Shouting from the rooftops!!!

I only have 5 more treatments to go!!!! I will be done with treatments in just 1 week!!!

New tattoo and a rainbow with wings

This morning I had my swallow test. Rachael the therapist said I did excellent & passed with flying colors! That is such great news. I wasn't too worried other than the fact that my throat was a little raw and was concerned if that would make a difference. After the test I had about an hour to kill and I was going to go get some fresh air & read...but I felt really flushed and not so good. So I stopped off at Radiation and asked my nurse to take my temp. Which surprisingly was 98.7. Bow can that be when I am sweating bullets?! UGH! They took all my vitals and sent the doc in (since Mondays is the day I meet with my RO) he said all my vitals looked good & told me that my throat would gradually get better now since by boost was going to be shooting the side & back of my neck. So that mean no more inside mouth sores & pain down throat!!! Was that music to my ears or what!!! The day just got better from there! When they took me into the room with the machine that would be giving me my boost they said it would take about 30 minutes to get me marked & all lined up today, but after today the boosts will literally only last a minute, so after they line me up on the table I should only be there about 10 min each day!! WOOOO so at this point I only have like 80 minutes of laying on a table!! And like 8 minutes of radiation! OMG! I just cannot believe it!!!

The best news of all NO MORE MASK!!!! Yup, that's right since they are shooting the side of my neck where they removed the perotid gland there is no need to strap me down! I just lay on the table on my side they line me up & bam it's over!!!

Here is my new tat! You likey?



So that meant that today I got to walk out of the Brown Center caring this little baby

The giant hole where my mouth goes is for this little contraption


Back on Sept 15th when I got this mask made I tried to describe that Popsicle cork thing...so yes a picture is worth a thousand words.

What in the world am I going to do with this stuff you ask...got a few ideas up my sleeve...burning, running over it with Nick's truck?! Who knows anyone got any good ideas to celebrate???

18 hours of pure bliss

So apparently I was pretty tired...I fell asleep around 5:30 Friday evening and didn't get out of bed until 12:30 this afternoon. I got a few times to run to the bathroom and switch from the couch to my bed...but it was pure bliss sleeping that long. Yes, I am sure it was too much, but whatever I have a pretty good excuse don't ya think?

I have been watching my temp for the past few days and it is staying around 98.7...which is normal for most so the doctor's aren't worried. As mentioned above I have been having to make several trips to the bathroom which is always a pain. Ugh can I please say again how much I hate Friday & Saturdays!

The Dr wasn't available yesterday to make my mask for my radiation boost treatments. But I was informed that IF he was going to make another one it would be done on Monday before we start my boosts.

I have my swallow test on Monday morning. I am hoping that everything looks good! If not I will have to continue my swallow therapy. Even though the therapist isn't expecting anything to be wrong she said she may want to test me again after my boosts since that is when most issues come up.

Skin is feeling a bit better since they put me on that cream. It is pretty itchy still but it is looking better!!

On Wed my TSH was low & they ran my other T levels...My T4 is 1.22 (.78-2.19 normal range) and T3 is 3.30(2.30-4.20) so those look pretty good. Not really sure what Dr. R will want to do, if anything.

Less than 2 weeks to go & I am so ready.

I am going to attempt to get a smoothie down since I have been up for 2 hours and had nothing yet...and all I had yesterday before crashing was 1 Ensure. Ugh.


Loves

Help Fight Cancer by participating in an easy study!

A fellow cancer survivor has provided this to me! Thanks Belinda!!

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Miami or bust!!

I need to head to Miami to fix this tan line and get some extensions!!!

Nick got home with the RX for my neck...I really got a chance to take a look at it. Of course I took some updated pics.




Updated peg picture


Updated hair loss



Lovies

This week...

It is only Wednesday & I am drained. Yesterday it took 5, yes 5 scans before they got it right for radiation! Ugh. Luckily today they got it on the 1st try...they added more gauze to my headrest, meaning more hair loss. They will be making another mask on Friday for when I start boosts on Monday. Friday will also be the last of my swallow therapy sessions, unless the barium swallow study shows that I need work, which my therapist says she is not expecting. My labs looked good this week other than my TSH. This is the thyroid hormone and normally mine runs really high, meaning I have a hypothyroid and I have been treated in the past. Well when they ran the blood on that 3 weeks ago it was .69 and today it was .35. So they are running my T3 & T4 levels to see if I now have a hyperthyroid. DO WHAT? There is no way! I am always cold & have no signs of hyper...so who knows. My temp today was 99.7. Normally it is like 96.7. So I am going to be taking my temp often to make sure I do not get to 100.5 when I am to call the DR. My RO prescribed some cream for the burns on my neck. They really are not bothering me but it is peeling and he says with my boost coming up he doesn't want it to get any worse. I do look like I am a bathing sun beauty on my 1/2 my face & neck haha it's a pretty delicious tanline! haha I am down a little on my weight but not too much like a total of 15 lbs (remember 10 of which was put on before treatment) so I really say only 5! Hmmm I think that is all to report! I am posting a few pics of my neck so I can compare after a few days with the cream.




XOXO

14 radiation to go...

Friday marked my 23rd treatment...so that means 14 more radiation treatments to go! This past week was pretty good as far as the number of scans they did before treatment. Thankfully there was no mishaps there. I was down a little on my weight but have managed to hold steady the rest of the week. I am pretty much down to drinking smoothies, water, tea, and Boost. The past couple of days have been pretty rough as far as swallowing. There is just a lot of thick saliva & phlegm that seems to want to build up & make life just a bit harder. It is more worse in the mornings so throughout the day I have been doing ok. My throat is feeling pretty raw and it is super painful when I sneeze! Eek. Luckily no sores to report...so If I do eat that doesn't hurt. Its just I am done with everything tasting like putrid nastiness in my mouth. So I will be sticking with what works! :O)

Chemo went well this week and I am meeting with DR. R on Tuesday to verify how many more treatments. I am thinking 3. My labwork was ok. Nothing great, but nothing too bad. My white blood count is officially below normal. So I was told once that happens to be extra careful. So that pretty much ruined weekend plans :O(

I look like I have a sunburn on my neck and part of my face. It really is comical. I am actually starting to peel which isn't so pleasant. The Aquaphor lotion is helping nicely thankfully.

Well I am off to make a cup of black tea. Hope everyone has a great Sunday!

XOXO