Sunday 12/10/23

     It’s been two days since my first radiation treatment and have started experiencing some side effects. Just a couple actually, I’m urinating more frequently and not as much and was far more tired both Friday and Saturday nights than usual. Not sure if this is attributed to lack of sleep on Thursday but honestly it does feel good to sleep longer. Usually, I’m up half a night just lying in bed. 

Monday 12/11/23

     Second treatment is about 18 hours away and I’m not feeling much different than yesterday. But for the first time during any illness, I’m wishing it had come over the summer. The other illnesses were over my heart problems and summer was a terrible time to miss as I was generally laid up. With this cancer I can still get out but the weather has been creepy. No snow, just cold. And how I yearn to sit in the stands at a ball game at Comerica Park on a nice sunny afternoon. That would take my mind off a lot of things.

     Linda H, a lifelong friend, text me last night (whatever happened to regular phone calls) and told me about the ‘Barry Manilow, A Very Barry Christmas’ being televised on NBC. Me, I like Barry. Her, well she calls him ‘watching paint dry’ music. We both know it’s her way of checking in on me, without checking in on me.

     She’s had a rough year too and says she wants to get away for a bit. So, I kind of jumped on board and suggested we go to Las Vegas after the first of the year. Why Vegas when I don’t gamble, outside of the few scratch offs I’ll eventually put on the Christmas Tree? When I was in my late teens. Linda, her brother Gordy along with her father, Les, were headed there for a bowling alley owners meeting, and she asked dad to take me too. He eventually said no, I understood, as he knew I was underage and wouldn’t be allowed to do much. 

     Yes, we were and still are close. Her father was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known, as is Linda. Anyway, she said it sounded like a good idea.  Hopefully, it’ll work out. I’ve been to Lake Tahoe, loved it there, and Reno but never Vegas.

     She’s always treated me like family, and as in a previous blog, I have a ‘confession.’ Linda, my uncle, Gary, said to me many years ago that you told him, I was like a ‘little brother’ to you. Now everyone we know, knows! 🥰🤣 I’m honored to have an ‘older sister‘ as I’m kind of tired being the oldest in my family! ‘Thank You’ for checking in on me and a life of sisterly love.

Tuesday 12/12/23 Treatment Day

6:10 AM

     Second terrible night trying to sleep (first since last Thursday’s worried about Friday’s initial treatment) leading up to my second dose of radiation. Only managed a couple hours. So much for that added rest the first couple nights offered after dose one. 

     In between going to the bathroom and my mind spinning, I had written a couple messages to friends but eventually deleted them after I crawled out of bed at 5:30 AM. I still may rewrite and send them, but both will probably end in a lost friend. This time, at least, it will have been by my doing and not someone running from something they feared opening up about. Plus, among the lost snores, I’ve decided to write a ‘mini tell all’ of being the ‘real me,’ after my last treatment, next week.  

     Nothing has substantially changed except my usage of the bathroom. Urinating issues is one of the side effects and I sure have got it. Maybe every twenty minutes I find myself headed in that direction, with just a little relief. A slight stinging sensation joins the nuisance as well.

Treatment

     It wasn’t the customary routine of Starbucks upon first arrival at the hospital. I went straight down to the basement hoping to get it over with. 

     The nurses and tech fully obliged me, and I was ushered in rather quickly. Yes, that’s me on the table in the bottom photo placed in my body mold prior to the procedure. The ‘radiation treatment’ lasts just 15-20 minutes in total but like any scan, as soon as it starts, something has to start itching. Sure enough, it was my eyebrow. I lay there, the entire time, thinking to myself ‘don’t move’ pretend it’s a laser and it’ll cut your arm off if you do. 

     Afterwards I addressed the bathroom issues and was reassured it’s just a side effect and pretty much everyone faces it. 

Starbucks

     The process was reversed today as I headed to the coffee shop last and then headed outside to the picnic area with that hot cup of java. 

      I have three treatments left. One later this week and two more next week. And then we’ll see if I become a ‘cancer survivor.’ Would like to say ‘Thank You’ to everyone for your support both seen and unseen. 

Home

     This one took its toll early. It was about 2 PM when I finished writing the Starbucks section, it’s now 5:30 PM. I had fallen asleep and am still wore out. It’s a different kind of tired. Not the worn out sleepy tired. The tired kind of tired you get from not doing anything, where your body just goes ahh you need rest. I’m sure when I lay back down, I’ll go out once more. Just in case I don’t, I renewed Netflix. 

     While I couldn’t sleep last night, seen this cool looking ‘Barbie Ornament’ on Amazon and was able to snag it for six bucks. It came while I was napping. 

     See you later in the week with a ‘treatment three’ update. 

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Day Two

Cancer Treatment