Here is the exchange that happened at the oncologist's office today:
Doctor: How are you feeling?
Me: Great!
Doctor: Ready to start something new?
Me: Um, yeah
Doctor: Ok so your next round of chemo will be....
Me: Wait......I HAVE MORE CHEMO?!?!?!?! (Ok I didn't yell it in real life but I did in my head)
Doctor: Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot we changed your plan. You're done!
Me: I thought by new you meant starting radiation!
Nothing like having the thought of more chemo to shake up your day. Come on doc! You made me wait 30 mins in the little examination room and then you get my treatment plan mixed up????
In brighter news, after that appointment I had to go get a mammogram to make sure that there weren't any more calcifications so that radiation can begin (whenever the whole genetic testing thing is done). The films all came back good (so worth the pain of the mammogram itself).
After a day of somewhat stressful and painful appointments, I rewarded myself with a nap. :)
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Ready....Set....WAIT!
So with the end of chemo comes the start of radiation, or so I thought.
I met with the radiation doctor (radiologist?) over spring break and set up the appointment for me to be "simulated". In this appointment, they basically do a whole scan and plan where the (insert Doctor Evil voice here) lasers will be pointed at me. After they get their data, it would take about a week and then I could start radiation. I was glad to have a starting date and to start the process. We scheduled radiation to be at 3:45 every day so that I wouldn't miss any school. I went to school this week and told my principal the plan, told the athletic director I couldn't work track meets, and told the assistant principal that I couldn't do any more detentions.
Then on Tuesday of this week, my surgeon called and said she had come across a new genetic test she would like me to do. Evidently this genetic mutation (wouldn't it be helpful if I could remember the name) is very rare and she doesn't think I'll test positive for it. However, with this mutation, having radiation will actually increase the likelihood of other cancers. Um....yeah let's have this test done! I guess it's a test they run on people under 35 so I'm just in!
So radiation is now on hold and I had to go back to all the above people and change what I had just told them. Slightly frustrating, though I'm excited to have a little time off to get a little energy going into radiation. They said that radiation will make me tired, but not as tired as chemo did.
With this break, I think I'm going to try and start working out again. I haven't been to the gym since right before my diagnosis and I'm ready to go back. Hopefully if I get a little endurance before radiation starts I'll be able to keep it up during it.
On another note, I'm trying to figure out if my hair is starting to grow back. I know it's not going to happen overnight, but if I could tell there was a little change that would make me EXTREMELY excited!
I met with the radiation doctor (radiologist?) over spring break and set up the appointment for me to be "simulated". In this appointment, they basically do a whole scan and plan where the (insert Doctor Evil voice here) lasers will be pointed at me. After they get their data, it would take about a week and then I could start radiation. I was glad to have a starting date and to start the process. We scheduled radiation to be at 3:45 every day so that I wouldn't miss any school. I went to school this week and told my principal the plan, told the athletic director I couldn't work track meets, and told the assistant principal that I couldn't do any more detentions.
Then on Tuesday of this week, my surgeon called and said she had come across a new genetic test she would like me to do. Evidently this genetic mutation (wouldn't it be helpful if I could remember the name) is very rare and she doesn't think I'll test positive for it. However, with this mutation, having radiation will actually increase the likelihood of other cancers. Um....yeah let's have this test done! I guess it's a test they run on people under 35 so I'm just in!
So radiation is now on hold and I had to go back to all the above people and change what I had just told them. Slightly frustrating, though I'm excited to have a little time off to get a little energy going into radiation. They said that radiation will make me tired, but not as tired as chemo did.
With this break, I think I'm going to try and start working out again. I haven't been to the gym since right before my diagnosis and I'm ready to go back. Hopefully if I get a little endurance before radiation starts I'll be able to keep it up during it.
On another note, I'm trying to figure out if my hair is starting to grow back. I know it's not going to happen overnight, but if I could tell there was a little change that would make me EXTREMELY excited!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Dunzo!
So chemo is officially done! People kept asking me if I was throwing a party. I figure, I'm saving that for when radiation is done and all treatments are done. Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY excited that chemo is done (cause that sucked). Let the hair growing commence! (Of course I mean on my head and not in those annoying places)
Radiation should start in a couple weeks which means I have a couple weeks "off". I'm excited to not really have any appointments for a while. Radiation will be annoying in its own right since it will need to be every single day at the same time. The good thing is that I can schedule it for after school so that I don't have to miss any extended periods of time from school anymore.
I met with the radiation doctor (I'm sure there is a more specific name for him) and the whole process is quite interesting. The math nerd in me was loving the discussion of angles and lasers and the exactness of it all.
So I guess this is a pretty boring post. I'm going to blame the exhaustion from chemo for that. Back to school tomorrow!!!
Radiation should start in a couple weeks which means I have a couple weeks "off". I'm excited to not really have any appointments for a while. Radiation will be annoying in its own right since it will need to be every single day at the same time. The good thing is that I can schedule it for after school so that I don't have to miss any extended periods of time from school anymore.
I met with the radiation doctor (I'm sure there is a more specific name for him) and the whole process is quite interesting. The math nerd in me was loving the discussion of angles and lasers and the exactness of it all.
So I guess this is a pretty boring post. I'm going to blame the exhaustion from chemo for that. Back to school tomorrow!!!
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