Now that chemo is done, I get to begin a new adventure in cancer treatment. Radiation. 6 weeks - 25-30 treatments.
So.....on Tuesday, November 28, just one day after having my port removed, I dutifully reported to the Radiation Center. The technicians took me back and showed me the daily routine. I come into the waiting area. My name will be called over the intercom. "Mrs. Watson, you may now report to the changing area". So I then go back and take off my clothes and put on this really, really cute little paper dress and wait in another waiting area with my clothes in tow. Then a technician comes out to get me and we go the room with the big skull and crossbones on the door that says "Massive Radiation Inside" (I'm only exaggerating a little bit here). Then they put me on this very narrow table that's connected to the big monster machine and they tie my feet together (I guess so if I try to run I can't get far). Then all of these really cool lasers come on and they line them up with parts of my body to be "radiated". But on this first day, I got to have some special fun. In order to know where to line the lasers up, my friendly technicians had to place tatoos on my sides and middle of my chest. Far better than the temporary marks they made with Sharpee pens, but still not as fun as a real tatoo. I tried to get them to give me a rising phoenix or a butterfly or something to show my grandchildren some day, but they weren't really amused. Guess they wanted to get to lunch or something.
So the next day, Wednesday, I have my first radiation. I go through all the steps and the radiation itself takes maybe 3 minutes tops. I'm not really sure how long it goes because I pray while it's going. But I know I don't get too far down my prayer list before they come back in and unhook my feet so I can run......... :)
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Ding Dong the Port is Gone!
My dear friends,
Please forgive me for being so remiss on not updating the site. Life is happening - and that's a good thing - but wonderful exercises like updating this site are behind. So let me try to catch up a bit...
I went to see my oncologist the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. It was SOOOOO strange to go to the cancer center and not go back to the chemo area. Strange in a very good way, of course. As I sat in the waiting room, I realized that I was now in a different group. I was no longer carrying my bag with crackers, lotion, gum, candy, blankets, stuffed animals--all of the essentials needed to get through 4 hours of chemotherapy. I was no longer sitting with the row of folks waiting to be called back to the chemo room -- all of us looking as if we were soon to be made into sausage or something equally grotesque. No, I was now with the folks who got to see the doctor and pray that she had a smile on her face, meaning she had good news to share.
When Doctor Austin came into the room, I'll admit that I was nervous. I was afraid she'd come in and announce that there'd been a mistake - that she was sending me back to hang out with the chemoclan. But alas, she did not. She told me that there are patients that she's worried about, but that I was not one of them! She said I'm kicking you out and don't want to see you until mid January. And then she said the magic words I had really longed to hear "you can go get your port out now--we won't be needing it anymore!" Praise God and Amen!
So, the port removal was scheduled for Monday morning following Thanksgiving. And what a Thanksgiving we had! My Brother Ronnie came from North Carolina and my cousin Chris joined us from Florida. We had 7 children, 9 adults (and two small dogs) share a beautiful meal with thankful hearts that we were once again together, that we were all relatively healthy, and that we are blessed to live in the knowledge that Christ is King and we are His beloved.
Then Rick and I pulled off an amazing coup.....we were able to go away for two days that weekend, just the two of us, for a romantic weekend in the mountains! It was warm and beautiful and we had a great time.
And then Monday morning, 8:00 a.m., Dr. Luke rolled me into surgery and removed my port, that little button-shaped device used to infuse me with the chemo drugs. The port had been implanted in my chest for 5 LONG months, and according to Dr. Luke it had made itself quite at home there. He had to "persuade" it to let go of the scar tissue that was hugging it. By 10:00 a.m., I was home resting and thankful to be free of "buttons" in my chest.
But not to worry, tomorrow will bring another new adventure in the road to cancer recovery.....
Please forgive me for being so remiss on not updating the site. Life is happening - and that's a good thing - but wonderful exercises like updating this site are behind. So let me try to catch up a bit...
I went to see my oncologist the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. It was SOOOOO strange to go to the cancer center and not go back to the chemo area. Strange in a very good way, of course. As I sat in the waiting room, I realized that I was now in a different group. I was no longer carrying my bag with crackers, lotion, gum, candy, blankets, stuffed animals--all of the essentials needed to get through 4 hours of chemotherapy. I was no longer sitting with the row of folks waiting to be called back to the chemo room -- all of us looking as if we were soon to be made into sausage or something equally grotesque. No, I was now with the folks who got to see the doctor and pray that she had a smile on her face, meaning she had good news to share.
When Doctor Austin came into the room, I'll admit that I was nervous. I was afraid she'd come in and announce that there'd been a mistake - that she was sending me back to hang out with the chemoclan. But alas, she did not. She told me that there are patients that she's worried about, but that I was not one of them! She said I'm kicking you out and don't want to see you until mid January. And then she said the magic words I had really longed to hear "you can go get your port out now--we won't be needing it anymore!" Praise God and Amen!
So, the port removal was scheduled for Monday morning following Thanksgiving. And what a Thanksgiving we had! My Brother Ronnie came from North Carolina and my cousin Chris joined us from Florida. We had 7 children, 9 adults (and two small dogs) share a beautiful meal with thankful hearts that we were once again together, that we were all relatively healthy, and that we are blessed to live in the knowledge that Christ is King and we are His beloved.
Then Rick and I pulled off an amazing coup.....we were able to go away for two days that weekend, just the two of us, for a romantic weekend in the mountains! It was warm and beautiful and we had a great time.
And then Monday morning, 8:00 a.m., Dr. Luke rolled me into surgery and removed my port, that little button-shaped device used to infuse me with the chemo drugs. The port had been implanted in my chest for 5 LONG months, and according to Dr. Luke it had made itself quite at home there. He had to "persuade" it to let go of the scar tissue that was hugging it. By 10:00 a.m., I was home resting and thankful to be free of "buttons" in my chest.
But not to worry, tomorrow will bring another new adventure in the road to cancer recovery.....
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