This has been a very crazy week and nothing was predictable!  It started with Kath and myself sleeping four hours beyond my scheduled pill time at 7AM on Saturday!  Lucky for us that Barry called at 11AM, which woke us up from our sound sleep!  I was in immediate pain and had a very difficult time getting to the restroom and back to bed.  My pain level hit a 10 and I could not get it under control!  The rest of the day was spent with me trying to get my pain back to a manageable level.  Kath and Barry played key roles in getting me back to my former self.  I can't say enough about both of them and what they had to put up with.  I know that when I am in pain, I don't always come across in the most pleasant of manners!!  They are to be commended!  I learned three very important things from all of this: 1. I can not afford to miss my scheduled pain pill times each day and 2. I will have meltdowns occasionally and I need to accept them and 3. My friends are essential to help me with this healing process.  This has been a much easier week, thanks to Tom, Barry, Reed, and Carl!  They all volunteered to drive me to my radiation appointment, so Kath would not have to.  I can't tell you how wonderful it was for Kath not to have to drive that route on those days that my friends drove!   It was a fantastic gift to receive.  Besides, it was quite a change when Reed smeared Aquaphor on my rear area and I heard the music of Barry White (verse was: Let's get it on!).  I turned to my side and was handed an I-phone that had a burning candle on the screen!  Quite the mood setter!!  I love the fact that my family and friends know how to keep the humor going!  As for the entire week, I have been experiencing pain in different areas and I have tried to work through each individual case.  I've managed to slow down my pace and rely more on my friends.  I have been blessed by having such a great group of close friends that I count on regularly.  It is so great that even though they have very busy schedules, they still have me as a priority and give me their time!  I would have had a very difficult time this week if they had not been there for me.  So I plan on relaxing this weekend and spend extra time taking it easy.  I want to really hit this next week with all engines running!  I want to be able to smile at each day!!

I am not even sure where to start today!  I was to show up at 10:00, have my radiation treatment, and then meet with my doctor.  As it turned out, I hit the automatic turn-off switch as I climbed on the table during my radiation treatment.  Consequently it took around fifteen minutes to restart the machine.  Then part way through, the machine had some of its own problems, so it was down for a bit.  The positive side of this was that I got to visit with my nurses and technicians during this down time.   It was great getting to know more about them!  They are wonderful individuals!  After all of this was finally finished, I met with my radiation doctor (I looked closely to see if he was glowing).  I informed him of a new problem that I was having since Thursday.  So he referred me to a urologist.  Next step meant that Kath and I headed to the Center for Health and Healing at the bottom of the hill.  This part was fun, since it included a rectal exam and blood tests!!!  The news turned out fine, because nothing was wrong.  So I am to monitor myself this next week and we will meet again on Monday.  I am just a mystery!  All of this in a package meant that we were at it for over four hours!  This was radiation dosage number four!  I have twenty-one left to go.  We have learned through this experience that we can not plan anything, because we never know what will change or be added to.  We continue to get out of the house as much as possible and have learned to make plans on the spur of the moment.  Each day brings a new adventure!  Here are to many more!!

Kath and I just got back from OHSU where I completed my first radiation treatment.  We showed up early in hopes of getting in early and it worked!  We got in and out, as to avoid the Portland five o'clock traffic on the way home.  Before our appointment, the doctors and nurses allowed Kath to come into the back to view the equipment that was being used and explain the process to her thoroughly.  Dan is the technician who will be putting me under the machine each day and I really enjoy him.  Andy, you will pleased to know that he is a Ginger!   Unlike what we had previously been told, I will undergo twenty-five treatments rather than twenty treatments.  I will go everyday, except for weekends.  The rest of this week, we will have late afternoon appointments, but starting next week, we will have eight o'clock and earlier times.  The dosage will not be as severe as the treatments I had four years ago also.  The side effects will be the same, where I may be lethargic, feel fatigue and experience burns such as you would have from being in the sun for a prolonged period of time.  After Kath was shown the process, it took about twenty-five minutes to set up and receive the radiation.  The time for getting the actual dosage of radiation only lasts about ten minutes.  Although this is not very long, it is vital that I do not move at all.  I did pretty good for the first five minutes, but really struggled the last five.  It is imperative that the radiation is directed directly at the tumor.  The only change that I notice is the fact that the area being radiated does get warm.  Other than that, there is really no discomfort.  This was very similar to what it was like when I received this treatment years ago.  In other words, this first dosage was very easy to go through.  If it follows course, the rest of this week should be no problem.  When I get in the car, Kath puts lotion all over the radiated area and I ride home facing backward in the car seat, looking out the back window.  I have my seat belt exemption card, so I don't have to worry about being buckled in.  After the lotion has been on about four hours, I am then free to move around.  So next week I am anxious to have the afternoons to do different activities.  Again, I do not move very quickly and can not sit in a chair.  I am able to stand for a long period of time, especially if I can lean against a solid object.  For example, I am leaning against our kitchen counter as I do this blog.  I also am able to lay on my stomach, which allows me to sleep at night.  So as I have said before, I am learning how to monitor my pain daily.  I am excited to get this radiation process going in the attempt to help shrink this tumor.  After the twenty-five treatments, the doctors will wait about four to six weeks before they preform an MRI, to check to see the effects.  My family and I really appreciate all your thoughts and prayers.