Another Day…
I completed my 17th radiation treatment today - only 8 to go. The Sitz baths continue to help so it was another “minimal” pain day. My fingers are crossed that the pain level doesn’t increase from what it is now. I did experience nausea for most of the day, even with the meds. The worst part of the nausea for me is that it zaps my energy. It was a little disappointing after such a high energy day yesterday.
Our appointment with the radiology oncologist was postponed until tomorrow, so no progress report yet.
The blood work showed my numbers improved. The numbers are still lower than the “normal” range, but they are now high enough to proceed with my chemo this week. That’s a big relief because I don’t want to fall behind.
My favorite runner!!!
Good Day
Today was a good day…hooray! My energy level was high and I had minimal pain. So much better than yesterday!
I’m in the final countdown for radiation with only 9 treatments left.
Blood work is scheduled for tomorrow morning to see if chemo is a go for this week. Keeping my fingers crossed! I don’t want to fall behind.
We feel so lucky…everyday starts with a beautiful walk!
Sunday…
Today was another good day with some bad moments. It was raining pretty steadily when we got up so our morning walk was delayed by several hours. By mid morning it cleared so we were able to get out and enjoy the trail. The “bad moments” didn’t start until mid afternoon. I obviously don’t like them - the pain is excruciating, but I understand it is all part of the journey to get better. I discovered in the early evening that Sitz baths help - so I am now a believer…at least for now.
Most of the dark hair on the sides of my head fell out this morning in the shower but some remains on the back of my head. I also have several bald spots in odd places on my head. For some reason, a lot of the gray has held tight. I should explain that I don’t write about (or worry about) my hair loss because of any vanity reason. I write about it because it really scares me…because it’s a constant visual reminder that I have cancer. Also, because it reminds me of my mom and her battle with lung cancer twenty some years ago. She lost her hair early in her treatments and it never fully grew back. Because it was so thin and patchy it made her look sickly for years and that broke my heart every time I saw her.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of week four of treatments. It will be a busy week of radiation and, hopefully, chemo.
Saturday’s Mix Bag
Some days are more difficult than others. Today was difficult. I started going down the path that I was having a bad day. The pain in my behind was excruciating…the worse yet. It felt like being stabbed there repeatedly. But, as difficult as it was, I knew I needed to keep a positive attitude and not let the pain consume me or make me afraid. I was finally able to look at it as not having a bad day, but rather as a good day with bad moments (really bad moments). My challenge is to keep a positive attitude as I endure whatever is needed to get better.
On a brighter note we were able to spend time with our friends Herb and Beth and talk about things going on back home. Beth made a beautiful and delicious mushroom lasagna for dinner.
Switching gears again…I am quickly losing the battle to hang on to my hair. It now falls out in little clumps when I touch it. But rather than leaving it alone I keep touching it and then I’m surprised each time I have a little clump of hair between my fingers. My biggest shock was when I woke from my nap to find my pillow covered in hair. I don’t give it much more time before all the rest of the deserters are gone!
It is difficult to take a selfie of the top of your own head!
Goose parade outside our building this morning…not sure what goose holiday it was!
Another Week Down…
Week three is done! Today I completed radiation treatment #15 out of 25. I am now done with 60% of my radiation treatments. I know I just said the same thing three different ways, but I am so excited to get more of this behind me.
As I mentioned yesterday the burning sensation after the radiation treatments is getting more intense. Unfortunately, it is suppose to get worse before it starts getting better. I learned this week at my doctors appointment that the residual effects of the radiation on the tumor will continue for 2-3 months after the radiation treatments end.
The weekend is here and we have visitors! Herb and Beth came to see us and even brought us five pounds of wonderful Michigan blueberries. We looked forward all week to their visit and it was great to see them this evening.
Thanks!!!
There is not much to report today. My radiation treatment (#14) went well, but the burning afterwards gets more intense each day. For some reason I felt a little down part of the day…not really sure why.
Writing each day has been tremendously helpful to me. I can’t begin to express how much it means to me to know my family and friends are reading what I write. Thank you for your support and for your words of encouragement. I appreciate you all very much!
Early morning shot of the city.
Taking Control…
This morning while washing my hair I noticed my scalp felt more sensitive than normal. As I massaged in the shampoo I kept checking and expecting to find clumps of hair in my hands. I didn’t see much beyond a few stands, so I thought I was safe for another day. However, after my shower as I was applying hair paste I noticed that my hands were harrier than a werewolf’s. I think the hairs were barely hanging on and the hair paste just made them stick to my hands. Initially I was horrified, but at the same time I figured this day was coming. I was prepared with a plan. I told Jon I was ready so this afternoon he gave me a buzz cut…shorter than I’ve worn my hair in many many years. It probably hasn’t been this short since my Army days. The short hair feels weird, but it also feels good to take some control of the situation.
Today I also reached another milestone. I believe recognizing these milestones is important to my mental state as I travel through this journey. Today I finished radiation treatment #13, which means I have crossed the halfway point for radiation. Woo hoo….only 12 more to go!
The Good, the Bad and the Encouraging
Today was a busy day with radiation treatment #12, blood work, COVID swab test, and meeting with the medical oncologist (chemo doctor).
The radiation treatment itself went fine, but the side effects are getting worse. I was nauseous all day and my behind is starting to get a bad sunburn (among other unpleasant side effects).
I’m still amazed at the speed in which things happen here. My blood work was drawn around 1:00 and shortly after 2:00 the results started to pop into my patient portal.
The appointment with the Medical Oncologist, Dr. Halfdanarson, was encouraging. He is still very optimistic that my treatments will be successful. Surgery may still be necessary to get all the cancer, but that won’t be decided until further down the road. I’m still hoping for no surgery, but will do whatever is necessary. We also spent time talking about my side effects and what I can do (and what I’ll have no control over and will have to do my best to endure). Currently my white blood cell count is extremely low so I am immune suppressed and need to be carful so I don’t get any infections. The white blood cells are suppose to rebound on their own, so they plan to do more blood work next Monday to see if the count has increased. If it does not increase they will need to delay the next round of chemo scheduled for next Wednesday, Thursday and. Friday. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything can stay on track.
I feel fatigued a fair amount of the time but thankfully we are still able to get a couple good walks in the morning as well as walks to each of my appointments, and if Milton cooperates, a walk-in the evening. Today I clocked 14.38 miles. Just wanted to let you all know that Jon is not cutting me any slack! And, he is trying to drown me with all the water and Gatorade he makes me drink each day! Hydration, hydration, hydration!
Great News
Today we met with the radiology oncologist for my weekly office visit. I shared in an earlier post that in addition to the main tumor there was a very small tumor in one of the lymph nodes. Everyday when they administer the radiation they also do a CT scan. Today’s scan showed that the small tumor in the affected lymph node is almost gone and that the main tumor is getting smaller. The doctor said the tumor was “not as full”, meaning it is slimmer than it was (it’s shrinking). I felt a flood of emotions hearing these words! Knowing this gives me more hope and more determination to battle through all the side affects.
Another shot from Bear Creek Trail.
Sunday Funday
The day started with our usual walk on Bear Creek trail. I’m in awe each and every time I walk this trail - it’s such a pretty and peaceful place. This afternoon we went for a car ride in the countryside just to look around. It was good to see the surrounding area.
On the medical front - I’m starting to experience some discomfort from the radiation. I see the radiology oncologist tomorrow so hopefully she can help me work through it.
Since I don’t have that much to say tonight I thought I would share a recent dream I had (a couple nights ago). In my dream I’m in the bathroom (in our apartment in Rochester) in the middle of the night and the lights are off. I’m sitting and then realize that I don’t remember this bathroom being carpeted. So out of curiosity I turn on the light and find the entire floor covered with hair…my hair. Do you think I might be obsessing a little?
Uneventful Saturday
Not much to write about today. The most significant thing to report is that I had a good day! We did our normal morning trail walks, had lunch (have I talked about my appetite yet?) and then I did a little printing. I also took a nap before dinner (I’m starting to like naps).
I don’t seem to have an appetite anymore! Food just doesn’t sound good and the smell of food cooking sometimes makes me feel queasy! The funny thing is - once I sit down to eat, food will actually taste good to me…so I am able to eat (yippee…because I love to eat!). Thank goodness the old taste buds are still in working order.
Printing today was a challenge because it was windy outside and you need to work outside to expose your work to the direct sunlight. The challenge was to keep things from moving around during the exposure period. I was still able to get a couple pieces I was happy with. The birds were an experiment.
Two Down…
Two weeks down…I am now 40% done with my radiation treatments. Woo-hoo! I’m just starting to feel some side effects, but nothing too bad so far.
I’m too tired to write much tonight, but still wanted to say thank you to everyone who is reading my blog, sending messages, thinking of me, praying for me, or any combination of these. It means so much. Writing (and sharing) doesn’t come easy for me, but the blogging has been extremely therapeutic…way more than I expected. All of you are my motivation to write…so again, thank you very much!
This is Milton when we came home from treatment today. How cute! I’m glad he and his brother are here with us.
More Milestones
Today I passed the 1/3 mark for completed radiation treatments. It’s hard for me to believe I’ve been in that machine nine times already. It still feels scary as I lay there trying not to think too much about what is happening. Thankfully, each session is fairly short in time.
My second milestone today was that I hit 1,000 consecutive days of hitting (or exceeding) my daily Move goal. This is one of the reasons I love my iWatch. I love the challenge of hitting my daily goals. When I first knew I was sick I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to hit my 1,000 days (kind of a silly thought in light of everything else). It [the Activity tracking on the watch] continues to motivate me to keep up with my daily walks.
This is unrelated to milestones, but I thought I would add it to this post anyway. This afternoon I worked on a little art project, called cyanotypes. It is an old process, yet new for me. Here are a few photos of some of my first prints., along with some shots illustrating the process. It was fun to experiment and to escape for a little while!
From leaves I found on my morning walk on Bear Creek Trail.
Deserters!!!
Spotted the first deserters this morning! I’ve pampered and groomed them my entire life and the first sign of trouble they bail! I think it’s getting close to hat time. Maybe they’ll come back curly…or blond!
Radiology Appointment
This afternoon I had my weekly checkup with the Radiology Oncologist.
This afternoon I had my weekly checkup with the Radiology Oncologist, Dr. Owen. I didn’t realize that along with my radiation treatments they also do a CT scan of the tumor and affected lymph nodes - so on a daily basis they are able to see what is going on. When I asked if there was any change in size the doctor said no, which was disappointing at first. She followed up by telling us that she wouldn’t expect to see any shrinkage yet - that it may be next week or the week after before we see anything. All in all she is happy with my progress, so I’ll take that as good news! I am now over the 25% completed mark with radiation.
The “TUESDAY” stickers are part of the daily COVID screening that all Mayo visitors go through each day. It’s basically a temperature check and a series of questions before you are allowed inside a building. We get a new sticker each day. At the end of my daily medical visits I put the stickers in a book (not a scrapbook) I’ve been keeping to track my activity like consumptions (meds, liquids and food intake), body functions (including weight), and in general, how I’m feeling). My hope is that this will help me when I’m communicating with my doctors.
Start of Week Two
Today marked the start of week two with radiation treatment #6 of 25. It is becoming routine…I show up….I hear my name announced over the speaker when it’s my turn…I escort myself back to the dressing room, change and then wait in the hall. My time on the machine is very quick…probably less than 5 minutes. After today’s treatment I’m starting to feel the burn…it’s not painful…but it is a reminder of what might be coming, so I try to prepare myself. The anticipation makes it worse. My job is to remain positive.
There are also many positive moments on this journey. This morning we discovered, together, the amazing beauty of Bear Creek Trail.
The Weekend
Overall we had a nice weekend. Mostly walking, but then that is what we like to do. The city of Rochester is full of trails and small parks. Our apartment is working out well, so we are comfortable. I think Izzy and Milton are even starting to like the place. Of course I think we would all rather be home, but we are making the best of it.
The nausea started late last week, but with a few medication adjustments over the weekend it seems to be under control now. Today was a great energy day for me.
Tomorrow starts week two of radiation treatments. No chemo this week! Yay! Tuesday we will meet with the Radiology Oncologist to see how the treatments are going. I’m anxious to hear if the tumor is starting to shrink.
Keeping my fingers crossed as we move into the next week.
Face Masks - The New Normal
Washed and all ready for next week! Who would have thought that face masks would ever become fashion accessories??? Necessary, but I still hate wearing them. I wonder what all my doctors and nurses really look like.
Milestones are Great
Woohoo…I hit my first treatment milestones today.
Woohoo…I hit my first treatment plan milestones today. I am done for the week (and free for the weekend). I have completed 20% of my radiation treatments and 25% of my chemo treatments. The next two weeks is radiation only. It feels so good to be moving forward!
