A Champion's Exit!!

March 12th - 15th and FINAL radiation treatment.

Upon completing of my radiation, I met with Dr. B to review my treatments and talk about what to expect going forward.

As a review, I have had all the radiation I can have at this time for the skull base tumor.  Initially, he radiation causes the mass to swell thus the high dose of steroids.  If the radiation has done its job, once the swelling in the head/brain stop the tumor will hopefully have shrunk and will not progress.  Hopefully within the next month or two the pain will subside as well.  I am still taking a high dose of pain meds to keep me functioning - well, functioning except driving and doing any high level concentrating/reading, etc.  Additionally, the symptoms of the radiation continue to be in full force.  My hair is still falling out - although I swear it looks great!  My forehead looks like i've got a third degree burn on it.  My mouth still has sores and I have thrush.  My ears and nose have sores in them and they hurt.  I am constantly hot and feel some what radiant!!  Oh, maybe the title of this entry should have been SOME PIG.  I'm reminded of Charlotte's spinning of 'Radiant'!  Now, I'm just giving you the rundown of the side effects, I am by no means miserable with any of this.  In addition, I still feel as though I'm filled with helium each day - may face and body remain so swollen, but Im encouraged that this will go away soon as I'm currently dosing down on the steroids!  Yippee.

The doctors, nurses and staff are exceptional in the Radiation Department.  They have been professional, supportive, loving and informed the entire time.  Each patient who enters the radiation department is fighting - we all fight differently.  It was my complete privilege to be a part of that department.  While my number of treatments seemed few, I along with every other patient experienced each step of the process for my individual radiation therapies - finding the blue garage, the blue wing of the hospital, the maroon elevators, the radiation floor, registering and scheduling your treatment dates and times, being fitted for the mask, where to sit, what to wear, what not to wear, when to meet with the doctor after treatment, when to just hightail it out of there and when to EXIT A CHAMPION!

In the Radiation Waiting Room sits a gong and bells awaiting the next Champion's exit.  On the day of your last treatment the staff claps and cheers you out as you ring the GONG and bells. It may seem trite, but it was very empowering.  Dr. Bajaj, the entire staff along with my friends Nancy, Julie and Susan and everyone else in the waiting area cheered me out as I rang the gong and under Dr. B's direction rang it a second time along with the bells!  I will have a followup with him in a month.  Until then I've Exited a Champ!

NEXT STOP, UNCLE JULIUS where Joylyn, Annie and Allyson met Nancy, Julie, Susan and I for an END OF RADIATION celebration!  What fun!