The Sim

On Monday I went to the Cancer Center for a "sim", or simulation, to get set up for radiation treatments.  The procedure is simple, at least from the patient perspective, but lengthy: first, I had get photographed.  The tech, Kristin, told me they take head shots so that the Cancer Center staff can be familiar with the patients when they come in. Next, I was taken to a dressing room to change from my shirt into a hospital gown, (I was able to keep my jeans and shoes on), then I was off to a large room with a CT scanner.  Kristin had me remove my gown and lay on a table with a bumper under my knees.  She wrapped a band around my feet to keep me from crossing my ankles during the procedure.  Then, she fitted a pillow sized bean bag under my head and shoulders while I lay with my arms over my head.  Kristin used a vacuum to suck all the air out of the bean bag, which formed the pillow to my body position.  The radiologists will use this pillow to ensure I'm in the same position each time I have a treatment.

Next, Kristin made some marks on my chest with a Crayola marker.  She added some funky stickers and wire thingies, then the radiologist came in and doodled a bit more.  As they moved around I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing and trying to stay calm.  When I opened my eyes Kristin was gone and a young guy was standing there.  He introduced himself as Charlie, and then Kristin came back and they sent me into the CT scanner.

The scans themselves were very brief, maybe five minutes all together.  Charlie told me they took two quick scans and one long one.  I only noticed the machine moving twice.  I wasn't supposed to move at all, but I could see out the back of the scanner while I was in there - much better than an MRI.  After the first set of scans Kristin and Charlie and another woman put a band around my ribs with a small light board attached.  The lights hung over my head and measured my breathing as I was scanned again.  There were two red lights in the middle and a strip of green lights going out from the top and bottom of the red lights.  The goal is to take a deep breath, making the red lights come on, then, while holding the deep breath, take shallow breaths while the scanner took another set of pictures.  You want to keep the breaths shallow enough that the green lights don't turn on.  I've been practicing, and I had a couple breaths that never went to the green, but I had a hard time maintaining that as the scan progressed.  They said I did well, and that it would get easier as I progressed through the treatment.

After the CT scans, Charlie pulled off all the stickers and gave me a set of four tiny blue tattoos.  The radiologist will use the tattoos to line up my body for each treatment.  Each tattoo was just one needle stick, and except for the top one, right between the girls, I probably won't notice them.  The one between the girls is high enough to be clearly visible above my shirt.  If it bothers me, meh, I have some great concealer.  It's a small price to pay to (hopefully) cure me of cancer.

After Charlie finished his graffiti, I got dressed and took a tour of the radiation treatment area.  Charlie and I  sat down and went over the side effects while Kristin scheduled my entire course of thirty three treatments.  All told, my appointment was just under two hours.  The treatments will start in a couple days.  Each treatment will be ten to fifteen minutes, and I'll have to come into the Cancer Center each weekday.  If all goes well, I'll take my last treatment just before Christmas.

I have very sensitive skin, which could cause some trouble down the line.  When Charlie removed the boob stickers, I warned him that I would probably have welts.  Still, when he saw the bright red, raised marks, he commented on them.  I think his exact words were, "Wow, that is not good!"  Radiation can cause the skin to burn, peel, and blister.  Charlie gave me some cream to get started with, in hopes of preventing or at least minimizing the skin damage.  I've added aloe vera and hydro cortisone cream to my shopping list. I've also been advised to give up deodorant on the left side for the duration of the treatment, and to use Ivory or Dove soap in the shower.  I guess I'm lucky that I'm taking treatment during cold weather.  My co workers are even luckier, LOL. I Haven't told them about the no deodorant policy.  I will miss my Philosophy shower gel, but I have a bottle of their Bubbly lined up for when this is all over - it smells like champagne.

I'm glad the simulation is behind me.  Now all I have to do is wait.  

Such a Great Day

Today started with a surprise:  Diva and I were driving a few blocks from my house and found a young couple enjoying the beautiful fall weather: 

 

We spent about half an hour watching and snapping pictures.  I'm very proud that Diva, at eight years old, has learned to appreciate and respect wildlife.  I will never forget witnessing a dumbass tourist in the Yukon Territory hop out of his car, walk right up to a wild black bear, snap a photo, then turn his back and return to his car.  I was taking video of the bears (zoomed in from a reasonable distance and the safety of our car) and thought sure I would be handing my vacation video over to the authorities after the mauling.  Diva knows that the wildlife is here, in the city, because of all the building going on in the hills.  She knows that wild animals, no matter how calm they appear, can turn on you in an instant, and that they deserve to be left alone.  We sat quietly in the car until they looked our way, then took the pictures.  We never even considered trailing them, feeding them, leaving the car, or trying to get their attention.   Our patience was well rewarded:

 

In case you're wondering, that's an office building in the background, and we were in a parking lot.   The camera I used for these photos is new as of yesterday, and I'm still learning how to use it. So far, I'm impressed with how easy it is to maneuver.  Some of the shots could be more clear, but I was using the zoom feature for the first time, so I expect I'll get better with time.  I'm just grateful to have had a camera with me. 

After our wild encounter, we hit the mall.  We found everything we need to transform the bathroom (on sale, plus the clerk gave us coupons - major score!) had lunch, picked up some school clothes for Diva from Macy's clearance rack, and grabbed Halloween candy for tomorrow, along with a jar of Walker's favorite salt & pepper cashews.  When we got home we carved Diva's jack o' lantern and settled in front of the TV.  Right now, Diva is sacked out in her bedroom, Walker is getting ready for work, and I'm feeling all relaxed and happy.  Life is good.

Girls' Day

Ah, the weekend.....cue the sound of birdies and violins.  It's not here yet but I'm practically counting the hours.  Tonight will be a long one at the office. But: Walker has to work this weekend and tomorrow, I am taking myself SHOPPING. I haven't been out shopping for anything other than groceries in months.  Seriously.  Months.  Unless you count the afternoon I spent looking at shower curtains with Walker, which I definitely do not.  Shopping with Walker shouldn't even be called shopping.  He gets a ginormous  cup of melted milkshake (otherwise known as a latte) and makes a game of how fast he can get out of the store and back to his Laz-E-Boy in front of the TV.  It's kind of pathetic how excited I am that he's working and I can go it alone.

It started with the whole "Walker hates the bathroom" fiasco. The shower still is not fixed.  We don't even have a contractor lined up.  I've called to schedule one, twice, but so far I haven't gotten a call back.  I'm rethinking hiring them now - if I can't get them on the phone to schedule the work, where will they be if I have a problem? 

So while I wait and ponder my options, I decided we need a fresh coat of paint to go with the new shower curtain.  Since we're changing colors I want to look for some bath sheets.  The old ones are getting ratty anyway, plus they are a pukey shade of peach since an unfortunate bleach incident.  Then I realized that I start radiation on Monday.  I have exactly one pair of "good" socks, and I don't intend to traipse around the cancer center in holey ones.  Socks went on the list.  I have a pretty wool sweater with shamrocks on the pockets but nothing to wear under it.  Wool against the skin?  Um, no, thank you, I don't like breaking out in hives. I'll look for a green top.  Halloween is when?  Sunday?  Oops!  Better get some candy.  Et cetera.  By the time I was done I had half a page of errands, so I told myself to call it a shopping trip and make a day of it.  I might even pick up the new Sex in the City movie.  I haven't been to a movie since before my last shopping trip.  I wonder if I can still find the mall.

I'm like to take Diva with me, but I have to wait to see if she has a date with her Daddy. I think they were planning some Halloween excursions if he doesn't have to work.  Either way, it's retail. therapy and maybe even a little lunch out on the town.  Bring on the weekend!

Pink Warriors ~ Fighting Like a Girl

My sister is wearing a pink shirt.

If you knew my sister, well, you'd probably be going, "Awwwwww!" right now. My sister is - ahem - slightly older than me and I can't recall ever, ever seeing her in anything pink. Ever. In fact, a couple years ago Walker and I were on vacation on the Gulf Coast and this surf store had these really cool pink jackets with little embroidered sea shells over the chest pocket and I wanted to pick one up as a thank you to my sister for taking care of our kitties while we were gone. Walker talked me out of it: he could not imagine my sister in pink anything.

But today, my sister is wearing a pink ribbon shirt in support of the cause. Walker has been passing out pink rubber bracelets to everyone we know ~ and they are wearing them, too. Two of my sisters friends violated their dress codes at work to wear pink camo tee shirts in support of a difficult appointment that I had to get through. Even the dogs are now sporting pink collars.  Go, Pink Warriors, go!

Still Going!

I'm nearing the end of my first week back to work.  I don't mind telling you, I am worn out.  I've been sleeping way more than usual, too, but when I'm up and moving around I feel just fine.  I guess my body is still recovering, though I don't feel it outside of needing the extra sleep.

The weather has turned cooler; the last two mornings, when I left work, I had thick frost on my car.  My poor veggie garden, abandoned after my diagnosis, is looking pretty bad.  The area around my house is in a valley, so we don't get frost right away, but I'd better get out there with Diva again this weekend to salvage what we can.  I doubt we'll have another chance before frost turns it into something resembling seaweed.  The gorgeous trees are nearly bare.

Walker is on a new schedule where he works four long shifts, then has four nights off in a row.  He loves it.  I'm still adjusting.  He gets home about the same time I get up each afternoon, and he has off all this weekend.  I hope we can juggle our time well enough to get some things done.  Last weekend, he was up while I was sleeping and vice versa.  We never did finish the housework last weekend.

On Tuesday, I had my last appointment with Dr C before she turns me over to oncology.  Everything was fine, technically, but my blood pressure has been creeping up a few points with each appointment.  Right now, it's still normal, but it's at the top end of normal.  I want to work on that before I see her again in April for my six month check.  She tells me that an increased BP is normal for cancer patients, with all the stress and so on, but I still want to try to bring it down a bit. 

I Think They Missed Me

On Monday, I went back to work after a month on medical leave.  I walked into my workspace to find my peeps had been busy decorating.  Not only that, they were all decked out in pink.  They had decorated my other wall with a collage of Post-Its full of well wishes and prayers for my recovery. 
You get to choose your job, but usually it's the luck of the draw on your coworkers.  I feel like I won the lottery.  Thanks, y'all!

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho!

I go back to work tomorrow.  Wahoo!  Sitting around the house got old a long time ago.  My job isn't physically demanding, but I do have to watch out for repetitive motion, which can lead to lymph edema.  I had a physical therapy appointment last week, where I learned tricks to prevent lymph edema, and what to watch out for, so I feel as prepared as I can be.  Really, I'm just looking forward to getting back into a routine and having something productive to do with my time.  Lymph edema isn't a big concern for me right now.