Cancer Schmancer

Radiography is my new full-time hobby, as it takes about half a day to get there and back, then the other half to recover. The treatment is pretty quick now and I'm developing close and personal relationships with the tech team (or should I call them the beam team?). Starting to recognize other patients, too, either my ride mates in the cancer society carpool, people I know from Wellspring or just others who show up every day like me.

Fatigue notwithstanding, I managed to get to yoga this evening. My teacher says to try to be "in present moment" during the practice and if I do that, I am painfully aware of how my body is reacting to the latest medical assault. Lots of stiffness and weak areas, especially on my right side, the one most affected by the cancer.

At least now I have some effective pharmaceuticals to fend off the nausea I was starting to feel on Monday. They work so well, in fact, that I downed a substantial sushi lunch with Claire today after treatment.

Posted by lynda at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Okay, one down and (only!) 29 treatments left to go. It was interesting, if tedious, today at the below-ground radiation therapy centre at PMH. Two studly technicians spent considerable time lining up my raddled body to match green laser beams, before they fired the machine to radiate me first from above. Then the bed was raised and the whole machine swivelled to zap me from underneath.

The tedious part came afterwards, when I had to wait a while to see a doctor, yet another Clinical Fellow acting for my radiation oncologist, then I had to get blood taken. The major bad news for me today was that I have to do the blood thing twice a week -- and as some of you may know I am a complete wuss about that.

My cancer society drivers were cheerful and efficient both ways. The morning run was in a plush van donated by Rotary and driven by a Rotarian who also shares his yacht with Easter Seals kids for the annual charity sail in Port Credit.

I've been resting all afternoon, but still feel wiped out. Eating is already problematic, as I was warned, but yes, Mom, I had some dinner.

Posted by lynda at 06:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I have enjoyed my last week of freedom from treatment and now I'm ready for the next phase. A while ago I did a gratitude list and I feel the urge for another, so here goes:
1. Time and again, friends express their love and concern for me. These are old friends who drop me a line by email and new friends I have met since this odyssey began. I am grateful to all of them.
2. I was in a yarn shop today drinking in the colours and textures and feeling very lucky that I live in a safe country and have the means to go shopping for lovely things.
3. I rediscovered Beethoven this week. One doesn't lose lovely music entirely, but one can forget to enjoy it often.
4. Some of my roses are blooming. The one climbing rose that died still sits in my garden forlornly, but even in death it is a reminder of what I shall do next spring -- plant another!
5. I heard voices this week on family tapes made more than two dozen years ago. I smiled and even cried to hear dear people who have died or are very far away.
6. Some mornings I wake up with aches and pains or a complete lack of ambition, but hey, I wake up!

Posted by lynda at 06:50 PM | Permalink

I'm looking at what I consider my last week of freedom for a while without treatment. Radiation starts a week tomorrow. Not that it will tie me down completely, but it will structure my days until early September, just as the chemo treatments inserted their own rhythm every three weeks. Freedom to do anything I feel up to has been nice, but the fact remains I'm not up to much more than a couple of hours of errands or seeing friends most days. I tried a full-day retreat at Wellspring last Thursday and had to check out before 3 o'clock.

To celebrate the end of radiation, I plan to spend five days at a yoga centre in New York state, at a workshop called Yoga and Knitting. I'm still figuring out how to get there and would welcome ideas (or company!).

Posted by lynda at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)