Radioactive

Eek!  How has it already been a month since I wrote an update?  I guess I have been busy feeling better and having fewer appointments.  Oh, and busy growing hair!

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My trips to Seattle are down to once every three weeks and that is for my Keytruda – none of those nasty chemo chemicals.  I don’t even have blood draws or have to meet with the doctor every time, so that’s even more free time for me.  I’ve kept busy working, reading and preparing for a quiet Christmas at home.  

Radiation

I’m now in the third and final stage of my treatment plan: radiation.

[x] Chemo
[x] Surgery
[  ] Radiation

While I don’t have to go to Seattle as often, I do have daily appointments at Valley Medical Center at Renton.  I will be at Valley every morning, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays until February 1st. Luckily the appointments are quick – maybe 10 minutes – and the drive is much shorter to Renton than it was to Seattle (30 minutes vs 60).  

It took some time to get started with my radiation.  I met with Dr. Douglas before I had my surgery.  He went over what treatment would be like and the most common side effects.  Generally, radiation is much easier to tolerate than chemo.  I may feel a bit tired and have some redness where I’ve been zapped.  

A lot of planning went into starting radiation treatments as they customized my treatment just for me. The medical team took a CT scan and tattooed me in several spots to ensure that they’re treating precisely the right area.  My tattoos are just teeny tiny dots, but they still hurt like the dickens.   

After a dry run to confirm that everything lined up with what they had planned, I started my treatments last week.  So far I have had five treatments and all I have to do is lay there.  Literally.  I lay on the table with my arms over my head, while the technicians scooch me into the right position.  Then they zap my right side, from neck to stomach, and again – I lay there. I have yet to notice any super powers stemming from my radiation, but it’s early still… 🤞

Happy Holidays

As this year wraps up, I want to wish you all a happy holiday season. 2020 didn’t turn out like any of us had expected and I am ready to move on to 2021.

J and I are having a quiet Christmas at home with Lola. We’re planning to eat a lot of good food, do some baking, and watch Wonder Woman and Tenent. I hope you get to spend some time with family and enjoy all of the goodness (and goodies) of the holiday season.