Tomorrow I’m looking forward to a much needed day of rest. After undergoing 8 straight days of not fun stuff, I’m ready for a little break. Actually, I still have to go to the clinic, but I won’t be having radiation or chemo.
This week was the first time that I’ve had radiation before, and I also hope that it’s the last. Twice a day for 4 days (8 total treatments) I was radiated from head to toe. It’s a very strange feeling. I stood in a room by myself in front of a huge machine. Then a buzzing noise began and all of a sudden the palms of my hands and my feet began to sweat. There isn’t any pain, but then my legs began to shake like my energy was being zapped straight out of me. Then I’d feel a strong urge to throw up, though I never did. I sucked on a peppermint candy to help prevent that. Once I was done with the peppermint candy (it was about the same amount of time to suck a peppermint candy until I was told to turn the other direction), then I was told to face the other direction, so I would get another peppermint candy and go through the same sensation.
Currently I’m not eating a whole lot, and I don’t go very far without having a trash can near by…just in case… I need to… throw…something away… real quick
Right now my breakfast contains about 10 pills, and my dinner about 7 pills, and during the day I’m hooked up to a portable IV pump which keeps me hydrated.
Today I received a strong dose of chemo, and then Monday I’ll be at the clinic for about 12-13 hours for another strong chemo day. Then on Wednesday is when I’m scheduled for my transplant. I’m told that my worst days will probably be after I get my cells back as that is when the radiation and chemo really take their effect. They’ve really got to find a better way to cure cancer than this. The one thing that got me through the radiation stage was when I was sitting in the waiting room a beautiful 3 or 4 year old girl with no hair skipped into the clinic happy and cheery with her mom as she was about to receive her daily dose of radiation. I told myself, if she can be happy and cheery before her radiation, then I better suck it up and quit feeling sorry for myself. My radiation days went much better after being inspired by a brave little girl!










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