Last night was not fun. The nurses at the cancer clinic told me the Cisplatin (my chemotherapy drug) is full of steroids that would more than likely keep me up for that first night. Well, she must know a thing or two because I did not sleep well last night at all. I watched a few episodes of M.A.S.H. on the couch before crashing hard after the long busy day. I woke-up at 2:30 in the morning not knowing what was going on. After a couple minutes of regaining myself, I walked up-stairs and slid into bed next to Jessica. Once in bed, I could not go back to sleep. I felt myself becoming more and more conscious of my surrounds, which is opposite of what I was going for. I hoped out of bed and took some meds, but that didn't help. I laid there for the better part of two hours before finally slipping off again.
I woke-up a 7:00 and laid in bed for a good thirty minutes before getting-up to shower. I had my first radiation treatment this morning, so I knew I could lounge around forever. If we were going to make in time, Jess and I would need to leave the house around 8:00. Jess was already getting ready when I joined the fun. Lucky for me, I get to rock the look of a cancer patient, so doing many of the things I would normally do to look my best are not necessary. I had to do some quick cleaning and maintenance on my PEG tube, jump in the shower, and toss on some clothes and a hat before I was ready to charge toward the hospital.
Jess and I left a couple minutes past 8:00. The drive would normally take us 35-40 minutes, but today was slightly different. We must have been riding the same wave as lady luck because we got to the main hospital in record time. Not only that... we also found a nice, wide parking spot for the truck in the small parking lot... NOT in the parking garage. The parking spot I found was right next to the cross-walk, things couldn't pan out any better. I looked over to Jess and mentioned that our luck might extend to me being seen earlier than my scheduled time.
Jess and I walked down to the Radiation Oncology clinic and found ourselves a nice spot to settle into within the waiting room. I had been drinking a lot of water since waking-up, so I was making routine trips to the bathroom. We watched as numerous patients checked-in, sat down, and got called back for their scheduled appointments, obviously lady luck had left our side. Before we knew it, it was 9:50... thirty minutes past my scheduled appointment.
I was called back right around 10:00. Since I am being treated in a room full of nasty radiation, Jess did not accompany. A technician escorted me down a short hallway. On our way, we stopped at a heating locker full of blankets. She asked if I would like one since it tends to get cold inside the treatment room. I accepted her offer, and off we went. The room we entered was different than the one I had been in when fitted for my mask. It was slightly smaller, but still had one of those huge CT scanner looking machines. This machine is called the Tomo Therapy Advanced Radiotherapy. It enables the use of radioactive therapy while using the computed tomography (CT) scanning technology. Basically... it enables the doctor to shoot the radioactive lasers to a spot within a millimeter of accuracy... assuming the patient lays still.
On the bed, you can see a dark blue preform. This was the mold we took of the back of my head. The dark blue piece of plastic is where I had to rest my head. The lighter blue plastic piece above (that looks like a creepy person) will go over me and secure me to the bed.
Before getting into position, the nurse explained to me what was about to happen. She told me that I would first remove my hat, glasses, and shirt before laying down on the bed. She and the other female technician would then secure me in place using top portion of the mold I created during my last visit. Once I was secured in place, the techs would align my body so that the lasers hit the marks on the top of my mask. The techs would then leave the room to execute my treatment from a control room off to the side. First, I would be slide into the scanner to undergo a normal CT scan. This first scan was used to ensure I was positioned correctly. Once the doctor okays my positioning, I would re-enter the scanner to undergo the actual radiation treatment. Once the treatment is over, I would be slid back out and released of my mask.
At this point, I was needing to pee again. I asked to use the restroom before we started, but that would require me to walk all the way back to the waiting-room and I didn't want to hold these nice ladies up. I was assured the whole process would last no longer than twenty minutes. Confident I could hold off that long, I climbed up onto the bed to be strapped in.
The treatment it self takes about five minutes. During that time, a contraption from within the scanner sweeps around your head numerous times. If fires off like a sick shotgun. Have you ever been to a go-cart place and watched as the slowest go-cart get passed by everyone? It is the one that has a very unique sound... as if the motor needs a good rebuild. Well, that is how this machine sounds as it fires these radiation beams into my head.
After the treatment was done, I was released back to the waiting room where Jess was waiting patiently. I ran straight to the restroom afraid I wouldn't make it.
Once relieved, I helped Jess gather our things and off we went. First radiation treatment in the books.
Jess and I stopped at Costco on our way home. We walked through the entire store only to buy a few items, which I am totally okay with. I love walking through that store. It has so many cool items and killer deals. Jess and I have been talking about investing in a second refrigerator and freezer for the garage so we can take more advantage of these nice prices, maximizing the money it cost us for our membership.
By the time we got home, I was overwhelmed by the need for sleep. I did some dishes before escaping to my bed. I went to sleep around 1:30 in the afternoon and did wake-up until 4:30.
So, today hasn't been too bad. Last night's restlessness was due to the chemo treatment the day before. Aside from that, I have been experiencing a mild headache all day. It is not bad enough to whinge about, but noticeable none the less. My mouth was extremely dry when I woke from my nap this afternoon. More so than normal. I've been going to the bathroom non-stop, which is good because that means I am staying hydrated. The nurse at the cancer clinic had warned me that Cisplatin can damage the bladder if it is not flushed regularly. Considering the number of restroom visits today, I'm confident I am holding up my end of the bargain. I'm not feeling bad, but I'm not feeling 100%. I can tell the chemo is taking its toll on my body. I imagine by tomorrow I will begin feeling even more rundown. I had one small episode this morning where I felt nauseous, but that subsided quickly after I took some medications. Aside from that one instance, I've experienced no nausea... thank goodness!
Day two in coming to an end. I have radiation treatments Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, so I imagine I will begin feeling some of the mild side-eefects by the week's end. As promised, I will keep you all informed of how this battle pans out.
Thank you again for sharing in a piece of my life.
Chris
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