Thursday 5.8.2008

Radiation Treatment #11

Today I got up and went to the radiation center. Elaine finished the puzzle--I wonder if I'll get the same sense when a new/different puzzle is started? I changed into the gown, and Lisa called me back. She and Ron positioned me, the table, and the lights, left the room, and zap, zap. Then the other arm thing came around from the right side of my head--the plate on the end is smooth and flat and the same color as the rest of the machine, kind of an old timey aqua/green/gray color. (I was surprised when Ron told me this machine is just 6 months old) The plate hovered at an angle over my right breast, aimed at the left. And the machine whirred for a couple of seconds, stopped, then all pieces went back to their "park" position. Lisa came out to let me down, and I asked her why the machine buzzed a third time. Oh, she said, we did another x-ray. We do one once a week to check things out. oh, ok, thanks. I'll try to catch them at a time to show me that image...

I got dressed, and stopped at Meijer on the way home. I needed more dirt, more strawberries, and ice cream. Also returned the hummingbird feeder I got yesterday; it was broken in the threads part of the container. No problem with the return, and I got the other food items and checked out. I drove over, then, to the garden center which the opposite side of the parking lot, you know how they have it set up to drive through? I had to walk through it first, and pay, then go back and pick it up. I told the lady the kind I wanted, and that it was $3.49 or something. She rang up two bags, I ran the credit card through and completed the sale. As I was picking up the bags of dirt, it struck me that she said the total was 5 something. Huh? That's not right... I could have driven off with the goods, thinking I got a "good deal", but if I had overpaid, I would have gone back for the refund. So, I parked the car, (again), and walked back into the garden center to tell her what happened. She looked at me like I had two heads, then I could see that she was thinking about telling me it's ok, just go, but told me we'd have to do a lane return/adjustment and that's not something she's authorized to do. Ok. She gets on her phone and calls Lorena, who says she'll be out. Well, you know we waited maybe 5 minutes for her to come out. Then, Lorena rang up the wrong product to return (I don't know how that worked, because she scanned my original receipt), and tried to give me money back. No, I said, I owe you more. Oh, she said. So they voided that transaction out, and started again. They finally got it right, I paid the couple of dollars difference, and went on my way. Yes, it was a nuisance, but my integrity is intact.

At home, Daniel had gone out to do some errands himself. I checked email and did some other stuff. Dan came home. I took a granola bar to eat on my way to the therapy appointment.

I had to wait about 10 minutes for Ike/Eeka, but she came out for me about 12:05. We went back to treatment room 2 today. I think this table was longer. I took off my shirt and bra--she looked at my bra and shook her head. "I know you probably went out and bought the new cotton bras like they tell you, but you will not like that band pretty soon", she says. Oh. I tell her that it's more comfortable right now to have a little support for that swollen mamm. She laughs. Anyway, she has me lie on my back. She says she is going to do a whole treatment today. Ok. She starts at the base of my head/top of the neck, and starts lightly pressing, then while lifting, dragging her fingers downward. She does this to the neck, top of the shoulders, front of the neck/clavicle area, and sternum. Then she says she is going to "make room for the fluid", and moves to my abdomen. She stands on one side of me and reaches across, and presses and pulls towards her. She does this from the ribs down to the hips (she says "we must undo your pants"--and I have to tell you I'm thinking Huh?), kind of kneading, but really a press/pull kind of move. Hm, this is different... She goes around to the other side of the table, reaches across, and does the opposite side of the abdomen. Then she comes back up to the left clavicle, and draws that down, and then she starts, lightly, massaging the left breast. She kind of uses the same technique, a press/pull motion, but it's a little different than that. She works at the incision near the areola to break up the adhesions. After that, she lifts my left arm and works on that, pressing along the corded area, slowly, up to the armpit, and to the axillary incision. She works on that incision, too. Just when I think we must be done, she tells me to roll over. I can't think how doing anything to my back is going to help my front... but she massages the neck and upper left shoulder/shoulder blade area. Hm, this is interesting. Ok, she said, you're all done.

I sit up, and look down at my breast. No kidding!! It's about a full cup size smaller!! The tight shiny skin is gone, it looks more like my own breast. I'm amazed. I look at her and say so. Yes, she said, I think it is smaller, too. I will do that again tomorrow. Ok, I said. Thanks! I look at my arm. I didn't think I was having any issue with my arm holding fluid, but now I see that it looks more like my normal. Well, surprise me.

I went home, told Daniel about my amazing experience, had a good bite to eat, changed clothes, and headed to Jackson to work the rest of my shift. I clocked in just before 3.

The team that was there today is great, and I was able to step in and take over. It was kind of busy, maybe busy enough to give you something to do, but not so that you have 3 things waiting to be done. You know?

I stayed through report, finishing loose ends, answering call lights, and clocked out about 7:30. Drove home, Daniel was not home yet from umpiring a ball game. I was fixing my dinner when he came in.

Basically, the rest of the night we ate and worked on the computer. Daniel is off to bed, and I'm right there, too. Tomorrow is more of the same for me.

Have a great day, I'll write again. Thanks for reading. Hugs.