Cancer connection

 I'm in Boston. I've been through 10 treatments of Radiation. I have had no ill affects so far. It was decided that I didn't need that last Chemo.  I had an MRI, in Nantucket, then had to come up for my PET scan. Couldn't do it here, because I had no labs, no cats (ha ha). Then I had a meeting with the new head Dr, Dr Samuel Klempner as my original one Dr. Roeland left. HE was very happy with my scans. The cancer I had on my liver- gone!, The lymph nodes that had cancer - Gone! The cancer on my lung, Stable nothing happening there! He put the tests from November to the ones this month, July, just so I could compare. I felt so relieved that all I had to go through had a positive outcome. I'm hoping that the mass in my colon will. shrink enough to be removed. I will be able to get rid of my colostomy bag at the least. My day starts out with coffee. It may not  be the best choice, but it gets me going. I go to the hospital, check in, and they always ask if I'm a pa...

 It's been awhile. I finished 11 rounds of Chemo. I was supposed to have one more, but my white blood cells were low, so they were afraid of possible infections. The nurse practitioner said she has never seen anyone fo so far in their treatment without having a Chemo vacation, or a reduction in dosage. I ended up not needing that last Chemo. I had gone to Boston for a Pet scan, and consultation. I was very happy with the news that the Chemo took care of a lot of issues. Most extraneous cancers are gone, or dormant. I got to see the comparison between November, and the 1st of July. I was so relieved. Now I am going to Boston for 5 1/2 weeks for weekday radiation. I asked if I would glow at night. No such luck. The radiation is short, about 10 minutes per session. I will get a reprieve on Sat-Sun.  I will be able to visit my ex's place a couple of times. It'll be fun to see his livestock (pets), and the birds nest with new baby birds outside his office window. We are lucky to...

 Had my 2nd Chemo treatment. For the 1st one, I got hot flashes and a rummy nose. It takes about 4 hours.  Once I'm done with that I take home a pump that disperses more chemo for 2 days. I have to get it removed. The following week they take blood lab work to see where my electrolytes are, and other stuff. Then, the day before I do the next chemo, I get labs to see how I have recovered, and I get cleared for the next treatment. This time, I didn't get hot flashes, but I got cramps and the runny nose. I did get a bit hot after I was home. The hospital called to ask about appointments for scans. I guess they want to actually see how the treatments are affecting my tumors.

 Adding more to my hospital stay, I'm glad that Rob didn't know that I could have visitors, as I was frail then, and also for a couple of days had a GI tube in my nose (really charming).  I have to speak about my bed. The mattress itself was quite comfortable, but because the bed could change positions, there were supporting bars to support the movement. THAT was very uncomfortable. My butt usually landed on it, and my back (usually not problematic) was screaming. The heating pad helped some. So did walking who I was able to. The staff was exemplary. I was well taken care of, something I'm not really used to. Everyone was upbeat, and respected my wishes not to learn my odds of living. That is something I can't change, and if I knew it was 1% or so (for example), I might want to stop fighting at some point. Miracles do happen, and before this, I was pretty healthy, so I'm hoping that will help me , at least gain some years to see my son get married (if he wants, and ...

 I'm starting this to people can understand my experience dealing with cancer, especially during COVI-19. I got my diagnosis on the16th of November. It was recommended that I go to Boston the next day for tests. I was told I'd be there a week, but it ended up being 3.  I had no interest in food at all. I ended up having all kinds of problems.  I ended up getting Colostomy bag. My heart was in defibrillation, I had a couple of fevers. It took me a while to bounce back, but I did, so much so that the d.s and nurses were "impressed". I got to the point where I was walking laps around the nurses' station. The station is surrounded by rooms, so they have. quick access, and a nice amount of space to make it worth while. On one of my loops, I noticed a poster on the wall with dogs and their names. On the flip side you could see who owned the dogs. They made me use a walker, and at 1st have someone with me, but within a few days, I sped up, so they said they didn't ne...