The Radiator

Emend was wonderful, no nausea at all! However, it took longer to recover over all. I didn't feel "normal" until probably Wednesday evening or so. I still had the medicine head loopy thing for a few days. I had a flu shot Friday and the immune booster shot Saturday, and Sunday I woke up aching all over. I still didn't feel nauseous, and no headaches, or depression stuff, but holy cow everything hurt. Even my armpits ached and I can't really even feel one of them. Monday I felt less achy, still loopy, and a little sick.
Tuesday I went to meet with the radiation doctor. This is doctor number #5 in my entourage I think. Another med student as well. We went from med student Justin to med student Michael. We got to watch a video in the radiation office. It was very similar to the "how to bag groceries" video I had to watch at Thriftway a long time ago. It showed the machines, a variety of friendly doctors and explained the procedure with some sweet music in the background. Basically, the radiation is targeted at the tumor area, and the lymph node area and doesn't take more than like 15 minutes once you get there. They want to make sure that if the cancer spread to other levels of lymph nodes, then they will kill it with either chemo or radiation. Two weeks after chemo is done, I go back to radiation folk and they figure out where to aim lasers or rays or whatever they are. They position me, and maybe tattoo where they'll aim. Then two weeks after that, the radiation starts. Its everyday except weekends and holidays for 5 - 6 weeks. A lot of driving to Corvallis. She said the main side effects I will probably experience will be fatigue, (gee, that'll be new), and some skin burning, like a sun burn. She said that because the lymph nodes are close to the skin, there will be burning. If my skin doesn't turn red, then she's not doing her job. Well, ok. I liked her, and med student Michael is from Missoula, so of course he's a grizz fanatic like all Missoulians, so we bonded over that one. Bonding and then having to take your shirt off is new, but I'm getting used to that whole public nudity thing.
My next chemo is next Thursday, the 13th. Before the drug goes in, they always give me saline to flush the port or something. This causes a smell and a taste that I can't get out of my system lately. Its weird that the saline causes this, not the drug, but of course its associated with the whole process, so its somewhat nauseating. I'm not thrilled about having to sit there for four hours while they do the drug thing, and I will supposedly be achy again after. Sweet. I will be very excited when this one is over, because the next one isn't scheduled until December 1st, after Thanksgiving. My dad will have to teach like three or four days in a row, because its on a Monday. I think he may need some heroine when he's done. He says this is a great reassurance that yes he did want to retire.