Guess Who's Done With Radiation?

Yes, you are correct! Today was my last radiation treatment. I hope to not ever need to repeat the experience. If you were to see me, you might be disappointed that I don't seem thrilled.  I am, it's just that I am still dealing with a stupid cough from a dumb cold.

Rest assured, should you or a loved one ever need radiation, the most trying part of the experience will likely be just the day in day out drag of it all. Fun radiation fact, nurse Hope told me today that radiation continues to work in your body for two weeks after you finish treatment.

I would like to take a moment to brag. Today, the technicians told me- and it was not for the first time, that I have amazing skin and in fact,  technician Theresa said my skin hand held up wonderfully and she has only seen a handful of patients that looked as good as me by the end of the treatment.

I said to The Man: "Apparently my body is made to really ace cancer treatments." He looked at me like I'm a few cards short of a deck.

Would be very nice if my body could also like not allow cancer cells to hang out and build themselves into a mass again. I've already committed to doing my part through eating healthy, regular exercise, and not taking up vaping; I just need my biology to also commit to staying cancer free!

Treated myself to a celebratory Mug Cake courtesy of  Becky McNeill in one of my Snoopy mugs. 

Now 12 days and I'm back at the hospital for a preventative Bilateral Salpingectomy  What a February, eh?

Happy First Friday of February 2020!

When NyQuil Doesn't Work.

Much to my dismay, February has begun with me having a cold. I blame The Man, he had it first. Then again, his illness started off with a fever and body aches. I have the traditional runny nose, scratchy throat, and coughing. BMO was sick last week and was better quickly so I should stop blaming The Man and put the blame squarely on the kids.  Dear daughter is also home sick today, yes it is definitely the kids' fault!  

Typically when I have a cold I take NyQuil and enjoy a decent night's sleep. This time around NyQuil is not working and neither is DayQuil. It's just coughing, coughing, coughing. Can't work when all I do is cough and sound like death warmed over.  Not what you want to hear when calling a professional office!  

Radiation Fact of the Day: If you should happen to have a cold during radiation treatment, your treatment carries on. Which is my preference anyway. This is my last week of treatment, you bet I'm going to drag my hiney there! 

Today and tonight I'm switching from my old tried and true NyQuil to Tylenol Sinus Severe. Let's hope it works, if not tomorrow I'm going to try a shot of whiskey and a tablespoon of honey. 

At least my abs are getting a nice workout from all this coughing! And the weather isn't great, I suppose if I am to have a cold in 2020 might as well get it over with in February. Summer colds are the worst!  

Two down and Three to go!

That is two weeks of radiation down and three weeks to go. Side Effects?  It's hard to tell if I am fatigued in January.  I find January itself fatiguing.  Too much cold and dark for my tastes.  Now to be fair to this particular January, we have had mild for Chicago temperatures with most days at or above freezing during the day.  Nevertheless, cold is fatiguing even when it is not cold enough to snow.  

Today for fun I was trying to convert how much radiation I get daily in the about 10 minutes of laser-blasting compared to a vacation in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  What?  You didn't know Chernobyl is a popular tourist destination? It is, in fact, popular, especially now that HBO has aired an award-winning drama about the nuclear disaster.  

Since the area has had little human exposure for several decades, nature has flourished and it is quite beautiful.  Can you eat fruit and vegetables grown there?  I mean, you could.  There is a fantastic documentary called The Babushkas of Chernobyl about these little old ladies who were forced to leave their homes in the wake of the disaster and how they snuck back to their villages and were allowed to live out there days in the exclusion zone. Their ties to the land are so strong they would rather die than leave the land. 

I was bummed to learn there are several different scales used to measure radiation so what I thought would be quick Google search was not quick and I don't have my answer.  Lucky for me, I will see my Radiation Oncologist on Monday and will be sure to ask her. 

Happy Friday!  Snow is piling up outside but it is supposed to rain tomorrow and I am very glad I don't have to go to work in the morning. 

Looking For Answers to Life's Big Questions?

The answer is usually to drink more water.  No, really it's true.  Stressed out?  Have a glass of water?  Want better-looking skin or hair?  Drink more water.  Tired?  Drink a cold glass of water.  Hot flash? Drink a cold glass of water.  Mad at your spouse?  Have you considered...a nice tall drink of water?

It's true though, water cures many ills and prevents even more. 

Today was treatment #1 of 25 and guess what I did?  Oh yes, I made sure to drink extra water before the treatment and more water after it was done. Hydration, a healthy diet, and regular exercise are the name of the game during radiation therapy--and pretty much all the time really!

How was radiation? You can't tell when the actual radiation is going into your body, so obviously it doesn't hurt.  I think that the machine should have sound effect options. I would have liked it to make the sound of a Tie-Fighter laser-blasting as the radiation was beamed into me. 

That would make the whole radiation experience more exciting.  Alas, it's pretty quiet and kinda boring just laying their all alone, on a table waiting for voices to come in over the intercom letting me know when to breathe and when to hold my breath. Boring does beat painful, so I will take it and I will hope that the next 24 treatments are as uneventful as the first. 

Happy Monday!

Just Me Talking About My First Friday in 2020

How did you spend your first Friday in this new decade? I had a groovy time this afternoon hanging out in the Radiation Department of my hospital.  Today was the dry run for my upcoming radiation treatments.  I am happy to report both my doctor and the nurses said I am very good at holding my breath.  I credit all the running I do.  Is this a skill I can add to my resume? 

Why holding my breath? It is supposed to help move my heart and lung away from the beam of radiation. This technique is called Deep Inspiration Breath Hold.  Very zen sounding. I'm all for whatever I can do to keep my heart healthy-- especially since I had chemo and that can impact the heart.  Like the cancer isn't bad enough!  Insult to injury and all that.

It would be great if I could zone out and listen to a book on the audible app while I am laying there with the machine moving around me, but I have to listen to them tell me when to breath, hold my breath, and most importantly when I can stop holding my breath.  So no listening to a book.

Today I spent one of my credits on a thriller that takes place in Australia.  The bad guy is killed right off the bat, so now the question is what all went down prior to his death.

I've been a member of Audible off and on for years and now is a really good time to be a member. They have a special where if you listen to 3 books between now and March 3rd, you get a $20 Amazon Credit. Then I can use my $20 Amazon Credit to buy some paperback books. You can join Audible anytime this month and get in on the deal. If you are already a member you don't have to do anything, it's all tracked through the website.