Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Radiation at Baptist

This is the xray machine. It will take a series of films next time I go and will tell the Dr. exactly where the beams will go.This is the actual machine that delivers the beams of Radiation to the tattooed areas.

They are really nice at the Radiation Onc. I will have the same tech every time and for the simulator and set up Denise will be my tech. Irene runs the machine and They all said I could take a picture with them. Super cool. Then the Dr. came in to make sure the markings were correct. I don't want his picture...he ha the same hair as me....AAAH
This is the view I saw today from inside the Scanner looking out. Too bad you can't hear it.

Radiation

simulator scanner
mold to hold you still

Radiation will be three parts. Today I had the simulator. I was fitted with a mold so that when I go to get the radiation, I get it in the same area each time. So i lay on a pad, then they suck out the air out of it and it fits around me like a glove. My arms are above my head and my wrists are interlocked. Then they run the cat scanner over me for about 5 mins. They marked the area to irradiated and ran some more scans and then tattooed the 3 areas that will get the cross beam.
I listened to the CD Maryanne made for me and it was relaxing. birds and water, A few of my favorite things.

You don't lose hair or tissue structure. nothing will look different except for the color of my skin will change for a while but will eventually go back to the normal color. The machine are big and noisy but take just a few minutes. you might feel more fatigue. and your white count will drop.

Karen the Volunteer Doral Ticket agent..Thanks

OK here is the great story...

My son Brett, the 14 year old plays golf. He is on the team at Palmetto middle. So I arranged for him to volunteer at the Doral this past weekend. He was a Standard Bearer, he carried the scoreboard around, for Watney and Kim and 2 other pros on Thursday and Friday. Then he missed Sat. But Sunday, I took him to actually watch theem play golf. He was alone and I was feeling so guilty about leaving him but I really had no choice. Students get in for 10 dollars. My ticket would have been 50. So I drove away feeling sick. I drove away feeling so bad I called and asked my mom to charge me a ticket and I would pay her when I could. She called the ticket agent who made her call another number at the Doral office. I was on my cell phone and she called from her house phone. She called the second number and no one answered. She went online and tried to purchase a ticket there but she couldn't figure out how to get an account. so I told her to just try the second phone number one more time. She called again and I heard her telling the person who answered the phone that she wanted to purchase a ticket for her daughter. She went through the whole story about how Brett was a volunteer standard Bearer for the tournament and that I wanted to be there to take him around the course and watch today. SHe went on to tell her that I didn't have a way to buy a ticket so she was going to do it for me and that I would pick it up at will call. The lady on the phone thought that was so nice of my Mom that she offered to take a ticket down to will call herself at no charge. She had one for Sunday but was working. My Mom got all excited and in an appreciative way, told the agent how incredible that was for her to do. Then I heard my Mom cover the phone I was on, I could hear her talking to the lady the words were muffled. I am sure she was telling her I just finished chemo and that I was a mess right now. When my Mother came back to the phone I was on, she told me " your not going to believe this, the agent on the phone's name is Karen and she is a 15 year Breast Cancer Survivor. Well I started laughing and sobbing at the same time. Mom told this lady Karen I was crying and how thankful I was for her sharing that information with us and for the ticket she was giving us. Talk about being on the right phone at the right time. I went and picked up the ticket and found Brett. We had such a fantastic time. We saw all the golf pros and got tons of signatures. I really wanted Camillo Villegas, aka Spider Man to sign my visor...He is adorably yummy, but the crowd was so pushy. Tiger was there too but not so nice. I think he was a bit aggravated at himself. Mickelson won in case you didn't watch and Watney came in 2nd. Brett has a ball signed by him and he was quite nice. When we left, we went through the Doral hotel walkway to get to the car and guess who we bumped into....Camillo. Almost crashed into him and guess what he signed...MY VISOR....I did my crazy happy dance. HE didn't see me....but another man did. He knew what I was dancing about and just laughed. What a great day. There are so many Angel all around. Thanks Brett.

Monday, March 16, 2009

I took a break

I am sorry for the silence......I wanted to forget this whole thing happened..Now I know I can't.
I will be reminded every look in the mirror. I just have to deal with it.
I have another great story of one of those ANGELS. I will get to it.
I must first say, feeling better is taking longer than I thought. I am so tired alll the time. It isn't painful, just frustrating. Keepng up with everything is trying. Getting to appointments, making appoinments. Time passes and then its time again. So I start radiation Tuesday. The process anyway. They do a scan first....that's frightening....then make a mold and tattoo the spot...OK Mom said No Tats but hhhhhhhmmmmm when did I ever listen. always mom, Always.
Then the radiation is once a day for 5 days then 2 days off for 6 and half weeks. Why? IT was explained to me that the beam they shoot is to zap any cells that may still be in the area that the bad seed was removed from. So the beam will be around the area the tiny mass was removed from. sometimes its makes a mark on your skin sometimes it does nothing. Like a sunburn everyday. I saw some bad reactions and then i saw some patients with no mark at all. I won't know but I will keep aloe on the area at all times and see if I can prevent being being the one in 1000 that has a bad time. Most of the women who have done this say its a piece of cake...just some fatigue...great more fatigue......and a small mark towards the end....that goes away...NO more topless sunbathing.....shoot......and No amino Acids......what ever that does. I will have to get a little Reconstruction after...I will have a dent yuck........reconstruction........that means surgery............yuck.............uhmmmmmmmm yea yuck.....cross that bridge when I hit 40.
anyway....Oh I have an inch of hair... how about that....OK maybe not quit an inch but close....I have to go to the grocery store...hungry kids are coming home from school soon. I will tell you the Doral Golf tournament story when you come back....