The radiation was pretty much what I
expected. I lay on a table and a machine with an arm that extends
over the top of the table hovered above me. The arm can move the
machine to either side of the table and can even go underneath it.
For me, I received a shot of radiation on both sides and one from
underneath. It was just about 15 seconds in each position. I had a
slightly embarrassing moment right before we got started. One of the
rules there is that you have to put on a pair of their scrubs. I put
the scrubs on and tied them up and headed in. After lying down on the
table, but right before the radiation started, the guy asked me to
pull the scrubs down a little so they could make sure that the pelvis
was aligned correctly on the table. As I started to undo the knot, I
realized that I had double knotted it, like a shoe knot. Short of
having this problem while standing at a urinal, there is no worse
feeling in the world than having someone else watch you try and get
that knot out.
Probably the weirdest thing about that
part of it was what happened after. As I had mentioned in a prior
post, they put three dots on me to make sure I was aligned correctly
for the radiation machine. The dot under my belly button must have
been wrong because they needed to mark a new spot, which they did
with a piece of tape. Some special kind of tape that won’t come
off…ever. To get the tape on me, there had to be a little shaving
done in an area that doesn’t usually see a razor. Not so far south
that I felt the need to inquire about his alcohol intake and his
steady hand, but south enough that the feel of a razor being held by
someone else was slightly concerning.
After that was done, we began the drive
back to the Sault, during which, I slept a good part of the way. I’m
taking the Road To Recovery van today. That’s a van (obviously),
that goes from the Sault to Petoskey every day for people who are
receiving radiation. It’s pretty cool because it’s a free service
and the drivers are donating their time to help out. I’m not sure
how I’ll like the van since there will most likely be other people
in it, and I’m going to be tired and wanting to sleep on the way
down and the way back.
When I was younger, I took a trip to
Barbados. While there, we took a “bus”from our hotel to whatever
tourist spot we were going to. Barbados is an English speaking
Island, but for whatever reason in that corner of the world, bus must
translate into “Volkswagen van.” By the time I got to my
destination, there must have been 40 people riding that thing, and
while they are a nice people, they are not shy. Nor are they
concerned with personal space - theirs, or more importantly, mine. I
walked 10 miles that day because I refused to get back on that thing
for the ride back. We rented out a cab the next day and greatly
overpaid the driver to stay with us the whole day. After the first
“bus” ride though, I decided that the cab might have been the
best money I spent on that vacation.
Since then, any form of public
transportation that involves more than Kelly and I in the back of a
taxi makes me a little nervous.
Did I mention that it’s a free
service? (I’m praying for bucket seats)
Later last night after catching a
little more sleep and then eating dinner, I found myself facing the
task of putting the chemo pills in the handy-dandy pill box that was
sent to me along with them. I don’t know why, but I had been
delaying this and when it was finally done, I just sort of sat on the
couch looking at it. I opened up the section designated for Monday
Evening and shook the pills out into my hand. Or it might have been
that my hands were shaking so bad that they knocked the pills out and
I was lucky enough to catch them. Either way, the pills ended up
where they needed to be. I stared at them, trying to let them know
what was permissible to do to my body and what wasn’t. Finally,
after getting my point across, I threw them back with some flavored
water and closed up the now empty compartment. I don’t know what I
was expecting to happen, but nothing did. I went to work last night
and experienced no ill effects. I sincerely hope that continues.
Thank-you for all the concern as to how
it went and the thoughts and prayers that were sent my way before the
process began.
I Will Win
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