Three Weeks Down in Here Be Dust

I am almost halfway through radiation. I noticed some minor skin changes after I got home today (I’m a bit more pink), but nothing bothers me. So far, so good.

The radiation center was decked out in a Hawaiian Luau theme for Halloween. I said I wasn’t exactly on theme, but I could be Captain Spaulding (from the movie Animal Crackers) returned from the tropics.

Added to my milestones: For about the past week I’ve been able to get out of bed in a single motion. Due to chemo, I’ve had to sit on the edge of the bed for a bit, so that I wouldn’t experience vertigo when I stood. Not having to do that makes a huge difference. (Internal voice: “Hey, body, where ya been?” I’ve gotten so accustomed to my “new normal” that anything approaching my state prior to diagnosis feels new as much as it feels familiar.) Little by little, my hair continues to grow back.

Thursday was Doctor Day: radiation, then a meeting with my radiation oncologist, then my first post-chemo follow-up with my regular oncologist. My CBC (complete blood count) still shows some abnormalities, but I am no longer anemic (yay!). CMP (complete metabolic profile) is scheduled for early in December.

I handed in my final (I hope) chemo side effects report. One copy of the report goes to my medical team; the other goes into my binder.

All the paper from the top down to the first flag comprise my typed side effects reports from 16 cycles of chemo (4 of Adriamycin/Cytoxan plus 12 of Taxol). Dates covered include May 8 through October 22, 2014. (Taxol cycles were one week in duration; my last Taxol infusion occurred on October 16.) In addition to the side effects themselves, the reports include my daily weight, temperature, food and water intake, bowel movements, exercise, and meds taken. The flags mark the start of different handwritten logs that were then incorporated into the typed reports.

My most recent art meditation was inspired by my friend and fellow cancer fighter, Sara, who does extraordinary photography. I based this “group portrait” on several of her photos:

Full size

Her work can be seen here.