I don't know what the hell that all means. But what I am trying to say is, I am starting rads (radiation) again.
Well....it wasn't 5-6 hours...I was at the hospital for my platelet and blood transfusion for 8 1/2 HOURS. At this point they should name the cancer center after me! Not to mention they put me in the 'overflow' section, which happens to be in the corner of my normal chemo room. Except you feel like you're in time out. You didn't think that I would be fine after this transfusion, did you? I woke up with crazy intense leg pain, called the doctor. I had to get a doppler study, to check if I had a blood clot since I just had the transfusions. The pain was cancer, not a blood clot, but I'm not a doctor.
I showed up to get dopplered and waited an hour, listening to Rachael Ray's 'nails on a chalkboard' voice and looking at her ugly face on T.V. in the waiting room. Yeah, I'm a Rachael Ray hater.
I've been dopplered before so I knew what to expect but somehow forgot about the level of awkwardness. A doppler study is an ultrasound of the veins in your legs to see if there is a clot. So it's not enough that a man has to do the study, but he has to get all up in my groin with ultrasound goo. Uncomfortable..........and messy.
Later that day, I saw my doctor who prescribed me liquid morphine, just maybe, maybe this one will work. I was also sent to get a Ct scan at 4:00 (been there since 10:00). I didn't need to drink anything, get any sort of injection and they let me keep my clothes on! What a way to end the day......
I spent the next 4 days in my parents bed high on liquid morphine and in pain.
Now that I have been seeing my doctor on a weekly basis, this week we decided to go for radiation. She was able to get me an appointment that day with the radiation oncologist, naturally on the complete opposite side of the hospital. Ah the memories of being wheeled down that hallway in a wheelchair.....not pleasant. All the nurses and therapists down there recognized me and were really happy to see me but really bummed that I was back. Right back at ya. Well, not the really happy part, just the really bummed part. But I knew this all meant RELIEF............
Back the next day to get mapped for rads. I will be getting 15 treatments on my left hip everyday for 15 days. Since I have the unfortunate luck of cancer cells attacking my hips, I also have the unfortunate luck of dropping my pants for radiation. Doesn't get any less awkward the second time around, similar to my doppler experience. Ultrasound goo on the underwear, eww.
"Can you pull down your pants and underwear?" Now, I don't get asked that question often, or ever but the therapists are so respectful about it, it makes it more awkward! So instead of someone making a joke, how could you not, we just talk about my new sneakers. At least they cover my ladytown, with a napkin, while they take Ct scan pictures and then draw Xs and Os on my bod with permanent markers and cover them with little stickers (that won't stay on more than a day).
Now I am ready to be radiated and have been asked several times, maybe too many, if I am sure that I don't want to give consent for anyone to get information about my radiation. So if they accidentally radiate my eyeball instead of my hip, no one will know.
