I just got back from Boston yesterday, where all of the i's and t's were dotted and crossed for my treatment. It was a brief trip, and nice to return to Boston knowing that I will be treated there soon. Sarah and I explored Beacon Hill, stopped in front of the apartment where we'll be living, and strolled around Boston Commons. We stayed overnight with Carol and Peter, friends of Sarah's family, whose energy and generosity made Boston feel like home. It was a good trip.
At Mass General, I regaled myself with my first CAT Scan (you can take one yourself if you scroll down...), passed my Chemo training with flying colors, got fitted with a special mask, and even got my first tattoo: a small dot on my chest that will be used to line up my proton beams. My mask is made from plastic which was set in warm water, then pressed into the contours of my face, and then cooled to form a perfect replica of moi. Apparently I will not be able to take the mask home, so I took some photos of other people's mask for your enjoyment...
The doctors are now in the process of calculating all of the best angles for proton treatment to make my radiation a success. I begin treatment on March 7th, which consists of 30 minutes every day at the hospital, where I'll don my new mask and soak up the rays. Treatment is five days a week for six weeks... it is cumulative and can be tiring, so I may be cat napping a bit by April. I'm optimistic the treatment will go well, and am eager to get it all started.
Until then, I'll be home or a week, and then off to Puerto Rico. I've been snacking on all kinds of delicious eats my mom prepared for me from "The Cancer Fighting Kitchen" - a cookbook of health recipies with foods that support my immune and detoxification systems. I'm also shopping for more supplements, with a gift card from my friends at Nelson Byrd Woltz, that are likely to increase soon. I'll tell you about that in an upcoming nutrition post.
And now, your CAT Scan. No kidding - this was taped to the wall above the CT scanner. For those of you who have met Tim and Liz's cat, I suspect this is Bubs with a little photoshop work... Bubs is a bit more round in real life.
No comments:
Post a Comment