Week 4 -Almost done

Week 4 almost done!  The out-patient workers had Good Friday off at Princess Margaret Hospital so technically it will be Monday’s radiation treatment that will complete the week. 

Sadly, I have had yet another setback and my chemotherapy that was scheduled for Monday has been postponed.  I expect the new date will be determined by my next blood test on Wednesday.  This past Wednesday, the blood test revealed that the reason I have been sleeping so much is due to the fact that my hemoglobin and red blood cells etc are all low.  So, I was immediately sent to get a transfusion and given 2 units (or 2 bags) of blood. 

This is in my small sketchbook that I made so it would fit my small purse.  I’m a chicken so I only looked quickly and had to look away. I only glanced once as the nurse hung the bags.   However, more importantly I found out that I will be able to give blood a year after I’m am cancer free. Good to know!!! 

So yes, I am disappointed but what can I do about it, nothing but enjoy the respite from the dreadful chemo, for a short time anyway.  Regardless, I’ll be back on the hamster wheel on Monday.

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter if you celebrate and if not enjoy your time off with family and friends. 

Week 3 done

Week 3 done! Tomorrow it starts all over again but it will be a short week with Friday being a holiday. 

I can’t believe how tired I’ve become.  I’m not a napper or a very good sleeper especially so after my diagnosis.  I had trained myself after retirement to do better at sleeping but that went out the window after my knee replacement surgery.  Now I pretty much sleep away the day. 

I don’t get a chance to really observe the room because I’m hustled over to the bed right away.  Then they have to match up my tattoos to ensure I’m in position.  The technicians are strong men and women. They do the movement, I just lay there as the move me.  Then they move the bed a teensy bit too.  Then they get the machine to scan me to ensure that I’m in fact going to get the treatment in the right places!  I find that very comforting. It’s a balance between human and machine to ensure delivery of the radiation therapy is going to the right places.  What a noise though; the whirling, banging, shuddering and sizzling! 

Every day I check, my skin still looks normal! Grateful for that! ( my mother had breast cancer 50 years ago and her chest was extremely well tanned.  Radiation treatment has advanced greatly since then).  Crossing my fingers and toes, only 2 more weeks or rather, 10 more radiation treatments. 

Treatment Room #5

Week 2 done.  Tomorrow we start Nbr 3 with three weeks of treatments to go for a total of 25 treatments.  Hopefully I don’t have to have more. 

I wait every day outside of treatment room #5.  When the Beam OFF lights up, I know it will soon be my turn. 

The technicians are slowing down on talking to me every second since I know what to expect now.  20 minutes and a quick change and I’m out of there. 

I like this quote so just decide to add it to my heart of hope! 

Lunch with Banting and Best

I just couldn’t eat breakfast again this morning before my radiation appointment.  Afterwards, we walked by this historic building (MARS building,  former Toronto General Hospital) that has a new renovation addition built next to it.  My hubby likes to research restaurants so we stopped in to check this one out.  It is a high end Italian restaurant with really nice ambiance and delicious food!  When we left, our table was the only empty one. 

I started the page before the lunch time rush so I couldn’t add in all of the people who were actually there. 

Just outside the door in the corridor was a large display about the work of Dr. Banting and Best and the discovery of insulin in 1921 (breakthrough research University of Toronto).  We spent a very long time reading the exhibits.  Love it when there is an unexpected free museum to enjoy after our brunch.  

Week 2- radiation treatment

I didn’t have breakfast this morning before I went to get my radiation treatment so I was starving at lunch time.

We use to have one of these restaurants in the medium sized city to our south.  My father always loved eating there because he ate at this location too back in the day (after WWII- my father is deceased) in Canada’s biggest city.  The restaurant in our town has since closed down.  This location in Toronto was packed and we were lucky to get a table right away.  

Super thrilled to get a chance to draw in my little handmade sketchbook.  I added colour when we got back from our walk.  

I have to say I was pooped after our walk-about!  That wind chilled me right through even though I was wearing my long underwear (in the new parlance, it’s called a “base layer”)!  I had to flip up my hood to keep my poor head warm.  My hat just wasn’t doing its job. I’m happy the temperatures will improve tomorrow!

Back in the Big City

We are back in the big city for my radiation treatment tomorrow.  The wrinkle in the ointment this time is our granddaughter is sick.  I was lucky enough to snag a room at the Marriott.  So glass half full - we get to eat out at interesting places.  There is a Taiwanese restaurant across the street (we don’t have one in the city to the south of us) so looking forward to giving it a go. 

So happy we were home for 2 nights and w@e got to sleep in our own bed! Sweet!  Here is a page I did the last time we were here.  Oh, just realised I need to do more journaling on the page.  Later.  Just so you know, I bought the pink tin solely based on the colour.  It will have watercolour paints in it when the candy is gone.  I was actually looking for Grey Poupon but I haven’t been able to find it.  This jar is very lovely so the heck with Grey Poupon!!

The real reason for this post is the fact that I was internally whining about my vein problems then I saw him.  I need to stop feeling sorry for myself! 

Round 3 - Day 2

Day 2- The nurse tried to flush the line that was put in the day before but it hurt so much she took it out.  She moved over to my left arm and she was able to find a good vein.  I was happy that it was back in my left arm so I could sleep.  I’m a side sleeper and  I prefer my right side so I was thrilled to have the line left there for the 3rd and final chemo day. 

Luckily I had a person across from me to keep me occupied.  My perspective is off but I’m going to say that I don’t care.  I’m happy with my page.

Round 3 - Day 1

This is my page I drew on Monday, Day one of this round of Chemotherapy and radiation.  It seems that chemo has done something to my veins and the nurse had some difficulty trying to find a vein.  She got another nurse to come and put the line in my right hand instead.  The problem is; I’m a full on right handed chick. So this was a very laborious task.  I painted some of it at home especially all of my “hearts of hope”.  It was supposed to be a shorter day but with the addition of the bag of magnesium because it showed low on my blood test.

Slow drawing

I started this on Thursday after shovelling 8 inches of snow around the house and out to the bird feeder.  Afterwards, I treated myself to watching the slow drawing with Amy of Mindful Art Studio.  Wasn’t loving the circle floating on the page so I added some line work to fill in some of the white space.  Like it better now. 

Health Update:

My blood was good on Friday so chemo is a go for tomorrow and radiation too.  Our daughter will drop us off.  My husband also found out that he can get his radiation treatment at Princess Margaret as well.  We were diagnosed within weeks of each other.  My husband is concerned about mine since the tumour is so large.  However, I’m concerned for him too even though his doc says his cancer isn’t growing now with the meds he is on. He sees his new radiation doctor on Wednesday and he can get his treatment at the same time in the same hospital as I am. I’m being totally selfish since I will need him to be healthy when they crack my chest open to remove the tumour;  I want to recuperate at home.  This has been a stressful time for us both.  We must be one of the most unluckiest couples ever but we are determined to beat it.  Travelling is calling us!!