The Village

This week I added another person to my medical team....it takes a village! I'm seeing an occupational therapist at Providence St. Mary's here in Walla Walla. This treatment is to help prevent lymphodema and keep full range of motion with my arm and chest muscles.

I am getting weary of so many appointments. It is probably the radiation fatigue that is settling in now. I have about two more weeks left.

Wednesday

Excuse the unoriginal title, but not feeling title-creative today....coming up with these is the most difficult part of the blog.  

Ginger asked if radiation treatment was supposed to make me tired.  Most people I have talked to say it does, although not every person reacts in the same way.  So I hope it doesn't, but we'll see.

Now in my third week of treatment at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, I feel like an old hand, especially on days when I hear a nurse giving a new patient the drill.  I feel bad for the patient, because I know how I felt that first day. 

The first thing I do is go to a curtained changing room and put on a patient wrap-top.  Then I sit with other patients in a small waiting room until a therapist calls my name.  All the patients I've seen there are older than me, which is new. At Seattle, you see patients of all ages.  

At first it felt uncomfortable. I felt like I was sitting in my PJs with strangers, but now I don't care who sees me and how much they see of me.  You tend to lose your sense of modesty.

Monday, Monday

Today is one of those days where treatment feels like a full-time job.  After a couple of hours of work, I'll meet an oncologist this morning at St. Mary's Cancer Center, then drive to Tri-Cities for a 10-minute radiation treatment, then go back to St. Mary's for my first Herceptin treatment in Walla Walla. (I'm transferring treatment here, although I'll still be returning to Seattle for tests and to see my primary oncologist.)

I just realized I'm spending the same amount of total hours on the road as I did with the weekly trip to Seattle. 

Radiation Here I Come

Tomorrow is my first radiation treatment at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center. I'll be getting it everyday—except for the weekends—for about the next six weeks.  

Today I had some final imaging measurements taken, or whatever it is they do to prepare.  I just lay there and do what they tell me to do.  "Try to stay still."  "Turn your head to the right." 

I drove myself today.  This is first time I've gone alone to a medical appointment ever since I was diagnosed.  I decided to take the "alone time" opportunity while I'm still fairly energetic. 

I enjoyed the sunny-day drive and it was so warm that I ventured into Target sans the scarf on my head. I don't look bald anymore. It just looks like I have an extremely close, ultra modern crew cut.  

I also went to a Taco Time wearing a turban-style scarf and a customer asked me in a nicely inquisitive way "is there a reason you are wearing your scarf that way....is it your culture?" "No," I said, exposing the side of  head, "It's chemo!"  We found that quite funny.   He told me it looked very cool.  Thank you, sir. You made my day.