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Yesterday, I had my last radiation treatment. The tech ripped off the last piece of tape covering and protecting my marks. The skin underneath is a bit funky since the tape was there for about eight weeks, but it is gone. The marks will wear off in the next week or two. It feels like a milestone. It will still be a while before I get my energy back, but I do feel better than I did. (Couldn't really feel too much worse!)
I'm back. Sorry for the silence. It's been a struggle. I was fine on Friday when Mendon and Kristen first came to visit for their Spring Break. Then on Saturday I started to feel pretty yucky. And it went downhill from there.
We all thought I was developing a cold, but it was a reaction to the 5-FU. In addition to the cold-like symptoms, I developed blisters on my hands and feet and sores in my mouth and throat. Plus, I wasn't keeping food down. The upshot is they took me off the 5-FU the following Tuesday and infused me with saline solution twice. They consideered admitting me, but didn't. I take that as a good sign.
I have sort of lost track of everything that went on, but they didn't put me back on the 5-FU (mostly at my request). I only have two more radiation treatments, so there is little point in risking the side-effects.
I am feeling much better now and am really looking forward to the end of radiation.
I'm about to be unmasked in my pretense, so I will do it for you. I have been thoroughly honest in what I have told you, but I haven't been very thorough. (So everything I've said has been true, but it hasn't been everything.) And it's not all that bad, either, but just the same, I want to come clean before Mensch rats me out.
I've been making as if I was just fine and the radiation is not having an effect on me at all. Not quite true, but the doctors are pleased and amazed that I am doing as well as I am.
I've stayed home from work pretty much all week plus last Friday. I'm just too tired to get up, get washed and dressed and then stay up. I pretty much get up, eat, wash, dress and go back to sleep. Eat lunch, doze until it is time to go to radiation, come home, eat, sleep (or sleep, eat, sleep) and go to bed.
But the really good news is! I'm not throwing up at all! (For those of you who know me well, this is really, really good news! I hate throwing up!) The other good news that the Doctors are happy about is that my weight is remaining stable.
The sort of bad news is that I have a rotten cold. Not a terrible cold, just a rotten one. No fever, so no real problem, just enough to make me miserable and whiny.
So there, now you all know. In truth, it is actually better than I expected, so I am grateful. And Mendon won't have to feel like a tattle-tale for telling the truth. I am sorry to have deceived you, but it was for my own good.
And, to reassure you, I'm not driving myself to and from. During the first week, I was, but I noticed that I was weaving on the road one day and other cars were beeping at me, so now I have arranged other transportation.
And some really good news. I am more than half-way with my radiation. That means that I finish either on March 24 or March 27th, depending on who can count, me or the technician. I'm hoping it's her, but afraid it might be me.
That looks funny. Is it spelled correctly?
Anyway, Gramma called me and told me that Rahmat had called her and told her that . . .
he and Vickie are going to get married when he goes back to Argentina this month.
So, what do you think about that?
Here it is. Big enough?