MAY 2009 Rads

That is just ridiculous!!  To make patients pay to park and then have to go through whatever treatments they are doing.  At the main cancer center adjacent to my hospital where I was getting my chemo and my initial rads sim, there is designated parking for oncology patients, rad onc patients and cancer center visitors - those fill up fast, so I would just park in the adjoining parking garage and take an elevator straight up to the proper floor.  Where I go now, the rads onc unit is part of a medical center that is run by my hospital, and the other entrances for doctor's offices, clinics, etc. are very busy and it's a scramble to get a good spot, but the rad onc is on the far side of the building, and there usually aren't too many people coming and going - we share the entryway with a physical therapy unit, so I can pretty much pull right up in front and dash inside.  Valet parking would be nice, but here where the med center is there are a lot of retirees (a big clump of them live in a community right next door), so I'd probably have some geezer trying to park my car (crookedly) or back it into something.  They are dangerous enough on their own - we almost ended up in some old guy's trunk yesterday - he whipped out from a parking lot into our lane, which was doing a solid 45, and proceeded to do all of 15 mph, with no way to get around him, until he turned a few blocks later.  Good thing our brakes work!

I'm lucky. If I were going downtown, all of the hospitals have pay parking. But here in the suburbs, we even have free parking reserved for radiation patients right outside of the office door. I have to walk an entire 50 feet. Very convenient.

Ouch!!  It was about that expensive the last time we stayed in Orlando - to save some $$, we had 1 day left on our parkhopper ticket, this was right before I started chemo, and we used my marriott miles to stay in a JW Marriott resort for free.  But they charged us $28.50 for parking.  Good thing we already had the other big ticket items covered!

Welcome Deb!

Ivorymom: I wasn't told NOT to shave, just to use an electric razor. So far, the hair hasn't regrown so I don't have anything to worry about yet.

I got marked up for my boosts today. I look like a kindergarten class had a field day with magic markers on my chest! They warned me that the ink they used today can stain, and will come off easily. I'm still supposed to use the vitamin e cream they recommended, just need to "color" between the lines with it because it will remove the new lines.  Yeah, right. I've got all the time and patience in the world to do that.

But I'm 13 rads completed today, with 20 more to go including the 3 boosts. My first boost comes next week after treatment #18.

Wow. I only have one mark in ink- covered with tape on the upper pole of my breast,
 and three little pinpricks of tattoos - I can't find them they are so small-- on my torso. 
i guess it all depends on where they are radiating. 

Bold, worry when the times comes, you may get none of the symptoms spoken of here.  As my sister says "don't waste worry."  My first day turned out to be a final-final check.  The first day will be  the check.  They took X-rays today.  .

I'm off this week due to our work schedules, and for the first time since I was dx'd, I actually took the morning just for me - when I was dx'd, a group of co-workers presented me with a gift certificate at the spa I go to.  I was floored - it was such a generous and sweet thing to do.  I decided to book the appointments for this morning, and I haven't been there in about 6-9 months - I usually get a gift certifcate from my DH every christmas.  I walked in, with my scarf on my head and it took them a few minutes to recognize me.  I had a facial and mani/pedi, and OMG, the facial felt so good - it was wonderful to lay on a table that was padded, and warm with booties and mittens, soft sheets and blankets, and they did a special facial for me to help reallly moisturize and revitalize my skin from the chemo.  It was so nice to just relax and enjoy.  The mani/pedi was great too - I've been getting them all along, but in the spa setting, with some nice tea to sip, it was great to just not think about bc, or stress or the job or money or anything.  It was nice to feel like a GIRL and not a patient!!!

Well today wasn't nothing but her examining me and telling me all about radiation! She was amazed I knew as much as I did, thank to all you guys!  LOL have to go back Thursday to get setup...then she says they do a ct scan to make sure they're going to hit the right place and have to enter all this in the computer, says I won't actually start getting treatments for 2 weeks..(BUT I'm staying here! I seen her today so  that counts as May! LOL) And NO Tatoos, they use markers.........

So sorry Cruise, yer stuck with me! LOL

Hi all.....

I'm getting the sore neck/throat thing goin.  My Dr. saw me today and gave me two different RX's for it.  One was a liquid that I swallow right when I lay down to sleep at night.  Not supposed to drink anything afterwords.  She said it would coat my esophagus.  And the other liquid she gave me was a mix of something to help numb my throat if it gets really bad and hurts when I try to eat.  Apparently I'm not having trouble eating....gained 2 pounds since last week.....grrrrr!!!  lol

I'll be so glad to go on a diet!!!!!!

I have 9 more regular rads and 10 boosts left.  Gonna be a happy camper when I'm finished with these....then on to Tamoxifen.  

I get Herceptin this Thurs.  Doesn't bother me at all......except them trying to find a vein!  My veins are horrible.

hugssssss

Genia

My radiation oncologist told me to always turn my head away from the area being treated. That's to try to minimize the amount of radiation scatter hitting the thyroid gland.

Hello ladies...hope all is well with each and every one of you...

Cruise...great to hear to you had a great time in SF...despite the $50 parking fee...geez...

Chelev...that spa day sounds really nice...

Bold...good question...they do NOT cover any of the parts that are not being treated...supposedly, the rad beams are highly focused and there should be minimal "scatter"...it was zap 14 for me today and it was the first time, while he was lining me up, that the rad tech asked me to move my chin up to "get it out of the way"...why hasn't he said anything before? Yikes...

As far as SEs are concerned...area being treated feels tight and has some sunburn "spots"...both of my girls felt sore yesterday...kinda weird ‘cause only the right is being zapped...more later "as the rad machine turns"...

Take care y'all.

I had my simulation today, and I was glad to see it was counted as one of my "tx", so now I am 1 down 32 to go!!!!!!!!!! 

I am 26 days out from my last chemo tx and I have the baby duck fluff and a wee bit of dark hair on my crown.  Can't wait for that itty bit of dark to cover my head. 

LOL...Cruise...I don't HAVE a boob on the side they are radiating so it is VERY perky!!!  lolol

That made me laugh....silly woman!