Sunday, April 13, 2008

Radiation




I finished my first week of radiation last week. It was brutal. I got super nauseas and had to stay home from work on Wednesday. Then Keoki told me he was taking the boys camping and I thought I was going to have my first 2 day weekend alone and it would be wonderful. I was wrong. On Saturday I started to feel a bit funny and ended up having the flu. It was really the flu this time not another tumor…just kidding. So I was home alone and super sick. I didn’t have Keoki there to baby me. I was miserable. I was so bad that I had to stay home from work this week on Wednesday and Thursday. I also had to postpone my radiation treatments on Thursday and Friday. We’ll see if I can continue on Monday.

I know I was going on about how alone radiation makes you feel and it still is but I like my radiation techs and although radiation is the most boring treatment because you have to lay there and not move I get to take little naps. That’s how I make the time go faster. They lay me down on this hard slab and yell out numbers and start to pull and tug and my body to position me right. Then I go in for the first part. I get sucked into this hole and slowly my body gets scanned. Then after about 10 minutes I pushed out to wait for my doctor to look at my scan and make necessary adjustment. I get adjusted and then back into the machine I go for my treatment. You know the radiation is going on because the “Tomo” (what my techs call it) machine makes like a horse galloping sound. I hear it coming and going. It took me a few treatments to realize I was slowly moving backward. Then it seems like you hit the end because you feel a slight jerk and the “Tomo” spits you out. Laying on that hard slab for that long makes my whole body hurt. You feel stiff trying to get off of it. I can’t wait for this part to be over. I’m excited to see my oncologist after we’re all done to hopefully have him say “ok..Nothing on your scans”. That is going to be so sweet.

I’m actually very lucky to be using the “Tomo”. My Dr. had mapped out plans and how surrounding organs will get affected by the radiation with the “Tomo” and with traditional radiation. Let’s just say I’d be getting way more radiation to other vital organs resulting in permanent damage than what I’m doing now. Thank goodness my insurance covered this radiation treatment.

Oh and my hair is slowly starting to grow back. I know it’ll be a while before I have long hair again but I can’t wait to be able to make a bun or even a ponytail. I will never complain about my own hair. I’m so over wearing my wig but still do it to avoid looks in public. I’ll go au natural at home or with family though. I no kea wit dem..lol

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Overwhelmed - that's how I feel when I read the comments from family members and your many, many friends - their show of moral support and just "being there" for you, moves me to tears. Then, as I view the picture of that intimidating radiation machine it scares me and I can only imagine how it feels to actually be in it!!! But, from day 1 when they discovered this growth, what I saw emerge was a very Brave Woman - much braver than I ever could be. You taught us something from that day: that we have to take on a Positive Attitude, gather all the "ammo (the BEST doctors, nurses, chemo/radiation treatment and family & friends)" and prepare to battle this "ugly beast" with everything we got. Then before we knew it, the 12 wks of chemo were over and you're on to a new phase of "battle": radiation. Thru it all you've remained positive and inspired so many others to overcome similar hardships just by talking with them in the waiting room and in your blog. I'm really proud of you and I'm sure everyone is also..
I Love You,
Yoor Mahder, YMBM

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