Two Steps Away From Death's Door . . .

OMG Peter ... that made me laugh BIG time, thanks for sharing, you NUT.

But now you're freakin' be out ... because one of the things I DIDN'T mention, is that they DID take photos of the dots. So now you got me wondering about the whole connect the dots thingy.

The medical profession has strange creatures looking after us, and I've always been skeptical of those who bring their needlepointing to work. And they're never more preying than when you're laid up in a hospital.

Oh how cool that you are familiar with Red Lobster ... I'm a huge seafood person too, love it, and I eat more fish than anything else (salmon is my favorite). I really enjoyed the dinner we had, AND ...

Their special cheese biscuits are to die for ... almost as good as the biscuits that Senator Neff's housekeeper makes.

 

GOT THE INVITE FOR THE BIG PARTY

I finally got the call that my treatments will begin next Tuesday the 20th. I have to be there at 2:30pm, but the rest of the treatment times will be around 11am, which works out good as it relates to traffic.

The MotherShip is on the other side of town and we'll make it there before the lunch traffic starts, and be able to leave and get home before the evening rush hour traffic starts, so it's perfect.

They'll be giving me a printed schedule with the rest of the times. I guess it has to be a bit flexible because there are only 5 of those machines available, but at least it will be close to my requested time.

Since there are 25 consecutive treatments (week days only), that's just enough time to get them all in before Cyrene launches, so that's awesome.

ACTIVATE RADIATION SHIELDS

I'll be back Tuesday sometime after my first treatment with an update.

 

UPDATE

I discovered that I don't need a printed schedule for my treatments, because everything is all listed at my Patient Portal at their site ... quite convenient. Except for the first 6 trips where the time is somewhere between 11:45am - 2:30pm, the rest are at 10:45am which is perfect. The last treatment is on Monday, April 23rd, which is a week before the Cyrene launch, so that works out perfect as well.

Timing is everything!

 

Thanks Hon, it's appreciated, but I'm actually going to have fun harassing the technicians. The only downside of all of this is the drive ... if we didn't have to travel out to the university facility (MotherShip) then it wouldn't be so bad, but I guess we'll endure it. At least the treatment is only 15 minutes.

 

Well hello there YOU ... thanks for your response, it's really appreciated.

Many have contacted me outside of this thread via PM, email, in-game, etc., which has been overwhelmingly special, but I also know it's not the type of topic that some are particularly comfortable discussing publicly either.

Things are going quite well, and I still consider myself one lucky gal to come out of this the way I have based on where I started for sure. My primary doctor keeps reminding me that I'm her miracle, and why she's watching my progress with everything else on this journey with hawk eyes.

The rest of my medical team sends her regular reports, and she stays informed. When I have my follow-ups with her, she cracks me up. She says dammit, you're doing excellent now and that's how I want it to stay, BUT ... my entire medical team is awesome and I'm in good hands all the way around, so no worries.

I'll report back in on Monday sometime after my first treatment to give an update on how that went. Keeping this thread like a journal throughout this journey since Dec 7th when I was (literally) knocking on death's door has helped me cope with what I've had to go through. My doctor also reminds me that never has she ever seen anyone in my condition the way I was on Dec 7th last year and survive ... which (she says) makes me her miracle. Therefore, I'm humbled and grateful.

I guess I have a bit more purple work to do in this universe.

 

1 DOWN - 24 TO GO​

​

Today was my first radiation session, and I have to say that it was quite the walk in the park with no issues whatsoever. That's not to say that I won't experience any side-effects, but I can say with confidence that my poop isn't glowing in the dark yet, nor do I see glowie bits in my eyes either.

... well, maybe that's not entirely true!

My tag team today was Tanya and Tony. "TnT" raises a bit of an eyebrow for me though ... especially since they had to do some more markings with the Sharpie, along with extra photos. So, now I'm really wondering about the "connect the dots" games that they might be playing in the control room while I'm having a dance with the green laser beams.

I had mentioned in the post I did about my appointment where I went through the simulation to set up the template, that they also created a mold thingy that my legs and feet sit in.

Well, to my surprise, that wasn't a one time thing ... well, making the mold was, because they're going to use that same mold each time for the treatments to keep my legs and feet in the same position so I don't accidentally move. It was funny to see it today because it had my name and other data written on it.

In the post I wrote about my consultation visit, I included a photo of the actual machine that would be doing the radiation treatment, and I met with that machine today once more ... just as I will 24 more times going forward. It's a damn monster, and the photo doesn't really do it justice, but ... it was an interesting experience.

As I laid on the bed and they got me into position, I could see the ceiling was a huge recessed lighting area with lots of squares, but across the whole section was a beautiful tropical photo with water, palm trees, a beach, and awesome blue sky with some nice clouds. It was cool to look at until the monster machine started doing its thing and circling around me and the table, with the wings fully turned in to capture photos ... that's going to be one hell of an album.

They had music playing, which was rather enjoyable (kinda rocky), and at least the monster machine didn't make a lot of noise at all, so I didn't end up with a headache. All in all, it was a pleasant experience despite the purpose for being there. I guess we'll see how it all goes as I get a few more treatments under my belt. Well, that's not actually where the treatments are being done, although I'm sure the monster machine could blast through leather!

I'll be back tomorrow (Wed) with another report, and going forward, these daily reports will most likely be short (ok, who's jumping up and down right now ), unless something unique occurs.

Hope everyone's week is going well.

 

2 DOWN - 23 TO GO​

​

Planet Cyrene isn't the only one with a count down!

By the time I reach 25 down - 0 to go, there will only be one week left before Cyrene launches. It will be the perfect reward for going the distance.

Remember what I said about posts being short going forward unless something unique happens? Well, I have to say that today's experience was more ... uhm ... interesting? I guess I have to take it a day at a time, with no promises of shorter posts.

Yesterday when they called me in, I was escorted to a patient area where we change into gowns and then go in for the treatment, but today (Wed), I learned something that I should have been told yesterday (my first visit).

Apparently, timing was short and they needed to get me into the treatment room right away. So they improvised. I had the same "TnT" tag team as the day before and was told that I would just have to pull my pants down and my top up a bit to expose the target area.

My response? ... that's a bit too porn for ME ... I thought they were gonna lose it.

for chuckling to stop!

At any rate, they needed to get the treatment done right away because I had an appointment with the doctor right after. Once a week this will happen right after a treatment so the doctor can check up on me to see how things are going.

This week I met with one of my doctor's colleagues because she was in Austria giving a presentation. Her colleague brought in a resident with her who was more interested in the 20 oz bottle of Coke he kept pulling out of his white doctor coat, looking like he was at the end of an all-nighter.

One good thing I learned was ... even after 2 treatments, if I haven't experienced nausea yet, I probably won't. My tummy's pretty tough, so this gave me some hope that this was one side-effect I most likely won't have to deal with.

However, I was told that the other potential side-effects usually show up about half-way through the treatments. Also, a little something new added into the mix (you know I like educating everyone) ... if there are any skin folds anywhere (and who doesn't have them unless you have 2% body fat ), there could be redness and skin irritation. That's because the radiation becomes more concentrated. Great!

... I wonder how many other things I'm going to be learning as we go along. I wish they would give it all up in the beginning so you at least have time to think about the possibilities of what you'll experience.

... it is what it is and I guess it makes it more of an adventure. I'm just glad that I'm not having challenges. Oh wait, yes I am ... I have to stop and get my car A/C charged up in the morning before the trip to the MotherShip ... with temps in the upper 80's (F) already, and muggy humidity, there's NO way I'm driving the distance there and back without the A/C.

I think this is where I can quote Forrest Gump ...

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get."

 

My dear Xandra ... you are clearly one of my very special friends, and everything you wrote in your post is beautifully written, with humor to crack me up.

I'm a huge fan of your posts, and learn from them as well. I'm glad you stopped sacrificing newbies, we need them.

Thank you for your support, your kind words, and the gazillion hugs you're sending my way ... they are always welcome!

I'm sending some back to you too.

With regard to my situation ... at this point, it's just a frosting on the cake if you will, to fortify the excellent results from the surgery. When I'm done with my treatments, it will take my risk of anything coming back down to 1% ... not sure you can get any better than that under the circumstances.

My radiation is being done in a very localized area, and I won't be losing my hair. The worst I'll experience is what I mentioned a few posts up, and so far, everything is going just fine. The treatments are only 15 minutes and go rather quickly. The experiences are pleasant, and the staff is great.

Also, the monster radiation machine is damn sexy ... I love it.

Is that strange? I'm going to try to get a pic of it tomorrow when I go for my Friday treatment, because it's different than the one I have posted in this thread that I got from the satellite facility. That one is white, while the one I'm having the laser dance with at the MotherShip seems to be MUCH larger and a two-toned blue. It's really a beauty, so I have to get the pic to share.

At any rate ... thanks for the bomb dropping and the success you're having ... Lootius was definitely kind to me over the years, including the ATH on my 3 yr anniversary, so it's nice to know that he's still active and taking care of special people. Wow, I just realized that April 2nd is just around the corner and it will be my 7 yr anniversary in EU ... how time flies.

Take care my friend, and thanks for your wonderful post ... it was perfect.

And as far as the vibrations go ... this one's for you!

Now let's get our groove on!

​

PS ... I hope your relative is doing well now.

 

Thanks Hon ... always nice to hear from you in the gazillion places we connect. I appreciate the well wishes, and yes ... things are going quite well at the moment. I like thinking of it as an adventure, never knowing what I'll meet on my path. You know me ... everything is a story, and if I can add pics, all the better.

I'll be posting Thursday's report a bit later!

 

3 DOWN - 22 TO GO​

​

Well, today was a bit interesting, but nothing extraordinary. I DID stop and get an A/C charge, but while running the air conditioner, a weird screech started happening. Then, the cool started not being so cool.

Damn cars ... I need some good old mindforce ... point A to point B ... done ... baddaboom, baddabing ... no ca-ca ... it's that simple. Guess I'll have to take it in for real servicing.

ANYway ... on the way to the treatment, I also stopped and picked myself up a nice pair of comfortable slip-on shoes to make it more convenient instead of wearing my sneakers. I'll keep those for my treadmill walks.

Today's session was in and out with no issues whatsoever. I was totally prepared and waiting when Tony popped his head into the patient waiting area, AND ... they were actually earlier than my designated time, so it's always good to show up ahead of schedule.

I told them to crank up the tunes and let Scotty beam me up, BUT ...



It was an OK day until I met up with my MSR/MSM partner (Syer), and then it exploded into spectacular. That young man is totally amazing, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate having him as my partner. We are making great progress with the prep work prior to launch. I think the Cyrene community might just be a bit surprised at the results.

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination ... Tommy Lasorda

Syer finds a way to make it work ... whatever it is.

 

4 DOWN - 21 TO GO​

​

Today's visit to the Rad-Zone (as I call it) wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and everything is still going quite well. No side effects so far, and I haven't experienced any degree of fatigue either, so that's a good thing.

I said I was going to get some pics, and I did. I knew that the radiation zapper at the MotherShip was different than the one I saw and took a pic of at the satellite facility which is closer to me.

Here's a pic of both of them for comparison:

​

Radiation Zapper - Satellite Location​

​

​

Radiation Zapper - MotherShip​

​

The zapper at the MotherShip is the one doing the business, and that whole top section and side wings rotate around the table I'm laying on where my head is positioned closest to the machine.

They electronically move the table in closer to the machine, and then once they raise the table up and position that circular section above the target area, the wings move out into position and the techs hiding in the other room out of the radiation zone do everything from a computer and control panel. It doesn't constantly rotate, but rotates into various positions before they zap me.

I was also able to get a photo of the special leg mold they made when I went for the simulation session, which is used to keep my legs and feet in position so I don't move during the radiation processing. I wonder how many trials and errors they had to go through before someone thought this one up.

​

Like I said, so far so good, and I really don't have any complaints. I just hope that the time goes by fast and I can get this over with. Besides ... when I'm done, it means that the Cyrene launch is only one week away.

For now, I have a reprieve for the weekend, and Syer and I will have more time to continue doing our prep work prior to launch - even Ed came up with some awesome ideas for us, and I can't WAIT to get going with them.

It's all for the community, and I LOVE the way Ed thinks!

 

5 DOWN - 20 TO GO​

​

Today was my first Monday session since I started the treatments last week on Tuesday, and apparently, Mondays aren't so cool. They were a half-hour late getting me in, while up to today, they've always been early. They said they had a really bad morning, and I'm not sure what that meant, but I wasn't going to ask. I didn't want them irritated reliving the morning while they were administering my treatment.

I think for the first time since I started this thread, this will be a rather short entry. There was nothing out of the ordinary, other than being late going in, and so far I haven't had any issues, so that's a good thing. However, my doctor did say that if there are any side-effects (except for the fatigue), they normally don't start until half-way through, which means session #12-1/2.

Tuesday my session is at 12:45pm (hopefully - because it's the time that's scheduled anyway), and then starting Wednesday until I'm finished on April 23rd, the sessions will be at 10:45am, which means my purple ass has to be out of bed earlier in the morning. I am a late night person, so this is not going to be fun.

Here's to smooth sailing!

 

6 DOWN - 19 TO GO​

​

I'm a day late getting this posted because Tuesday was a rather busy day. My treatment was 12:45pm and they were a little late again getting me in, and then it was one of those days where they had to collect numbers from the machine, so it took a bit longer.

Then we had a few errands to run afterwards, so we got home later in the afternoon, BUT ... I was excited nonetheless because earlier in the morning before I left, I was able to meet up with Ed and get the rest of the stuff I needed to pull "Unfinished Business - Part 3" together and get it published. That's what took the rest of my evening, and then I was just too tired to do another post.

At any rate, I started feeling a bit different last night, but I attributed that to the fact that I didn't get much sleep. Syer said, blame it on the green lasers.

So far so good, so I guess we'll see how the rest go.

 

7 DOWN - 18 TO GO​

​

Today (Wed) was the first day that the treatment was at 10:45am, and that's the time the treatment will be every day going forward now. I can say that we did much better with the traffic, but ... I can also say that it seems to be busier at the treatment center that time of the morning.

Didn't really matter too much though, because I go right in, change, and then sit in the lady's waiting room to be called. I'm usually there by myself and there's a TV in there to watch until they're ready for me.

I can now tell you that after 7 treatments, I'm beginning to experience one of the side effects. As Syer puts it ... the green lasers are beating the crap outta me ... he's never at a loss for words that one.

Tomorrow's another day, so I guess we'll see how we do with #8.