34 Radiation Treatments in Pictures

by Jennifer | Aug 10, 2016 | Blog | 3 comments

Not sure why I did it, but I took a picture each day of radiation.  It’s kind of like a souvenir…something to help me remember my time there – the good and bad.  It’s fun to look back at the photos as you can tell what was on my mind each day.  34 days in the same place, doing the same thing gets old really fast.  This helped me look for new things each day as I tried to make the best of it!

 

Day 1

Ready or not, here we go!!

Day 2

Our two younger girls meeting the technicians and getting to see the machine

Day 3

Wearing my ChefWife shirt today 🙂

Day 4

Here we go again…

Day 5

All lined up and ready to go!

Day 6

Relaxing by the fountain as I had some extra time between a Dr. appointment and radiation

Day 7

The gown waiting room

Day 8

Part of my view during radiation

Day 9

Our oldest getting to see the machine and meet the technicians

Day 10

I brought some hats in for Carol, who is starting to lose her hair. This one is too warm for summer, so I kept it and took a picture

Day 11

New gowns that are a little longer. How nice for this 6′ 1″ radiation patient! 🙂

Day 12

These gowns look like a tent on me!

Day 13

Taking the girls with me today!

Day 14

Day 14 – Figured out I could tie the gown behind me so it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing a tent! Hooray!

Day 15

Dr. day! Time to weigh myself!

Day 16

My locker

Day 17

My home away from home

Day 18

The Radiation Oncology building

Day 19

Scanning my card to check in

Day 20

Getting close to the end of treatment!!

Day 21

My sweet technicians who entertain me and zap me every day – Cory and Arlene

Day 22

Forgot my parking pass today and had to park in the garage over at the hospital

Day 23

Kids are with me again. They are looking for the hermit crab in the tank who changes shells a lot!

Day 24

They called me early today and I’m done already!! (My appointments are at 10:30 each day.)

Day 25

Giving Carol her Chemo Care bag. I enjoyed getting to chat with her each day as we were waiting for treatment.

Day 26

No one told me I would get souvenirs! Woohoo! Last day of treatment to this field. Tomorrow I start on a new machine and don’t need the snorkel!

Day 27

The Spa Treatment room – new machine and new view each day

Day 28

One of the dressing rooms

Day 29

Very emotional today

Day 30

My parking pass that allows me to park in the Valet lot which is close to the radiation oncology building

Day 31

The machine used for the final 8 days of treatment where we are targeting my two scars

Day 32

Today I brought lunch for the staff. 🙂

Day 33

Day 33 – Trying something new with my hair. Can you tell?

Day 34

THE LAST DAY!! Mixed emotions about today.

The End of Active Treatment

by Jennifer | Aug 8, 2016 | Blog | 21 comments

I’ve reached the end of active treatment…what a long 11 months it’s been.

I have been tried and tested in ways I never even imagined.  God has been with me each step of the way and I’m so thankful to be on this side of treatment, feeling as good as I do.

Tomorrow, for the first time in 8 weeks, I won’t have to drive up to Valley Medical  for radiation.  Yay!!

My last day of radiation on Friday was bittersweet.  I was so happy to be done AND with only minor skin irritations, but was sad to say goodbye to so many wonderful people I have met during my time there.  (I’ll see them again in a month when I go back for my last checkup though.)

(more…)

Fatigue and Relief

by Jennifer | Aug 2, 2016 | Blog | 18 comments

I’m happy to report that after all the creams I have tried, I have something that really helps my irritated skin.  It’s called Mepilex and it’s a bandage that’s just sticky enough to stay on the skin, but doesn’t harm it.

I’m wearing 2 of them – one on my collar bone and one over the incision and skin under my foob (fake boob).  The area under my foob is still being treated, but I’m hoping that it won’t get much worse from the last 3 treatments. It makes it so the seatbelt doesn’t hurt my collar bone as much when I’m driving and also so I can wear a bra most of the day.  Lol – probably too much information for some of you…sorry!  🙂

(more…)

Radiation Meltdown

by Jennifer | Jul 29, 2016 | Blog | 7 comments

This morning I briefly chatted with a women while waiting for radiation.  She was there to support her 87 year old mother who was just starting radiation.  This is her 3rd time brining someone into this office for radiation.  Through the brief conversation she said her late daughter-in-law and late husband had both received treatment here.

Everyone who I meet in that room has a story to tell, and this one just brought a flood of emotions and thoughts this morning, mostly about my Mom.  Tears were running down my face (well the side of my face since I was laying down) during radiation.  I was trying not to sob as I thought that might be too much movement and I didn’t want them to have to come back in and realign me.  The 16 seconds of my treatment today and the minute before and after where I have to lie perfectly still felt like an eternity.  (Yes, this current treatment lasts only 16 seconds.  I drive an hour a day for 16 seconds of treatment.  Ugh!!)

I haven’t really thought about cancer that much this past 6 weeks, which is funny since my life revolves around radiation right now.  This treatment hasn’t stopped me from doing anything, except maybe sleeping a few times.  So it really has felt like a job.  It’s only been the last few days it’s felt more like treatment and less like a job since my skin is really bothering me.

(more…)

The Spa Treatment Room

by Jennifer | Jul 28, 2016 | Blog | 9 comments

Yesterday, I switched to a different treatment room, where they are just targeting the two scars from my mastectomy and reconstructive surgeries.  I call it the room the Spa Treatment Room…little did I know for the past 6 weeks, that the room just next to me had a large screen TV with calming pictures on it and relaxing music playing in the background.  WHAT????

This is a much different view than I’ve had for the past 6 weeks!

Of course, this morning I went in and Johnny Cash was playing and “Track 11” was flashing on the screen.  So maybe it’s only the spa room some days.  I guess I will wait and see.  🙂

(more…)

The Amazing People You Meet

by Jennifer | Jul 20, 2016 | Blog | 21 comments

I’ve said before that it’s sometimes difficult to get up in the morning and go to my “job”.  I haven’t had a job with set hours in 11 years, so this having to be out of the house each morning thing has taken some getting used to.

While I was really dreading it at first since I was worried it would rob me of my summer, like chemo and surgery robbed me of the school year, it’s actually been a really nice summer so far.

I LOVE routine!  Our home operates much better when we have a routine going.  Radiation has forced us to be on a routine Monday – Friday and has made the summer go much smoother (at least so far).  The weather has been HORRIBLE, but the girls love going to someone’s house to play every morning and many afternoons we have fun plans as well.

(more…)

Another Week Gone By

by Jennifer | Jul 15, 2016 | Blog | 7 comments

It’s crazy to think that I’m over half way done with radiation.

Halfway done!!

WOOHOO!!!

This week has been a tough one.  I just don’t want to get up and go in the morning.  It’s not early.  It’s not painful.  It’s just ANNOYING!  This week, I confess, I struggled with having a good attitude about going quite a few mornings.

I try to remind myself why I’m going every day…fighting for my life…more time with my family.  Some days this work well.  Other days (like ones when the girls are really difficult…like a few days this week) that line of thinking doesn’t work as well and I just have to pull myself out of bed and get moving.

(more…)