Day 1

Started the day pretty nervous which Mr Cuddles picked up on right away and he stuck to me like a friendly little Yoda burr.

My friend Grace picked me up and we headed to my ice cream store for a pre radiation celebration. We were greeted by the back yard Sir Rustalot.

and sadly a locked door!

Undaunted we journeyed on.

We were good and early for the actual appointment and they took us in early and gave me this:

It's my appointments for the next 25 week days. With the goal to get to here:

October 24th is the day to get to. I can do that.

The radiologist guy, (I don't know his title or last name but my friend Gail who popped into my appointment ((Yay!)) called him Bruce so I'm going with that) took me into a "quiet room" and explained what was going to happen. He is super nice, accepted the information that it was International Talk Like a Pirate day with aplomb and is someone like my new knee surgeon who I felt an immediate confidence in.

Among other things he said flat out "We're going to hurt you." He explained that there will be a bolus and I heard bolero and my mind went to why are they giving me a short but stylish jacket?

Sadly a radiation bolus is a kind of fake skin that is used either to protect the skin OR in my case: "removes the skin-sparing effect of a megavoltage x-ray beam" so that the radiation will go directly to the skin. That beside the tiredness and bladder and bowel affects will be the worst because the skin in the perineum will break down for sure because the bolus directs the rays there.

I don't really think of it as them hurting me though, more that they're hurting the cancer.

He explained that the effects will probably happen gradually and I may feel okay for a few weeks but they'll probably last several weeks after the treatment ends too.

Then it was time to head into the treatment room.

Kind of makes me happy that a quilter's guild like the one Mom used to be part of has decorated the joint. There's a different quilt pattern for each treatment room.

Best thing about the machine is that it has a pirate option in it's intercom translation program! I hope to test it out in the future.

It took the longest to cut up the bolus - it looked like bubble wrap to me. I didn't really notice the quilt themes till on my way out (you'll be relieved to know I was alone when I took those pictures and not snapping away madly with people around) but while four really smart talented women were standing over me figuring out how to cut and place the bolus I was totally reminded of sitting under a quilt as a child and half listening to smart talented women figuring out the next technical step in the quilt. There was a lot of math used in both processes! Happy to leave it to the pros.

That's what took the longest, after today I should be in and out in half an hour.

The radiation itself doesn't hurt at all during treatment. The machine moves around you for a few minutes then it's done.

Bruce, Dr? Bruce said that I can still go swimming for a while and my pirate team was happy to hear that!

That's Pirate Emily's spa kit in her hand and before swimming my toes my toes got a make over!

We had a super fun bonus swim and now I'm off to bed. I know what to expect now and that helps a lot.