Sunday, August 22, 2010

I got tattooed. Permanently.

to make up for the fact that I've been pretty boring in the actual cancer update department life decided to give me a whole lot of cancery things that would be updatable. whoo- hoo.

but first I would like to acknowledge my Cancerversary which was on friday.
Thank You to Mary Adelaide and Biffy for coming to see me and letting me feel what was either the skull or butt of our teeny tiny baby Biffy and for also cooking delicious banana and chocolate chip pancakes. Thank You to Chrissy for the Scrumptious cookie cake (with it's pink ribbon sprinkles) and my pink and silver balloons. Overall it was a successful, low-key, lazily lounging on the couch, thankfully uneventful cancerversary. Yay!

Well let's dive right on in...
In the Grand Scheme of things:
The Xeloda (chemo pill) stopped working.
We are going to Chapel Hill on September 2nd to talk with the doctor up there about some good treatment options that they may have available in the more experimental studies side of things. On the 3rd, we meet with Doc K to cement a new treatment plan that will be put into action after our family vacation. This will probably involve the kind of chemotherapy that requires sitting in a recliner for hours with side effects that go beyond your generic "fatigue."
However, I no longer really care about what the side effects are. I'd really like to get some of this cancery stuff under control. I'd also like for my body to stop acting like I'm Humptey Dumptey and I've fallen over the wall AGAIN.

So for the short term:
I start Radiation for my hip tomorrow (monday).
What's that you say? When did all of this happen? How did it happen? What have you missed?
Honestly? not much.

We all know that my back isn't my biggest fan. So when it decides to bother me usually i just suck it up and deal with it. occasionally it gets bad enough that I have to go to the chiropractor... so I went a few weeks ago and had to tell him that I hurt it lifting a box that had a couple hundred hot dogs in it. (sounds sexy doesn't it) long story shorter...my leg started to bother me also. all on the right side. the real tumor-y side. So on monday I was at work and realized that I was almost to the point where it hurt my leg to just support my own weight. and that walking was becoming almost unbearable. (this is not good in the restaurant world...movable legs are a must). Had a bone scan and a CT scan on tuesday (these were scheduled before the leg thing)

Oh GOOD news:
I have no new tumors.

and no, the technician did not ask if i knew i was only 25 with breast cancer...we'd had that conversation the last time i was there.
however, she did stick me with the needle twice and left bruises in both locations. (I did not cry. and she wasn't a nurse Satan. which almost makes it worse I'm afraid...She was so nice and I was soooo cranky, especially after the first stick.)

So I was at Doc K's office on thursday to get my scan results and we were talking about my leg and the doctor asked me to go that day to the radiologist's office to see about getting some treatment so my vacation wouldn't be terrible and spent doped up on pain meds.
So we went. And the radiologist wanted me to come back on Friday for a CAT scan that would show him exactly where he needed to radiate.
In other exciting news I officially left the world of menopause on thursday. Mother Nature sent me her very special gift. Unfortunately you cannot Elvis it and return to sender.

So i go to get my CAT scan on friday and they put me on the little skinny tray that whisks you in and out of the black hole in the universe. AND they give me a bright blue squishy oval ring to hold "so my hands will be out of the way" and they out a piece of styrofoam between my feet then RUBBERBAND THEM TOGETHER.
What in the world?! Um pardon? what are you doing with my toes? Excuse me? my feet do not need to be in a pony tail. My feet aren't going to fall off of my body in this black hole are they? if so...I'm out of here. because that is dangerous. and I like my feet attatched. Is this so I won't kick you? are you going to be torturing me while i'm in there? otherwise I don't kick very much there is no need for restraints.
apparently it's so your legs are lined up directly with your hips. which is apparently important when you are being marked for when you begin radiation.
and do you know how you are marked? with markers. like cray-ola. or sharpies. I'm guessing sharpies since they didn't wash off in the shower. So they "X"ed me. 3 times. then they consulted their picture then called out what i'm guessing were coordinates and marked me three more times. then do you know what they did?
They stabbed me with a needle in the center of those "X"es and TATTOOED me. seriously. I now have three random blue dots. and they did not feel nice. and my only warning was that I would feel a pinch. and These are PERMANENT. I'd like my tattoos to have more meaning than "i was attacked by a marker and a needle after a CAT scan by a seemingly nice nurse" it's like something out of a prison movie.

oh well. it was a nice way to commemorate my second cancerversary.

oh and radiation starts tomorrow. slightly nervous. shouldn't be a big deal.

4 comments:

Christine D said...

it's a good thing we got our tattoos so this was not your first tattooing experience. also, you've just jumped so high in cool points, because now i only have one tattoo and you have four. guess i'm gonna have to catch up...

oh, and i love you.

Stacy Bennett said...

Whenever it is not necessary for them to see the dots anymore you could go all out and put something over them? Like a picture of PeeDee the Pirate or something! haha :)

Also... I love you and miss you much!!!

J. Haas said...

Maybe when its all done you can play connect the dots and it will be a picture of something cool!
Love and miss.

Unknown said...

Oooh connect the dots! That would be fun..maybe your favorite constellation? Haha. Love you!! Hope that stuff I emailed helped!