My hair is growing!  Film at 11. 

Well, no film at 11 or any other time, but hair is returning to my head.  I use a magnifying mirror to put on my eyebrows; and this morning I noticed teeny tiny fuzz beginning to show on my scalp.

 Yippee!!!!!

 

 

 

Taking my life back...in baby steps...maybe

 

My current chemo drug, Taxol, is much easier than the previous drug cocktail.  Easier side effects.  And even though I’m still coughing, I’m pretty much over the awful cold I had starting the new year. So I was feeling pretty good and decided that it’s time to start getting back to normal. 

First step was attending the January meeting of the Indian River Genealogy Society.  We don’t meet over the summer because so many members are snow birds; and many of the permanent residents travel to escape the Florida summer. But I’d missed every meeting since they resumed in September. It felt good to be back seeing familiar faces and a bunch of new ones, too.  The speaker gave an excellent presentation and I was inspired to get back to digging up dead relatives. 

Then I had my weekly chemo a couple of days later and my new reality came back.  There’s a new normal that has replaced the old normal.  It will definitely be baby steps taking my life back. 

I hadn’t been on Ancestry.com for a long time so I went back to check on al the hints that have accumulated over the past several months. (Those little leaves they show you in their TV ads)  That was on Friday – day after chemo.  I couldn’t do it.  My brain was just too fuzzy and I couldn’t concentrate at all. Very frustrating. I tried again on Saturday but made little progress.  Finally on Sunday, I was able to review many of the hints and add a few facts to some people on my trees. But I stuck to the simple ones and left the more complex ones for later. 

My new normal is that I’m pretty much ok on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday is chemo day so that’s a complete loss. Friday and Saturday are days for not trying to think too much, reading light stuff, and playing easy computer games. Sunday is not bad.   I’m not taking two naps a day anymore and some days don’t take a nap at all.  

This is progress. 

Only 7 more weeks of chemo.