Just a minor update folks!!
I went for radiation yesterday but it was finalizing mapping, not actual radiation treatment. That will begin today.
So not on my Top 10 List of favorite things to do - lying still on a hard metal table in an uncomfortable position would be right up there.
Part of the problem is the whole lying STILL. My head is facing upwards towards the left, both arms are up over my head, the "mold" which was made to help me stay in correct position is not what one would call soft and comfy. Did I mention the table was hard, unyielding metal????
The amusing part of all of this, however, is I felt like I was in some science fiction futuristic alternative universe. Here is this big machine raising me up, moving around me, coming close CLOSE to me, moving back from me, making noises, changing lights, and this is not yet the real deal. Hmm...
They (my royal Radiation Attendants) were working on making sure all the measurements are accurate, entered into the computer accurately and I am sufficiently marked for good templates to be made with which I will then have radiation applied to only the place where it is deemed necessary and such.
To do this, I got more, and more, and more mapping marks. I am now a veritable cool spectrum only rainbow. In addition to the lovely blue marks I already had been mapped with, I now have a rich, royal, and luxurious purple, a turquoise green and then whatever colors result from when these colors overlay each other.
Today I will find out what the "templates" hold in store for me. Then I will go see "Harry Potter, The Deathly Hallows, part 2" - which I have already seen, but my younger son has not and is MOST anxious to see.
So now I will sally forth to don my sleeve ( I have yet to pick up the gauntlet which IS now in stock at the Gauntlet Store) and do all the other things necessary to my daily activities.
The XRT begins...
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Throwing Down the Gauntlet
Tomorrow I have Herceptin infusion. It will have been THREE WEEKS since my last one. YAY me!! I am enjoying not having to go every week. I am feeling a LITTLE anxious about going tomorrow, but nothing near that "Thursday Phobia" I had when I was undergoing the chemo cocktail and the weekly infusion of H. Very happy to not be afraid of any day.
Dr. Newman, my radiation oncologist, had referred me to a Lymphedema specialist, therapist. She has like this 10 week waiting list!! However, I got a call yesterday that she had had a cancellation, could I come in Wednesday at 9 am? You bet!! So Ruben -- my faithful sidekick -- and I went there this AM. She was quite nice and we had some fun with her and I was prescribed a compression sleeve and a gauntlet. (Thus the name of the post. After all, don't you just love that - a gauntlet, I do.) I have some new and exciting information to process, some new procedures to manage lymphedema, which, admittedly, I have really NOT had much of a problem with, but which will likely be exacerbated by radiation and I now am equipped to deal with it for life.
Unfortunately, when I went to pick up the sleeve and gauntlet they only had the sleeve I need in stock. I'll have to wait a while for them to get the gauntlet in stock.
Okay, it's probably just me - this whole delight in having a "gauntlet" - it's the romance of such an old word, don't you know. Can you not see me in "lady of the manor" clothing with absolutely Robin Hood clothing??? Only clean. With indoor plumbing, central heat and air, all the modern amenities...
My hair is definitely coming in!!! I can see color now where before it was like baby fuzz, and it definitely is growing. The upside of having no hair - I haven't had to shampoo, condition, or even comb my hair AT ALL for months now. Plus - the bonus of it is much cooler!!!
At the lymphedema therapist's this morning it was really quite warm. I was able to take off my hat and headband and feel a bit cooler. Ruben and Marilyn had to keep their hair on. Well, you better find humor where you can, people!!!
I am actually feeling really quite good!! I can taste again, I am actually hungry again as opposed to merely obsessed with the idea of food, I do get fatigued, but - oh well!
I am so blessed, so grateful for the blessings and I am happy to greet each day.
I wish the same for each of you - only without having to go through this mess!!!!
Dr. Newman, my radiation oncologist, had referred me to a Lymphedema specialist, therapist. She has like this 10 week waiting list!! However, I got a call yesterday that she had had a cancellation, could I come in Wednesday at 9 am? You bet!! So Ruben -- my faithful sidekick -- and I went there this AM. She was quite nice and we had some fun with her and I was prescribed a compression sleeve and a gauntlet. (Thus the name of the post. After all, don't you just love that - a gauntlet, I do.) I have some new and exciting information to process, some new procedures to manage lymphedema, which, admittedly, I have really NOT had much of a problem with, but which will likely be exacerbated by radiation and I now am equipped to deal with it for life.
Unfortunately, when I went to pick up the sleeve and gauntlet they only had the sleeve I need in stock. I'll have to wait a while for them to get the gauntlet in stock.
Okay, it's probably just me - this whole delight in having a "gauntlet" - it's the romance of such an old word, don't you know. Can you not see me in "lady of the manor" clothing with absolutely Robin Hood clothing??? Only clean. With indoor plumbing, central heat and air, all the modern amenities...
My hair is definitely coming in!!! I can see color now where before it was like baby fuzz, and it definitely is growing. The upside of having no hair - I haven't had to shampoo, condition, or even comb my hair AT ALL for months now. Plus - the bonus of it is much cooler!!!
At the lymphedema therapist's this morning it was really quite warm. I was able to take off my hat and headband and feel a bit cooler. Ruben and Marilyn had to keep their hair on. Well, you better find humor where you can, people!!!
I am actually feeling really quite good!! I can taste again, I am actually hungry again as opposed to merely obsessed with the idea of food, I do get fatigued, but - oh well!
I am so blessed, so grateful for the blessings and I am happy to greet each day.
I wish the same for each of you - only without having to go through this mess!!!!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A New Map of the World
well, sort of....
My life has been dictated by medical issues this entire year. Just the fact. So last week we took a much needed break and took a short trip to New Orleans to visit my uncle and aunt.
They were so cute - they were worried that Ruben and I were probably "bored hanging out with the old folks." We actually had a very nice visit and we had fun. They are interesting, funny, kind people. My uncle at 83 is really a very good driver. Does that sound scary? To have an 83 year old drive you around and into N.O. proper? Well, take a deep, calming breath people!! He is seriously an alert driver with very good reflexes and consciousness of other driver and their foibles.
We visited the World War II museum, we went antiquing (oh, I found a FABULOUS hat that my sweet husband bought for me), we went to the Abita Springs Brewery, we visited my 2 cousins, we ate like kings and queens and we R-E-L-A-X-E-D!!!
It was great. I really needed to just get away and unwind for a bit. And we laughed a lot. I must tell you, Ruben is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan and my little firecracker aunt Jo is totally ready to poke fun at him for that. We were talking Saturday morning (after {who dat?} the Saints kicked butt in their first pre-season game) and she casually mentioned that, yes, The Saints had played pretty well and had a good margin of victory unlike the Cowboys who just eked by the Broncos. I started laughing immediately and it took Ruben just a moment to realize he had been dissed. He cracked up too. As much as he dishes out, he is certainly able to take it. He just had not expected aunt Jo to dish on him... very funny, indeed.
Before we left last week, I had an appointment with my Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Newman. We both liked her very much. She is personable (which always helps) and very thorough. After she came in and spoke to me she asked me if I had any questions. She was SO thorough, though, that she had addressed any questions I had at that time. I did reserve the right to come up with more - you don't know what you don't know until you find out you didn't know something.....
She did advise me that I am healthier than most of the people who work in the building! Once I start taking the tamoxifen or WHATEVER pill I will have to take the rest of my life that will be my only prescription! Go Melanie!!
So - we had set up an appointment, which I had yesterday, for "mapping." I am now mapped and marked. In a teal blue. No tattoos (yay!!), just permanent marker - which WILL fade away and have to be re-marked. And I have my own personalized "form" which will hold me in the proper position for radiation.
They wanted to start me next Thursday. Uh-oh. I have a Herceptin infusion that day. At 10:30, which was when they wanted me to begin radiation, and the infusion will take about 3 hours. So Radiation will begin the following week. I will go on Monday for a "dry run" and to talk to Dr. Newman, then Tuesday will be the first of the "real deal" appointments and I will be able to set up appointment times. I should have no problem setting them for my convenience. The people I met yesterday, Sam (what a cutie he was) and Brandy were very nice.
The radiation treatment proper will take only a few minutes. However - I will have 6 1/2 weeks - or 28 (or more if necessary) of radiation. Monday through Friday. I'll just have to plan what I will come in to town to do in addition to radiation since you just don't go all the way in to town for just one thing when you live out as far as we do, not with gas as pricey as it is!! And besides which, it will take longer to get there than the appointment will take!!!
I can expect to get fatigued (nothing new there compared to chemo!) and possibly burned, but all in all - this will be a cake walk compared to chemo. I say that now! Really, I do know it will not be anything like this first part has been, and I am happy as a clam to not be in a box, you know???
So - my journey continues, and I am quite happy to say so!!
My life has been dictated by medical issues this entire year. Just the fact. So last week we took a much needed break and took a short trip to New Orleans to visit my uncle and aunt.
They were so cute - they were worried that Ruben and I were probably "bored hanging out with the old folks." We actually had a very nice visit and we had fun. They are interesting, funny, kind people. My uncle at 83 is really a very good driver. Does that sound scary? To have an 83 year old drive you around and into N.O. proper? Well, take a deep, calming breath people!! He is seriously an alert driver with very good reflexes and consciousness of other driver and their foibles.
We visited the World War II museum, we went antiquing (oh, I found a FABULOUS hat that my sweet husband bought for me), we went to the Abita Springs Brewery, we visited my 2 cousins, we ate like kings and queens and we R-E-L-A-X-E-D!!!
It was great. I really needed to just get away and unwind for a bit. And we laughed a lot. I must tell you, Ruben is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan and my little firecracker aunt Jo is totally ready to poke fun at him for that. We were talking Saturday morning (after {who dat?} the Saints kicked butt in their first pre-season game) and she casually mentioned that, yes, The Saints had played pretty well and had a good margin of victory unlike the Cowboys who just eked by the Broncos. I started laughing immediately and it took Ruben just a moment to realize he had been dissed. He cracked up too. As much as he dishes out, he is certainly able to take it. He just had not expected aunt Jo to dish on him... very funny, indeed.
Before we left last week, I had an appointment with my Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Newman. We both liked her very much. She is personable (which always helps) and very thorough. After she came in and spoke to me she asked me if I had any questions. She was SO thorough, though, that she had addressed any questions I had at that time. I did reserve the right to come up with more - you don't know what you don't know until you find out you didn't know something.....
She did advise me that I am healthier than most of the people who work in the building! Once I start taking the tamoxifen or WHATEVER pill I will have to take the rest of my life that will be my only prescription! Go Melanie!!
So - we had set up an appointment, which I had yesterday, for "mapping." I am now mapped and marked. In a teal blue. No tattoos (yay!!), just permanent marker - which WILL fade away and have to be re-marked. And I have my own personalized "form" which will hold me in the proper position for radiation.
They wanted to start me next Thursday. Uh-oh. I have a Herceptin infusion that day. At 10:30, which was when they wanted me to begin radiation, and the infusion will take about 3 hours. So Radiation will begin the following week. I will go on Monday for a "dry run" and to talk to Dr. Newman, then Tuesday will be the first of the "real deal" appointments and I will be able to set up appointment times. I should have no problem setting them for my convenience. The people I met yesterday, Sam (what a cutie he was) and Brandy were very nice.
The radiation treatment proper will take only a few minutes. However - I will have 6 1/2 weeks - or 28 (or more if necessary) of radiation. Monday through Friday. I'll just have to plan what I will come in to town to do in addition to radiation since you just don't go all the way in to town for just one thing when you live out as far as we do, not with gas as pricey as it is!! And besides which, it will take longer to get there than the appointment will take!!!
I can expect to get fatigued (nothing new there compared to chemo!) and possibly burned, but all in all - this will be a cake walk compared to chemo. I say that now! Really, I do know it will not be anything like this first part has been, and I am happy as a clam to not be in a box, you know???
So - my journey continues, and I am quite happy to say so!!
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