.So it’s getting serious!! I have had many appointments at the since my last post. All of them are to get ready for radiation treatments to start. It was a very busy, productive and strengthening week. We are currently taking it day by day. I will post a couple pictures that might not be so easy to look at. Apologies in advance. I might just start at the beginning of the week on Monday.
Monday
Cross Cancer yet again
My Cross Cancer Institute (CCI) appointment was on Monday August 15, 2016. It was set to get prepared for radiation. When you enter the CCI you have to first check in at reception. You have to show them your Cross Cancer Card and they pull up all of your appointments for the day. You get a green sheet which is basically your itinerary for the day. I was scheduled for over 3 hours that day. Jeff and I had brought things to occupy ourselves with should there be any time we sat and waited. This was mostly only the case for Jeff.
First stop was the Blood collection lab. When the lab technician put the paper down and I could see why they were doing blood work I was a little disheartened again. The doctor was sending my calcitonin level yet another time. It felt like he still hadn’t really taken the time to look into my test results. Calcitonin levels take about a week to get back and I had done my last level about 1.5 weeks before.
But, oh well I will have a very good overview how much the level is falling. After a quick lunch of sushi and a sandwich, we were off to the basement. The basement of the CCI is very cold. Everything is insulated to the max so none of the radiation leaks anywhere that it shouldn’t. You can imagine that it’s not the most comfortable place to sit in a hospital gown and a house coat.
Making the mold
Luckily, they are all very good at bringing warm blankets and trying to make you as comfortable as possible. The first appointment was to make my ‘shell’. I will have to wear this mold wear every time I go for radiation. It will hold me in a certain position so that I can’t move. This is to ensure the same areas are radiated every single time to increase effectiveness.
Two guys brought me into a room in the back and walked me through how the mold would be made. It’s a yellow looking plastic with holes in it. A special machine warms it up to make it moldable. They positioned me and tweaked this and that. They shifted my position by pushing my whole body to make sure I was as straight as possible. My neck was extended a little so that the area that needs to get the most of the radiation is as exposed as possible. And then it gets uncomfortable.
They asked me to close my eyes and not move and applied this warm, almost hot, plastic onto my face and chest. It basically sits just under my nose and goes halfway down my chest. The plastic is then strapped in so it doesn’t move either. Both of the guys start to put pressure on it and pressing it against my neck and face to make sure it’s as snug as possible.
Longest 6 minutes of my life
After about a minute of them holding it down the waiting begins for it to harden. It needs to stay on for 6 minutes to ensure it won’t change after they take it off. I think that may have been some of the longest 6 minutes I experienced in a long time. I needed to swallow so badly. However, I couldn’t because my neck was positioned in a weird position.
I had to concentrate so hard not to freak out. Every minute they would tell me that another one had passed and how much longer I had to wait. One of the guys asked me which area of the city my address was at. All I could do was think ‘dude I can’t talk’ and his partner told him the same. So they started guessing the areas with me giving a thumbs up or down. I am so thankful that they kind of distracted me, even if they didn’t mean to. When they finally took it off it was such good feeling.
After a short period of waiting, I was led into another room to do my simulation CT scan. I wore the mold and was put in a straight position. Once situated, they did a couple scans. These scans are used by Dr. J. to determine where the radiation needed to be. They also marked the right spots on the shell. The picture is me at the CT scan. The green lines are just for the CT to make sure I was straight. I was free to go after this was done. The day was only one and a half hours after all.
Tuesday
On Tuesday I did physio again and this time I did ask my physiotherapist if it would be ok if I only did one session this week. I am so tired and almost stressed about physio. There was just so much going on that week.
After I was done, I really only had time for lunch and a little bit of break before my next appointment. This time it was a good one though I got to go to the hairdresser. Got a nice haircut and even got some curls since we were going for a photoshoot that night.
I had contacted a girl I went to school with and then ended up working with. I asked if she would take some pictures of Jeff and I before my hair potentially falls out. Luckily, she said yes and still had an opening. We went out to her parents farm and I have to say the place is absolutely beautiful. Definitely a great place for pictures. I am so excited to see how they turned out. Here is a sneak peak.
Wednesday
Dental appointment
Wednesday was another super busy afternoon. I had an appointment at the University Dental Clinic for a pre radiation consultation. So I went early so I could still go and talk to some work colleagues and to management. There are a few changes happening at work and I had a few questions about it, so I figured this would be a great time. Unfortunately I didn’t account for the fact that it was lunch time. So I didn’t actually get to talk to my manager until after my dental appointment.
I have to say I love the dental clinic. They just did Renovations so it’s super nice to begin with and the staff is amazing. First I got X-Rays and impressions for fluoride trays and a night guard. The fluoride trays will probably be something I will have to use for the rest of my life. Its basically a help to give more and more fluoride to my teeth every night. I will have to wear the trays for 5 minutes every night with the fluoride on it. This is supposed to help my teeth to stay strong.
The doctors explanation felt like information overload, sort of. Some of the things she had said I had already anticipated but some things I had no idea of. For example, 3 months after radiation is done I will have an appointment with them. I might develop rapid radiation decay which basically means by teeth might rapidly decide to decay/fall out super fast. If this happens I may be in a little bit of a pickle but thats why I will be followed so closely by the U of A dental clinic.
“Fun” new side effects
Another thing, I didn’t really think about or didn’t even know, was that during radiation treatments I may develop sores in my mouth. This should be fun to deal with on top of not having much taste or saliva. It sounds like eating is going to be fun. The one thing that is kind of the scariest of all the side effects is if we have to ever extract a tooth.
In that case I will have to go into the hyperbaric chamber before and after to hyper oxygenate my blood. If this doesn’t happen there is a risk of my jaw bone getting necrotic. So that will be something we will have to really be mindful of and make sure my teeth stay in the best possible health for the rest of my life. Dr. L. (my new dentist) wrote down a list of things I should be doing, as in which kind of medication I can add to my routine to help with dry mouth or fluoride absorption, switching to an electric toothbrush etc..
During the actual exam, she decided to work on 3 areas which would be potential cavities. Areas that could be harmed during radiation. So she wanted to do that before radiation would start. That is another appointment added to the list.
Keep adding on
After I was done with that appointment I had to deal with my car. I had an accident on Saturday. I was backing out of a parking spot and a guy came ripping up behind me. He took off my bumper, but somehow its 100% my fault.
So, I had to bring my car to the body shop to get an estimate to get it repaired. While my car was in the shop Ines (my sister) and my cousin, who is here from Germany for a visit, picked me up and we went to Costco. When I went to pick up my car gain, I was a little baffled by the amount of money it would cost to get everything fixed. But oh well, nothing you can do about that.
Thursday
I have to say Thursday was actually a really good day. I met up with a friend from church and played with her kids. We had some cake and coffee. She had offered me some of her scarves since I will be needing them even more now. After radiation I should try to avoid the UV rays form the sun even more.
Apparently the two types of radiation exposures don’t really go well together. So we sat and talked for a few hours, played with the kids and picked out scarves. When I left she even gave me organic greens as in Kale for my juicing journey. It was a great day.
Friday
On Friday I went to a baby shower for one of the girls from work. Her little one is just the cutest thing ever. My parents had left to go to the mountains with my cousin and sister, so I had to puppy sit their dog. So after checking on him again, I was on my way to girls night at Browns Social House.
They were doing an Olympic promotion. They were giving away earrings from Hillberk & Berg. I had been going for a couple weeks already because they were only giving them away on Fridays. This time we actually got them and I love them. Went then went to my house for some dessert and some TV. Again it was a good day.
Weekend
Saturday was the PICU BBQ. It was nice to see some co – workers again and eat some Fat Franks. I had a lot of great conversation and again got to play with some of the babies of the PICU family. Sunday we went to church and to lunch with my family. In the evening I was giving a testimony in church and we went out with both Jeff and my parents for a snack dinner.
Monday was a weird day for me. I woke up feeling sick, like a cold sick and very emotional. So I cancelled my physio appointment and just stayed home. Jeff and I made it an ‘us’ day and just sat on the couch and relaxed before the storm begins later this week.
As for the rest of the week, I will be going to the dentist again today to get my teeth fixed and hopefully pick up the fluoride trays and the night guard. On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 I will have my radiation education session and then starting with Thursday I will get radiation treatments every day. Monday to Friday unless its a holiday. I have to say it is a lot and i sometimes get a bit overwhelmed but I do know that I have a lot of people supporting me and praying for me and that makes it a little easier. Thank you everyone again for all the prayers and support.
