Behind closed doors

• Appointment with Dr. P and radiation treatment in the CAM building at Big Barnes

Today was the last of my 4 scheduled radiation treatments. The side effects should peak in the next week or so. I'll get some redness and blistering on my skin near the area that was treated and I'll follow up with Dr. P after my next set of scans.

Undy Run 2017

Tres

• Radiation treatment in the CAM building at Big Barnes

Dos

• Radiation treatment in the CAM building at Big Barnes

Edgy

• Appointment with Dr. P and radiation treatment in the CAM building at Big Barnes

Today was day 1 of the radiation treatment for the tumor located on my abdominal muscle. There was some confusion about my appointment time and a change in the type of radiation machine to be used, but once that was resolved, my appointment and treatment finished without incident.

As it was explained to me, the MRI on the first suggested radiation equipment didn't provide a good/usable picture of my tumor. And in addition, my insurance wouldn't approve that type of radiation for a tumor located where mine is located. So instead, I will be having my treatment done on an Edge machine. Here is a link to the manufacturer's website: https://www.varian.com/oncology/products/treatment-delivery/edge-radiosurgery-system. "Treatment as sharp as a scalpel."

This machine definitely has some positives:

1. Each treatment will be 15-20 minutes, instead of 1-2 hours each.
2. There will be only 4 treatments, instead of 5.
3. Instead of laying in a closed MRI machine, this machine is open.
4. We don't need to have another prep appointment because they can use the same cradle (the mold of my backside that they made a couple weeks ago) on this machine as well.

100 hours in a tiny box

• Discharged from Big Barnes for home

I'm ready to go home. I will continue the antiviral medicine for 5 more days at home and hopefully all of my spots with continue to go through their cycle and eventually go away.

Stick me

I was running a high fever yesterday so they requested some blood cultures overnight to make sure that the virus isn't spreading some place that we don't want it to. I've had blood cultures one other time and I remembered that they can not use my port, which is already accessed for my fluids and IV medications, to draw the blood. They'll need to find a good vein and stick me. And that never goes well for me. Except last night, it did. I've had an amazing nurse the last two nights. I have appreciated how she answered my questions. And she has minimized the interruptions while I am sleeping by taking care of things all at once. And she rocked getting my blood for the cultures.

The food policy in this wing of the hospital is a call when you want it kind of thing. I decided to add a buttermilk biscuit this morning. Just because.

Benadryl is my friend

Thankfully it seems that we've caught this within 24 hours of my first spots. My doctors have started me on an antiviral medication that should help slow the growth of the virus, hopefully reducing the severity of my case of chicken pox. When started within the initial 24 hours, it has been shown to be effective. I've only had 3 or 4 doses so far and I AM still getting new spots, but I have hope that it will help.

With plenty of time on my hands, I've been reliving the 90s and having a Star Trek: The Next Generation mini marathon. Of course to help with itching, I'm getting Benadryl... so there's lots of sleeping too.

Critical

• Trip to the Cancer Care Clinic at Big Barnes and admitted to the hospital for observation

When I woke up this morning covered in spots, my initial thought was that I was having an allergic reaction. Were we trying a new laundry detergent? What did I have for dinner last night? However, on closer examination and based on how badly I had been feeling for a couple days.... we narrowed it down to one likely suspect... CHICKEN POX. Crap. I never had it as a kid, even though I have vivid memories of trying to catch it from a friend. And the vaccine came into use during my 20s but apparently either it didn't work for me or I never had it.

With my immune system already running on low, a virus like chicken pox could cause dangerous complications. I placed a call to the weekend on-call service and they directed me to the Cancer Care Clinic. Some of my initial bloodwork came back at critical levels, with my bone marrow likely being attacked by the virus. Crap. One of the admitting oncologists told me that chicken pox as an adult is "no bueno" and adding in my compromised immune system... we've got trouble.

So they admitted me to a negative pressure room, so that my germs don't spread to the hospital and so that the hospital germs don't spread to me. Every staff member that comes into my room has on gloves, a mask and a gown. It all just feels like a bad dream. 

Discussion

There's a lot of information coming out right now in regards to a recent study that talks about rising colon cancer rates among younger people. I found this particular video to be especially interesting... https://charlierose.com/videos/30195?autoplay=true.

And this article was worth reading... https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/well/live/colon-and-rectal-cancers-rising-in-young-people.html.

Four tattoos and a mold of my backside

• Appointment with the radiation oncology department in the CAM building at Big Barnes

Today was a long afternoon at Barnes. The highlight was NOT the banana barium smoothie for lunch, it was NOT the mold they made of my backside (although that process was pretty entertaining), it was NOT even the four small tattoos (my first tattoos ever - sorry Mom) that will also help to line me up each time... the highlight was the cookies.

SBRT

• Appointment with Dr. P in the CAM building at Big Barnes

Today I learned a lot of useful information about stereotactic body radiation therapy. I also learned that Dr. P has played co-ed soccer here in St. Louis and just like Héctor... he thinks that the women who play are much more dangerous than the men. Really?? Come on Dr. P.

I do agree with him on one thing though, his plan to use radiation on my abdominal muscle lesion. So I'll be back tomorrow to get that process rolling.

Scrub-a-dub-dub

• CT/MRI scans at the Barnes West County Imaging Center

The scrubs today matched my shoes! That's quite a look. I mentioned to the nurse that I might just have to steal them. The tech added that maybe I should just start working there to get my own. Hmmm... nah. Now I just wait to hear from Dr. T about my scans.