Good Morning Sunshine...

So, I've been feeling kind of crappy for the past couple of days. Headache, super tired, stuffed up and just blah. And I have this stupid incessant buzzing in my right ear that is driving me crazy. I know that part of my problem is that I have been having trouble sleeping at night - since when did sleeping through the night become so difficult....

The good news is I slept pretty good last night (a little on the short side, but straight through at least)...and this morning my headache is gone! The buzzing seems to be a bit better...and I'm looking forward to a little reflexology tomorrow to maybe get rid of it entirely!

My radiation treatments continue to go really well. I only have ten left (only two more weeks!!). In emailing with my cousin, Jim, I think we will both be done on the same day! He is amazing...and gives me strength. His radiation is much tougher than mine and he's doing so great with it! Love you, Jim!!!

This past weekend, Matt ran another race - "The Re-Fridgee-Eighter". You could run 8 kms or 8 miles. Matt ran 8 kms in 37:49, placing 41st out of 265 runners (and 7th in his age category!). I'm so proud of him! And our friend Matt ran too and did awesome as well!! Here's a photo of the two Matts at the finish line...Great Job guys!!!



I almost forgot to tell you that I did some scrapping on Saturday with some girlfriends at The Art House Studio, and I worked away for probably five hours...and even got something accomplished!! I would give you more details about what I was working on, but it's a gift, so I can't give it away...I was super proud of myself for working away for so long and for how much I got done. It was a good day!!

I have an appointment with Dr. Rachakonda today after my radiation treatment. I think he will be very happy with my progress so far!

The sun is shining and beckoning me to come for a walk. I think the fresh air will be just what the doctor ordered!!

xoxoxoxoxoox

Lucky #13...

So yesterday I had my 13th treatment! That means I'm more than half way done (I have 12 to go!!). Is that a light I see shining at the end of the tunnel??!!!

I am now starting to experience some skin irritation. It's turning pink and is just a little bit uncomfortable. Of course, the irritation seems to be right along the bra line, so at this point it's really only uncomfortable if I wear a bra (and actually feels fine if I don't). So, I'm going to let the one girl swing free as much as I can to help the other side out! Don't worry, I will exercise proper bra decorum when I'm out in public - like tonight at the Ranger game. No need to start a revolution!

I am experiencing some fatigue these days. Usually in the afternoon I need a little nap to get me through...turns out this isn't too much of a struggle for me!

Last night we got to meet baby Paige. I mentioned Paige in an earlier blog posting - she arrived last Friday.



She is so very very cute and so very very tiny. I think we'll have to go back soon to get another peak!! Congrats again, Rob & Steph. She is precious!!

I know some of you will be super excited about the long weekend that is now upon us! I hope the extra day gives you an opportunity to do something fun with your family!!

xoxoxxoxoxoxo

X-rays Explained...and an Electrifying Story Too!!

So today I had an appointment to see Dr. Rachakonda after my radiation treatment. It's a pretty simple appointment...he asks how I'm doing and if I have any questions. He took a look and confirmed that so far I don't have anything to cause any concern. My skin is starting to get a little darker - kind of like a sun tan.

I took the opportunity today to ask Dr. Rachakonda why I had so many x-rays last week. The answer is as I suspected. They want to make sure I am in the exact right position for my treatments. Since they had to make a minor adjustment last week, they took x-rays the next two days just to double check. All is good!!

Today there were no x-rays and my treatment went really quick.

I did want to tell you about a very nice lady I met last week while waiting for my treatment. Last week we just said hello, but today we got the chance to chat for a few minutes and she told me her story. I thought I'd take the opportunity to share it with all of you. She lives on a farm and one day last spring she could see a storm was coming in, big black clouds were approaching. She went out to round up some people who were horse back riding, and as she was hollering at them that a storm was coming and they should come in, she was hit by lightning! Her crocs melted to her feet and she was knocked unconscious. Emergency crews were called and she woke up as they were entering the hospital. She was fine, except for a black burn in her mouth. When the doctor came to talk to her and her family to let them know she was going to be fine, he mentioned the large tumour in her lung. She had no idea she had a tumour in her lung, and by all accounts if she had not been hit by lightning, would not have known about it and would not have been treated for her cancer. She said she would not have lived very long. This lady, full of life and busy knitting away at a mitt, is thankful that she was hit by lightning. And who wouldn't be...it saved her life! Today she is battling her lung cancer for the second time and says this time she is going to beat it!! My money's on her!!

They say God whispers when he needs to tell you something...and I guess if you're not listening He'll find a way to get your attention!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

Catching Up…

So, I know some of you may wonder why I’m not blogging more frequently. I know you worry if I’m ok since I haven’t updated…but the reality is most of the time I don’t think I have anything interesting to say… I don’t want to bore you with my day to day routine…yep, this morning I woke up, checked my email, had some oatmeal, watched “The Price is Right”…

But after a few days I start to think “I should really update my blog”. Then the pressure is on…what I should write about…my life is really kinda boring these days…just back and forth to GRRCC . So, I save it all up and then I figure I have an interesting (and I guess kind of long) blog entry!

Last Tuesday, we went to the Ranger game. It was a group of five – me, Matt, Karen, Rob and Stephanie. Stephanie, who was experiencing contractions during the game (with the baby’s due date a week away), had me nervous. She was timing her contractions and recording them on her blackberry – five minutes apart! Holy crap! Are you sure you want the possibility of your water breaking at the Aud??!! She was brave and you would never guess this was her first! She was not panicking at all…just enjoying the game between contractions. Rob and Stephanie left near the end of the second period, and weren’t sure if they were going home or to the hospital. They went home, and welcomed Baby Paige on Friday. I can’t wait to meet her!! Congratulations Steph & Rob!!

So, my radiation therapy is coming along quite nicely. It’s still easy peasy and I still have no side effects (other than a little fatigue). I did learn more about what an exact science radiation is. I am supposed to have an x-ray once a week. It’s not a diagnostic x-ray, it’s to make sure they are beaming me in the right place. So, as it turned out last week, I think I had an x-ray every day but Monday. When I went to treatment on Wednesday, they told me the x-ray they had taken on Tuesday showed they had to make a minor adjustment (we’re talking millimeters). Sounded fine to me. They made the adjustment and took another x-ray. On Thursday, they took another x-ray to make sure everything was good with the adjustment from Wednesday and than on Friday they took another x-ray. Tomorrow I have an appointment with Dr. Rachakonda, and I want to ask him why I needed so many x-rays!

Since my energy has been better, I seem to want to get out into the world more and as a result, have had some great visits with friends I haven’t been able to spend much time with over the last few months. I am loving feeling more normal and getting out into the world! This is so much better than being home bound. However, I forgot to listen to my body, and I crashed on Friday. I was feeling a little tired and headache-y on Thursday and still I didn’t listen…so Friday I crashed. I felt terrible. Bad head, body aching, nauseous and weak. I had to skip fitness, lunch with my friend Firmina and a night out with the neighbours. I even almost skipped radiation. Since I hadn’t thrown up for a few hours, Matt drove me to radiation and I still had my treatment. They said to come as long as I could get myself there…so I’m happy I did. I had a good sleep on Friday and even had a bit to eat for dinner on Friday night. I’m so glad I did.

On Saturday we went to the celebration of a good friend’s father (who had passed away a week or so before) and then on to my baby brother’s 40th birthday party. Surely wee Davey isn’t 40!!




Here are a couple of photos from the celebration. Love you Dave. Welcome to the next decade!!


I want to send out some big good luck vibes to my friend Chris McGonigle…who is playing some serious playoff hockey right now and kicking it!! Good luck with the big game tomorrow, Chris. We are cheering you on from K-W!!

And since it’s the day for love tomorrow…know that I am sending tons out to all of you!! I wish you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day!! I know I’ll be loving up my Valentine here at home!!

xxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

One Week Down...Four to Go!

So, yesterday I had my fifth radiation treatment! That means I only have twenty treatments to go! So far it's pretty easy. No skin irritation yet, just a little fatigue (not sure if that's from the radiation yet, or just an accumulation of everything...)

I met with Dr. Rachakonda (my Radiation Oncologist) and his lovely nurse, Linda. She is such a lovely lady and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy!! I saw them just before my treatment and it was a pretty quick visit! Since I don't have any irritation yet, they were just checking in to see how it was going and if I had any questions. I will see Dr. Rachakonda once a week during my treatments.

On Friday when I was at the GRRCC waiting for radiation, I was sitting next to a lady who had also started her treatments last week. She asked me if I was staying at the Lodge. I had no idea what she was talking about and apparently it showed in my face because before I could say anything she asked me if I was local. I nodded and said I lived in Waterloo. She went on to tell me she lives in Meaford, so stays the week in Kitchener (at the Lodge) for her treatments, and then goes home for the weekend. The Lodge is located across the street from the hospital and provides a place for out of town patients/family to stay. While I am very happy Grand River Hospital has this facility, the conversation with this lady made me feel so truly grateful that home for me is a short ten-fifteen minute drive.

I have to give a BIG shout out to my main man, Matt! He ran in a 5 km race on Sunday and came in FIRST in his age category, and 11th overall!! So proud of you, Babe!!

Not too much else going on right now. Enjoying fitness (yes...those words were uttered out of my mouth) and continuing to increase my weights (and very excited to be lifting weights with my left arm)!! I am off to the Ranger game tonight with some girlfriends...can't wait to sit in the good seats and cheer away!!

Wishing you all a beautiful day!

xoxoxoxoxox

I’ve been radiated!!

So, yesterday I went to my first radiation therapy appointment. It was easy breezy and everyone was super friendly!! I had some wee teachings before hand and I thought I’d share it with you (are you ready to go to radiation with me??!!)

Where to go when I arrive at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre? Just check in with the radiation reception and walk right in. Don’t even have to flash my well used OHIP card …

What to do to get ready? Undress from the waste up (yep…those beauty hospital gowns are stacked there ready for use). Store my stuff in a little locker. Take off my shoes and put on some hospital slippers (you know the ones – papery blue material with the seam running through the middle). They did say I could bring my own slippers if I want…

Where to wait? There are four treatment rooms and I will likely be in the same treatment room for most (if not all) of my treatments. Yeah for Treatment Room 1!! Each treatment room has a little corresponding waiting room. So I wait there for the radiation technician to come and get me. There is a white board outside each treatment room that will let you know if they are running on time, or if you are in for a wait. Yesterday there was a twenty minute wait. Today when I went there was someone looking for me before I even had a chance to get changed!

What to expect? You walk down an S shaped hallway into the treatment room. There is a bed (and I use this term most loosely – it’s more of a movable metal board) that has the mold we made a couple of weeks ago. I lie down, slip my arms out of my gown and get my head and arms in the right place in the mold (it surprised me how easily they fit!!) and then the technicians push and pull me (using the sheet underneath me mostly) to get me in the exact right place. They also move the bed/board around (up/down/right/left) to help get me in the right place. The room is not brightly lit, and there are red laser type beams coming out of the wall. These beams help them line me up. There is a TV in the wall that has my “prescription and coordinates” from the radiation oncologist and the radiation technicians proceed to check their angles to match these instructions (using my tattoos). I get “zapped” three times at each treatment from different angles. I found this picture of a radiation machine on line. It looks a lot like the one they use for me.



The machine moves to correspond with each angle and than stops to deliver the treatment. It moves again for the next treatment. For the first two, there is this gel like material that they put on top of me to sort of trick the machine about the depth of the treatment. This material comes off for the last treatment. The technicians leave the room while I’m getting my radiation, but if I need them for anything, I just have to wave and they’ll see me. They come back to take off the gel like material before my last treatment, and at the end to put the bed back in the start position so I can hop off.

So, I’ve had two treatments and have 23 left…no problem!!

Not only did I start radiation yesterday, I also started a new Tuesday afternoon routine! My young friend, Jade (from across the street) is in Grade 2. Her Mom asked me if I would be interested in walking Jade home from school on Tuesdays and then have her hang out with me for half an hour or so until Mom gets home. Yesterday was our first date! It was pretty fun. She is great to chat with and loves cookies!! I was even able to schedule my radiation therapy so that it won’t interfere with walking Jade home!

I’m off to have dinner with some girlfriends I haven’t seen very much in the last six or seven months! I’m really looking forward to seeing them. And very glad my driver has a big truck with big tires to get me there!!

Stay warm and don’t forget to stretch when shoveling!!

xoxoxoxxoox