I am officially a tattooed women! 2 to be exact. I never got a tattoo before because I couldn't think of something I liked enough to want to live with it forever. Well I will love these 2 little dots the rest of my life if radiation kills my cancer.
The tattoos actually marked the end of my first radiation appointment. Overall it was pain free and quick. I think I will like this treatment the best. The only thing that sucks about radiation is my mask. I found out today that the mask shrinks once hardened and the thing is really tight! They didn't screw down the bottom screws because it was so obviously tight. Something that isn't pretty about radiation is "waffeling" - that is when your face has these lovely waffle imprints all over it from the mask. You are a dead ringer for just leaving radiation in the rest of the hospital.
A funny side note that all the mom's will appreciate. My doctor said he would tape my breasts to the side to avoid any rads getting to them. I asked the techs if they planned to tape and they nicely pointed out that by boobs fell naturally to the side enough that it wasn't an issue. Thank you Alex, Charlotte, and Leland for that!
So one treatment down and 19 more to go. Every day at 10:45 AM for the next 4 weeks. I imagine it will go by fast and hopefully without any complications. I can live with a little waffle face for the next month.
A journal to keep everyone up to date with my Primary Refractory Hodgkin’s, radiation myelitis, and the little Z’s.
Followers
A QUICK TIMELINE
2006
January
Conceived our third child
Began to display symptoms of Hodgkin's - night sweats, itching, swelling, shortness of breath
March
Diagnosed with Hodgkin's and began 6 cycles of ABVD
Pregnant with cancer - what luck
August
Delivered Alex on August 28
PET Scan on August 31 - results that the ABVD did not reduce my tumor
re-diagnosed with Primary Refractory Hodgkin's
September
Consultation with NIH and Hopkins - recommended that I have 2 cycles of ICE then Stem Cell Transplant (SCT).
October
PET Scan results that I could get the SCT
November
Had another cycle of ICE while waiting for transplant (3rd) Began SCT process
December
Final cycle (4th) of ICE
Unable to mobilize stem cells and waiting for bone marrow harvest
2007
January
Harvest bone marrow from bones under twilight meds Admitted into hospital for SCT; new birthday Jan. 16
February
Released from hospital - 2 days later back with VOD
Final release on Feb. 14 (happy v-day)
April - May
Radiation treatments
June
PET scan to see if treatment & SCT worked - it did and I am cancer free!
July
Hospitalized for pneumonia and missed Charlotte Marie's 4th bday.
On oxygen support
August
Alex's first birthday - can you believe it!
September
Returned to work part time
Lee started kindergarten
October
Diagnosed with BOOP - out of work again
Back on oxygen support and steroids
Resigned from job to focus on health
2008
Jan.
1 year anniversary of SCT - still cancer free
April
Diagnosed with radiation myelitis
July/August
Lost moblity in lower extremities - wheelchair bound.
Using Avastin to try to stop progression of myelitis to my arms and hands
January
Conceived our third child
Began to display symptoms of Hodgkin's - night sweats, itching, swelling, shortness of breath
March
Diagnosed with Hodgkin's and began 6 cycles of ABVD
Pregnant with cancer - what luck
August
Delivered Alex on August 28
PET Scan on August 31 - results that the ABVD did not reduce my tumor
re-diagnosed with Primary Refractory Hodgkin's
September
Consultation with NIH and Hopkins - recommended that I have 2 cycles of ICE then Stem Cell Transplant (SCT).
October
PET Scan results that I could get the SCT
November
Had another cycle of ICE while waiting for transplant (3rd) Began SCT process
December
Final cycle (4th) of ICE
Unable to mobilize stem cells and waiting for bone marrow harvest
2007
January
Harvest bone marrow from bones under twilight meds Admitted into hospital for SCT; new birthday Jan. 16
February
Released from hospital - 2 days later back with VOD
Final release on Feb. 14 (happy v-day)
April - May
Radiation treatments
June
PET scan to see if treatment & SCT worked - it did and I am cancer free!
July
Hospitalized for pneumonia and missed Charlotte Marie's 4th bday.
On oxygen support
August
Alex's first birthday - can you believe it!
September
Returned to work part time
Lee started kindergarten
October
Diagnosed with BOOP - out of work again
Back on oxygen support and steroids
Resigned from job to focus on health
2008
Jan.
1 year anniversary of SCT - still cancer free
April
Diagnosed with radiation myelitis
July/August
Lost moblity in lower extremities - wheelchair bound.
Using Avastin to try to stop progression of myelitis to my arms and hands
Good Links
Maple
8 comments:
I can totally relate to the "taping" incident! God bless you Heather!
LOVE the boob thing...laughing out loud! Only because I'm right there with you, too!
Love, Nikki
You are amazing, Heather! Three kids, SCT and now radiation and you sound pretty cheery! By the way, my tattoos were painful but like you said if it keeps me cancer free then it's worth it!
Good luck with the rads -- you may have throat issues in about 2 weeks (since it's your neck & head) but it too shall pass! Oh, I used Biafine for the burned and it did wonders for me!
As Bob Hope never sang.....
"Thanks for mammaries..."
In order to avoid any retaliation from my wife or her sister, I will remain, anonymous.....
Heather
Sounds like you are off to a good start with the radiation.
Hang in there. I am thinking about you.
p.s. Lowe's has great play sets with optional amenities. Changable as they grow.
LOVED the video. Boring? Are you kidding? That was the best 7 minutes of film I have seen in a while. Kudos to Dave on the "SLOW' sign bit ... I was laughing out loud. I hope Lee does do the Tour de France some day just so we can play that footage. I just wanted to reach in and hug them all. Thanks for posting that. More please!
Jessica
I, too, am laughing out loud! Heather, you are a trip! Let me just say this .... you don't have to have three children for your breasts to fall naturally to the side .... you don't even have to have ONE!!!!! Ha!
So glad to read that your first day went well. I hope that it only gets easier for you. Keep smiling Heather! Love, Julie
Heather - I suspect John Cornyn for the "mammaries" commnt! Anyhow, I hope you now realize that when your three are teenagers and want tattoos that you have lost all leverage! Ah, well! Juli in Portland
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