Yesterday started with a trip to the dentist for the regular, semi-annual cleaning. On the way, the phone rang from the local cancer center asking whether I wanted to start radiation that afternoon or wait until today (Tuesday). I chose to begin immediately and was relieved that the center was so prompt in getting the treatments started.
Mohamed and I had simultaneous appointments at the dentist, the same one who asked 4½ years ago whether we even needed to make another appointment. The most exciting event of the cleaning was that there is now a new flavor for polishing: chocolate. Adventurous sort that I am, I decided to try it (I'm not sure that was exactly on my bucket list, but what the hell). It tasted rather like brownie batter. And we did make an appointment for six months in the future without any questioning.
There was time for an hour-long nap before heading out again to the cancer center. I got right in, took off my shirt, and lay down on the "bed." They took further CT scans just to make sure the targets were accurate and made more black marks on my chest, stomach, and sides. Looking at the ceiling, I remembered from the previous sessions that there are twinkling lights meant to look like stars and distract from the procedure. And then there were four zaps, and I was done. We've scheduled the remaining nine sessions for 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday so that I'll be finished with the treatments the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Next Monday, we'll change the time so that I can have a morning meeting with Dr. Van at KU Med. It's then that we'll decide whether he'll continue in charge of my case or whether we'll shift to Dr. Hashmi and have consultations, examinations, and treatment here in Topeka.
I was exhausted for the rest of the afternoon and evening, I assume from the disruption of my regular daily crashes rather than from one brief treatment.
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