Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
So I've started to peel
... also to pee - but didn't think that you'd keep reading if I put that in the title!
The peeling is in the sensitive area where your pubic hair (if you have any!) meets your leg - shall we call it the bikini line?And it's painful people, painful. Also - don't believe that story that it's like a sunburn. No way. More like the burn that you get when you sit in the oven for an hour! And rather than a red burn, this is a brown, burnt skin. Not fun at all.
And the pee? My poor bladder is not liking this last bit of radiation and is making it known by leaking all the time. I even had to buy Poise pads (Depends.) Humiliation complete.
The good news though, is that spring is almost here, I only have 2 days of treatment left, and my nails look fabulous! See -
The peeling is in the sensitive area where your pubic hair (if you have any!) meets your leg - shall we call it the bikini line?And it's painful people, painful. Also - don't believe that story that it's like a sunburn. No way. More like the burn that you get when you sit in the oven for an hour! And rather than a red burn, this is a brown, burnt skin. Not fun at all.
And the pee? My poor bladder is not liking this last bit of radiation and is making it known by leaking all the time. I even had to buy Poise pads (Depends.) Humiliation complete.
The good news though, is that spring is almost here, I only have 2 days of treatment left, and my nails look fabulous! See -
The bulbs in the front also pushed up through the ground this morning. It makes me happy. I'm ready for winter to be over and for the weather to warm up. More ready for the radiation to be over. It seems almost impossible to imagine what life will be like without the daily trips to the hospital. But I'm more than willing to find out! I'll have plenty of time in the mornings - come and visit me!
Until next time
Hugs
Megan
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Just 6 more to go!
This is one of those times where time is being a little unpredictable. Some times it feels like this radiation thing has taken forever - and other times it feels like it has flown. Now of course, that may depend on how I am feeling. I have noticed that when I am in a lot of pain, time seems to slow down. Funny that!
So what's been going on? Nothing but radiation people, nothing but radiation! I think that I may have 'peaked' with the fatigue. At least I am hoping that I have! I am always totally exhausted, but am finding it really hard to sleep. Go figure!
Some days I can muster up enough energy to get me through a little excursion with one of the beautiful babes who drive me - yesterday it was a field trip to Trader Joe's . Yes. I'm living the life here, living the life! (TJ's is a supermarket - apparently popular in other areas of the US and has just opened their first three stores in Denver. Yes - it IS very exciting! So I need to remind you that Denver is still a little "wild-west"ish???!!!)
My leg is just now starting to turn pink and getting a bit sensitive. That's making it quite uncomfortable to sit! Hopefully it doesn't get too bad - I'm not sure what we'll have to do then - I may become bed-ridden!Other parts are also getting more pink, if you get my drift! Not fun girls, not fun. (Not sure boys can understand the pain involved here - but use your imagination if you're game!!!)
This is what keeps me smiling ....
... my mantel of love! (Those are the roses from V-day from my man.) It's all the cards that I've received, and you can't see it, but there is a vase that now holds all of the little notes that you've sent me. (What? You haven't sent me anything? Hmmmm - I wasn't going to say anything, but..........!!!!) Whenever I start to get a bit sad, I just take a look and remember that I am loved - makes it easier.
So it looks like by next Wednesday I will be done with radiation. Done, I say. Done. DONE! DONE! Yep - pretty much counting down the minutes right now - I cannot wait for this to be all over.
Oh - and a lot of you are asking how we know Fred is shrinking, or how much he has shrunk, or if he is dead yet. The sad news is that we don't know. I'll have another MRI once I've finished treatment and that will give us a little bit of an idea. But the radiation can continue to work for another 2 years!!!!!!!! The story seems to be that since Fred is so slow growing, he is also slow dying. (I, myself, think that a bullet should have worked fine!!!!)
So there you have a quick little update - until next time loves,
Hugs
Megan
 |
| or in pain.... |
So what's been going on? Nothing but radiation people, nothing but radiation! I think that I may have 'peaked' with the fatigue. At least I am hoping that I have! I am always totally exhausted, but am finding it really hard to sleep. Go figure!
Some days I can muster up enough energy to get me through a little excursion with one of the beautiful babes who drive me - yesterday it was a field trip to Trader Joe's . Yes. I'm living the life here, living the life! (TJ's is a supermarket - apparently popular in other areas of the US and has just opened their first three stores in Denver. Yes - it IS very exciting! So I need to remind you that Denver is still a little "wild-west"ish???!!!)
 |
| it's such a hard life! |
My leg is just now starting to turn pink and getting a bit sensitive. That's making it quite uncomfortable to sit! Hopefully it doesn't get too bad - I'm not sure what we'll have to do then - I may become bed-ridden!Other parts are also getting more pink, if you get my drift! Not fun girls, not fun. (Not sure boys can understand the pain involved here - but use your imagination if you're game!!!)
This is what keeps me smiling ....
... my mantel of love! (Those are the roses from V-day from my man.) It's all the cards that I've received, and you can't see it, but there is a vase that now holds all of the little notes that you've sent me. (What? You haven't sent me anything? Hmmmm - I wasn't going to say anything, but..........!!!!) Whenever I start to get a bit sad, I just take a look and remember that I am loved - makes it easier.
So it looks like by next Wednesday I will be done with radiation. Done, I say. Done. DONE! DONE! Yep - pretty much counting down the minutes right now - I cannot wait for this to be all over.
Oh - and a lot of you are asking how we know Fred is shrinking, or how much he has shrunk, or if he is dead yet. The sad news is that we don't know. I'll have another MRI once I've finished treatment and that will give us a little bit of an idea. But the radiation can continue to work for another 2 years!!!!!!!! The story seems to be that since Fred is so slow growing, he is also slow dying. (I, myself, think that a bullet should have worked fine!!!!)
 |
| Ha!!!!!!!! |
So there you have a quick little update - until next time loves,
Hugs
Megan
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
The post with way Too Much Information
We're talking side-effects today people, and this is you warning! If you are male and don't like talking about girlie things (no pillow fights here boys!!), are a little "sensitive" (I'm not censoring this) or just don't care to know this stuff - now's the time to tune out!
**** Just a little bit about why this post: I couldn't find this information after all of my very careful searching on the blogissphere, and I wanted to know. Doctors are notoriously understated about this stuff - perhaps they are scared we'll run away screaming? Anyway - I thought this might be helpful for any of you that may unfortunately need some of this type of information. I would have preferred to have been prepared more than I was! **** (Sincerity rant ended!!)
OK - onto the nitty gritty (still time to run - I won't be offended!)
First off is the nausea. Ugh - some peeps had mentioned it, and apparently I have been hit with a pretty decent dose. The story from the Doc is that because I am being treated in a large area, my side effects are pretty large too. (There's a joke in there somewhere, I just know it. I'll get back to you if I can think of it!) The anti-nausea medicine is doing a fairly good job, but it just won't get me through the whole night. It's kinda like being pregnant again - except without the stretch-marks, 'glow' or hope of a bouncing baby at the end of the time!
OK - so for the sake of being downright truthful here, this has been the suckiest thing so far. Really. I cannot exaggerate this enough - I feel pukey most every moment of every day. And we are only one third of the way through. I have no idea how people do this and still manage to keep working - or just doing everyday things. It's gross and it's sucking my funness. Thank goodness I have my sunny disposition to fall back on (that was sarcasm peeps - it's getting hard to laugh this off - so you know it's getting bad!!)
Along with the sickness comes the fatigue. The doc tried to make this sound a little less brutal by calling it 'tiredness' - but this is life-sucking, "can't walk up the stairs" fatigue. Think of the last time you had a true, muscle-aching flu. Then multiply it by about 15. That should give you a bit of an idea of how tired I am. I am choosing to believe that's because all of my white blood cell "pac-men" are using all of my energy eating up the dead Fred cells. White blood cells appear to need a never-ending supply of energy. Thus there is none left for me to climb the stairs.
When I started this blog three days ago (remember the above point about fatigue - sometimes it means I start things like a post, and then just need to lie down and rest. Who knew typing could be so exhausting? Where was I? Oh yeah - so three days ago one of my side-effects was bi-polar bowels. Fun, huh? But apparently the Zofran has won the war, and constipation reigns. More fun. Let me tell you - sometimes I am totally overcome by the amount of fun this tumor is creating.
These are the three big ones. And nobody wants to talk about them (and seriously, do you blame them?) Now come the other ones. There is a lot of bloating and gas (can we have more fun here?) And my personal favourite - hair loss. Hmmm - this definitely goes in that WTMI [way to much information] category. So to be blunt - this is not the hair from my head peeps, it's what my Mum calls the 'short and curlies'. I personally think this is hysterical - I'm more of a juvenile than you ever imagined! And with that some 'sensitivity' in the "flappage" (this is my big sister's word peeps - urban dictionary. NOT FOR THE SENSITIVE OF YOU OUT THERE - I'M SERIOUS!!! I dare you to use it in a sentence this week!!!!!!!!!)
I'm also having a lot of trouble sleeping. Bizarre considering how exhausted I feel. And of course there is some pain. Some of it I am attributing to Fred dying, and others are from being on the table like a contortionist for an hour every day. Some of it will also depend on the area that you are being treated, so unfortunately for me that includes my hip and groin area.
Good news though is that I haven't had any of the skin burning that I was expecting. My thigh is hotter than the other one for a few hours after my treatment, but it has usually been back to normal by bed time (at the exceptionally late hour of 9:30!!!!I told you I was tired).
OK - so there you have it. If you got this far, I'm very sorry because it obviously means you need this information. (If it's because you love me - thanks!! I love you too - but I think you may know things about me that you wished you didn't)
Hugs
**** Just a little bit about why this post: I couldn't find this information after all of my very careful searching on the blogissphere, and I wanted to know. Doctors are notoriously understated about this stuff - perhaps they are scared we'll run away screaming? Anyway - I thought this might be helpful for any of you that may unfortunately need some of this type of information. I would have preferred to have been prepared more than I was! **** (Sincerity rant ended!!)
OK - onto the nitty gritty (still time to run - I won't be offended!)
OK - so for the sake of being downright truthful here, this has been the suckiest thing so far. Really. I cannot exaggerate this enough - I feel pukey most every moment of every day. And we are only one third of the way through. I have no idea how people do this and still manage to keep working - or just doing everyday things. It's gross and it's sucking my funness. Thank goodness I have my sunny disposition to fall back on (that was sarcasm peeps - it's getting hard to laugh this off - so you know it's getting bad!!)
Along with the sickness comes the fatigue. The doc tried to make this sound a little less brutal by calling it 'tiredness' - but this is life-sucking, "can't walk up the stairs" fatigue. Think of the last time you had a true, muscle-aching flu. Then multiply it by about 15. That should give you a bit of an idea of how tired I am. I am choosing to believe that's because all of my white blood cell "pac-men" are using all of my energy eating up the dead Fred cells. White blood cells appear to need a never-ending supply of energy. Thus there is none left for me to climb the stairs.
When I started this blog three days ago (remember the above point about fatigue - sometimes it means I start things like a post, and then just need to lie down and rest. Who knew typing could be so exhausting? Where was I? Oh yeah - so three days ago one of my side-effects was bi-polar bowels. Fun, huh? But apparently the Zofran has won the war, and constipation reigns. More fun. Let me tell you - sometimes I am totally overcome by the amount of fun this tumor is creating.
 |
| I'm definitely one of the two here.... |
These are the three big ones. And nobody wants to talk about them (and seriously, do you blame them?) Now come the other ones. There is a lot of bloating and gas (can we have more fun here?) And my personal favourite - hair loss. Hmmm - this definitely goes in that WTMI [way to much information] category. So to be blunt - this is not the hair from my head peeps, it's what my Mum calls the 'short and curlies'. I personally think this is hysterical - I'm more of a juvenile than you ever imagined! And with that some 'sensitivity' in the "flappage" (this is my big sister's word peeps - urban dictionary. NOT FOR THE SENSITIVE OF YOU OUT THERE - I'M SERIOUS!!! I dare you to use it in a sentence this week!!!!!!!!!)
I'm also having a lot of trouble sleeping. Bizarre considering how exhausted I feel. And of course there is some pain. Some of it I am attributing to Fred dying, and others are from being on the table like a contortionist for an hour every day. Some of it will also depend on the area that you are being treated, so unfortunately for me that includes my hip and groin area.
Good news though is that I haven't had any of the skin burning that I was expecting. My thigh is hotter than the other one for a few hours after my treatment, but it has usually been back to normal by bed time (at the exceptionally late hour of 9:30!!!!I told you I was tired).
OK - so there you have it. If you got this far, I'm very sorry because it obviously means you need this information. (If it's because you love me - thanks!! I love you too - but I think you may know things about me that you wished you didn't)
 |
| Go on - I give you permission |
Megan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)