WAITING FOR THE OTHER SHOE TO FALL Today I started my fourth week of radiation and still no skin side effects. I'm trying to let myself enjoy it without thinking about how bad "it's going to get". I'm just feeling so much better since chemo it's hard for me to accept it. Last week the doctor offered some encouragement when he said, "If you haven't had any discomfort yet, it probably won't be bad". Whew. I might catch a break! My hair is still growing but much slower than I want it to. I've been taking biotin (B7 vitamin) to stimulate hair and nail growth. I don't know what it would look like without it, but I don't want to stop to find out. I really just want it to grow-grow-grow! I stopped wearing hats every day because I noticed my hair breaking where my bangs would be. It didn't seem like people were looking at me as much so I asked Grace if she noticed it as well and she had. I feel much more confident with
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LEARNING A LESSON I finished my second week of radiation yesterday. Aside from my normal fatigue (normal for the last 5 months) I haven't had any side effects. The neuropathy still bothers me but I don't think it is as often (knock on wood). A book I can borrow from my sister Angie. :-) Work has been crazy. First just because it always is, and second because I've allowed myself back in the circus. Contrary to the compliments I have received saying how surprised they have been that I have continued to stay engaged at work, I really didn't. I skimmed the surface, just oiling the squeakiest wheel and putting out fires (my opinion of course). My projects were in a holding pattern and now I'm feeling the effects. People want results now and I am months behind on all the "behind the scenes work" it takes to start showing it. I'm told it is OK by management closest to me, but I can't make myself not care no matter how hard I try. Chemo he
STARTING RADIATION I finished my first week of radiation - 5 treatments down and just 28 to go! A week ago Friday I went in to have a CAT scan and get marked up by the doctor. I thought I would get small tattoos to mark the place where the machine would be lined up, but they used a Sharpie instead. The doctor laid it out by pressing on my chest and collar bone. The process was pretty quick and painless. The following Monday (6 days ago) I went in for my first treatment. I arrived and had to wait for the techs and the doctor to finish their planning session. They reviewed the CAT scan results and other points in my medical record to lay out how much juice they would give me and at what angles etc. I was led back into the room where the CAT scan was done and was told they would be taking some additional pictures first. They left the room and the machine got to work. About 5 minutes later they came in to tell me they were done. I was ready to move on to the radiation treat
BACK FROM VACATION / BACK TO THIS FIGHT Back from Vacation... We arrived home from our vacation yesterday afternoon, took it easy in the evening, and then headed back to work today. We had a gre at time and Jeff and I both got a nice tan head!! Like I mentioned in my last blog, I sp ent a lot of time without a hat. They were hot and uncomfortable on the beach and since I was surrounded by strangers I felt more comfortable. By the end of the vacation I was forgetting to wear it. On the way home we ran into a restaurant for lunch and it wasn't until Grace pointed it out to me that I realized I wasn't wearing one. Back to this Fight... Chemo ended on June 12 th and I am ready to start the final stretch of this race, radiation. I met the radiation oncologist today and learned more about the process and side effects. I guess if you hadn’t gone through chemo you might be bothered by the side effects. For me though they are much less than what I have been exp