My new road: radiation? (Page 3 of 3)

Kris, the mold is soooo uncomfortable but the breath hold machine with nose clip is a little scary. Ok, take a deep breath and hold it...you don't have to hold it because the machine does it for you...no air.....I'm glad I'm not cloister phobic!
I have a little pain at the radiation spot as well but I just pray that means its working. You will be done soon...yippppeeeee
Lisa

Treatment #3 done. Machine kept breaking down. They were only about 15 minutes behind tho. Unfortunately, the machine went down twice while I was on the table. The first time I didn't move. The second time I said I HAD to move or I was gonna start screaming. And I only had 2 more angles left. I asked if we could just ditch them after about 20 minutes and they said no. Oh, well, I tried. Got off the table and expected to meet with Dr. Meyer. Nope. Again cancelled. I will go into his office on Wed. if he doesn't meet with me then. I'm getting tired of being pushed off. Today he was behind in clinical, so I figured his office might be full... so I didn't push too hard. But I will! I have a loud mouth and I don't mind using it when I feel I'm being taken advantage of.
Having some pain in the abdominal area. Hoping it means the lymph nodes are shrinking....

Treatment #4 done. Met with doc yesterday. Asked him if the very specific area where I was getting the intermittent pain was where the lymph nodes are and he said yes. So I asked if I could be feeling the rad working on it and he said yes. I figure I'm feeling them respond to radiation and when I get the scan in 7 weeks it will show SHRINKAGE!!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
He said it takes several weeks for the swelling to go down until they can actually see how the treatment went. Right now everything is swollen and irritated.
Treatment (LAST ONE) is Friday.
Sept. 4 is my CT  scan. Sept. 5 is meeting with Dr. Kemeny about results. Later that week/early next week is meeting with Dr. Meyer about results. And I KNOW that I will have to meet with Dr. Fong soon after, too, to discuss the next steps. I'm having very very few side effects from the radiation so I'm thinking it's all being kept inside and gets to work better!
I call myself the cheerleader. I spend lots of time cheerleading for others: now it's time to cheerlead for ME!

Go team Kris!!! Just a word of caution radiation is accumlative and usually extreme tiredness sets in at end, I have posted this and also Derin and Patty!! Be prepared to rest and miss  a little karoake and poker, but as you just posted "this to shall pass"! Keep all your positive thoughts because those and prayer are what make the best cancer fighters!!
Lots of prayers-Cathy

Go Kris!!! Great news and heck yes it sure is time to cheeerlead for you!!!  I'll go get changed into my cheerleaders outfit!!

Hugs,

Gavin

yay Kris!!

Thanks, Susie.
Hugs,
Marion

I've learned if I want answers I need to ask and keep pushing. I am my own advocate. And I don't like answers that don't well me anything. I like things explained to me. And i will call the office again and again until I get a clear to me answer. And if they talk over my head, I ask them to rephrase it until I understand. My onc is famous for non-answers. I end up having to reach one of her staff to get clear answers because Dr. Kemeny is so hard to get hold of...
Today is the 5th and FINAL radiation treatment. I am so happy to be almost done. And except for some tiredness and blood counts a little low, I have no side effects. Skin looks good. They told me what to look for and to make sure I don't expose it to sunlight without protection. I showed her my SCAR on my abdomen and said "Do you really think this will ever see the light of day again?" HAH! I don't THINK so.
And Gavin: That's a sight I want to see!! Or don't I??? You in a cheerleading outfit!!
Thanks for all the support everyone!

Kris...you did it.  Will you be up for a motorcycle run with Karen? 
Gavin, your cheerleading outfit is a Kilt, right?
Hugs,
Marion

Yea!!!!  Rest up and let that radiation work its' magic.  Maybe a little singing...
Be good to yourself Kris.  Celebrate the small, wonderful gifts around us everyday.

Derin:
I had stereotactic. I got the "poor man's" (I like that) scan to make sure I was lined up, then the machine did little movements and then 30-40 second bursts. Then movement, then 30-40 second burst. About 10-15 times. Took about 20 min. total when the machine wasn't acting up.
I was just a little tired. Not too bad. I have a few "twinges" in my abdomen and stool issues, but I'm figuring the twinges mean the radiation worked!!!!!
It hasn't stopped my poker or karaoke, but it did make me cut down on the motorcycle a little, which I had already done... but I get my scooter back today so I can ride again!! Look out world!
BTW, my saying is now that I'm not gonna stop 'cause I don't want "it" catching me!!