Day 2

Noticeable Side-Effects: Fatigue (not quite exhaustion)
Meals: 2 packets of "Instant Breakfast" - Mac & Cheese and Salad - Butakakuni, Salad, and Brown Rice
Snacks: Bag of Peach Gummi Rings
Weight: 105.7 kg
WOW! That's + 4.3 kg in one day! I'm sure about 4.2 of it is Butakakuni...  I love that stuff; and my wife is the best cook ever!

Reflection on Today:

Today's treatment was shorter than yesterday's, but it was extremely draining. I was told that feelings of exhaustion and nausea don't usually start until the second week, but I was feeling spent when I got home today. No nausea, and not bed-ridden, but dead tired.

Based on how I felt yesterday afternoon, I had planned to wash my car today (some final clean-up as I'm selling the car). When I got home, I was thinking about putting it off until tomorrow, when I suddenly remembered why people have children!

My boys are 9 and 6, and they already know how to do just about anything I may ask at any given time. (That's why they do not, and never will, get allowance: If they need money, they already know exactly how to earn it!) This time, the only bribery required was a trip to the park after they finished.

Here's my oldest working on the paint...

on the way to the park after a job well done...

Not too shabby, boys!!! Thanks for giving your old man a break!

 My next post will be pictures and details of the car both inside and out, so check back to see how well my helpers did!

 

Day 1

Noticeable Side-Effects: None
Meals: Cereal and Toast - Fajita - Waffles and Yogurt
Snacks: None
Weight: 101.4 kg

Reflection on Today:
All-in-all, treatment was easier than I expected. Everyone was friendly, I didn't get lost in the hospital (for a change), I was on-time (for a change), etc.

All the literature I've read and even the technician this morning said I wouldn't feel anything; but to my surprise, I felt every wave they sent through my head! It felt like a gentle pressure being applied to my scalp at each point where the waves were hitting me. There was no pain.

I was also able to see flashes of light with each wave, but only if my eyes were closed. The flashes were so bright that, until I opened my eyes, I thought there was a strobe light attached to the equipment!

I was tired immediately after treatment, but I don't think the radiation was the cause. I'm sure it was all mental and related to the anticipation I had been feeling versus the anticlimactic treatment itself. I got a second wind when I got home and felt normal for most of the day.

Now, however, I am completely exhausted from over-exerting myself all afternoon (about which I will post tomorrow) and from the mere fact that it's 1:00 in the morning.

That said, I am going to sleep...

***
I didn't mention in my introduction, so I'll put a note in here:

The treatment type is "Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy" - using X-Rays shot from a linear accelerator (Google knows the details better than I). My head is bombarded from several directions each treatment. Treatments are conducted once a day (weekdays) for about 6 weeks. Each treatment takes about 20 - 30 minutes.
***

Introduction

Hello Interweb!


I am the Chungerpung. Since this is what I am and not who I am however, you can call me Mike.

I created this blog many moons ago with no idea how (or if) I was going to use it until today.

I began radiation therapy this morning to treat a brain tumor, and have decided to use this space to document my experience and to have something to do on days that I am too tired to get out of bed. That said, I have no intention of restricting posts to the subject of my treatment.

The tumor for which I am being treated was actually removed in January of 2009. Over the past 8 months, however, my little friend has been growing back and radiation looks to be the best way to stop it.

Please check out my brother's blog for details of how the tumor was found, how it was removed, what type it is, etc.  (He did such a good job that it seems pointless to re-type everything.)


http://www.richardanderson.net/TechSavvy/Blog/Entries/2008/12/23_It_Can_Happen_To_You!.html
(Click on "NEXT" to follow the story through Feb 8, 2009.)


So, that's that and off we go!

First Entry

This is a Test Entry.