Month: February 2023
31. Radiation Therapy Begins
August 30, 2022 Update. First radiation therapy session is finished. Nineteen more to go. Radiation can be harsh on your skin and cause a sunburn-like condition called radiation dermatitis. Here is Doreen showing off a tube of lotion especially made for people undergoing radiation therapy (it’s called Miaderm) and some green tea solution. The green […]
30. Tamoxifen, Bone Densitometry, Flushing the Port
August 27, 2022 Update. Doreen’s adventures today in healthcare (and modeling). First, a bit of background. The surgically removed cancerous tumor was positive for hormone receptors (hormones come from the ovaries; the tumor had estrogen and progesterone receptors that could make it grow and spread). Two days ago, I started Tamoxifen. This is a medication […]
29. Radiation Therapy Simulation
August 17, 2022 Update. Went for CT simulation today. This is a session in which the radiation oncologist and medical physicist figure out the anatomy and the correct dose for zapping the tumor site. Doreen and I brought with us a lot of patience – which thankfully did not run out, because the appointment went […]
28. Radiation Oncology – Initial Consult
August 9, 2022 Update. It is 8 days post-chemotherapy; nausea is almost gone and fatigue is slowly resolving. Still need to pace myself with eating and drinking but definitely better. This morning we visited the radiation oncologist for an initial consultation. Radiation therapy happens daily, Monday through Friday. The patient gets weekends off. We discussed […]
27. Digestive System Issues (Good and Bad)
August 5, 2022 Update. These last few days have been quite instructive in managing the digestive system… more specifically, nausea and reflux symptoms (gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or GERD). First, ginger tea (salabat) helps a lot with the nausea. But it must be sipped instead of gulped Oops. I was trying to hydrate after my light […]
26. Chemotherapy, Session 4 of 4
August 1, 2022 Update. On the way to chemotherapy session 4 of 4 this morning. Besides the essential chemotherapy medications and cold packs for hands and feet to prevent neuropathy, here are other things I need today (with Doreen, who is also essential and says, “Let’s do this!”). 1. Reading glasses, to help me see […]
25. Hot Flashes and Eyebrows
July 20, 2022 Update. I think I’ve started experiencing brief hot flashes in the last week. Here’s Doreen joining me in front of the electric fan. Chemotherapy can induce ovarian suppression and failure, hasten the arrival of menopause, and since I am at about the age that perimenopause can happen… no big surprise. It was […]
24. Webinar Morning – All the World’s a Stage
July 17, 2022 pre-webinar coffee Doreen for support picked out a suitable hat Edited to add: survived live Q and A session ready for a nap
23. Post-chemotherapy Zoom Day, and a Bald Pig
July 16, 2022 Update. As expected, week 1 of the chemotherapy cycle = not feeling well with fatigue and nausea, both of which were manageable without medications. I took some paracetamol/acetaminophen for muscle pains a few times. Overall, I just had to take things easy and pace myself with food intake and activities. I am […]
22. Chemotherapy, Session 3 of 4
July 11, 2022 Update. Chemotherapy session 3 of 4 is done! The pre-chemo blood work looked OK overall. Hemoglobin is now back to normal, albeit low normal. But I’ll take it… anemia resolved. Will need to watch the creatinine though, it’s a marker of kidney function. It has been trending up, and I am guessing […]
