18 Done

Today was radiation treatment number 18. I have gotten the hang of how to shove the mask on myself, which works much better than the techs trying to wiggle it on. I have no qualms about using both hands to shove it on, especially since I know when it bumps my port or my trach wound it will hurt, to I am more direct in my approach. This seems to work much better and gets treatment going quicker.

As I get closer to the end, I find that I am nearing the part of radiation I was trying not to think about. The part where your saliva turns the consistency of rubber cement. Where the inside of your mouth begins to feel medium rare. Where you feel as if that beam, instead of going into you instead is sucking every bit of energy from your body. Today I am tired, and achy and goopy and bloody and generally fatigued. Three days off from treatment are well timed, but it makes me dread five days next week all the more.

On the upside, Malia will be here next week, so I can feel slightly less guilty about being a complete slug. This will also give Kelly an opportunity to dig into what will likely be a fairly complex year end as the University is now an independent entity.

I finished the last episode of season three of Call the Midwife, so now I'm in Downton Abbey limbo until fall and Call the Midwife limbo until spring. Not that I don't have plenty of other things to do, that is for certain.

We received another note from Karissa. Tubing on the lake was the topic.  It hasn't even been two full weeks but it seems as if she has been gone for so long. As hard as it is, I am very glad we decided to send her. There is no way I have the stamina or Kelly has the patience to parent in a positive way. I'll only have two treatments left when she gets home, so hopefully while I recover we'll be able to keep her occupied. Last year after a week she came home exhausted, so perhaps she'll spend a couple days catching up on her sleep. A mom can dream, can't she?

The only thing I had to do today was get dressed and go have treatment. I did manage a shower as well, but I haven't done anything really productive other than that all day. And yet, here it is almost nine pm, again. How does that happen???

For the first time since we have lived in Oregon, we have no Fourth of July plans. Usually the Ruzicka/Alversons come over and we shoot of fireworks in the drive way. But Karissa isn't home, and Karina and the Ruzicka/Alversons will be at a wedding, so Kelly and I will have a quiet evening to ourselves, hoping none of the neighbors burns our house down...

The geriatric cat went to the vet yesterday. Every time she goes, I hold my breath. At her age, the vet seldom has good news. This time it was determined that she is hyperthyroid, which is why she is drinking gallons of water and losing so much weight. The thought of trying to give her a pill every day is too frightening to consider-- we would all have to be wearing chain mail. However, the vet said the compounding pharmacy can make the medicine in a cream that we put on the tips of her ears. I'm not exactly sure how that will go, but better than trying to put a pill down her throat to be sure. And she lives on.

There is not much else to share from here. Everything smells like chemo. There is bleeding and pain at the trach site. And generally no joy in Mudville. Perhaps by Monday I will feel more like myself.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July, and a happy birthday to Nancy W and Nancy C tomorrow. It is convenient for two of my six! Nancy friends to share a birthday.

Until next time!

Love,
Kiara