Ta Da! Brachytherapy......

After my treatment last Wednesday, I received a phone call that Brachytherapy had been moved to the following day.  Yep, one day sooner than I originally planned on.  No big deal, right?

It really wasn't.

Coach was able to take me to the Clinic on Thursday and we enjoyed the trip into Phoenix together.  My kiddos have been staying at the in-laws all week, which was a huge relief for me and the kids I think.  They were able to get their crazy on with a little bit of help from the cousins (you know who you are; wild lazer tagging amazon!) and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

When we arrived at the clinic I was taken in to change into a delightful hospital gown, which again covered my rear.  Prior to going I was asked to take an anti-anxiety medication along with a potent pain killer, which I complied with because I'm learning that there really is a reason doctors prescribed so many darn pills.

I was then saddled up into the stirrups and Dr. L inserted a series of 4 to 5 different tubes into my uterus.  It was not pleasant.  In a place that I'm used to feeling tickling fingers from babies or the very least hiccups, the jabbing sensation was not so great.  But it wasn't unbearable either.  He was very efficient and had everything in place quickly.  Then the stirrups were released and I was able to lay with my legs flat, knees wide, as they wheeled me in for a CT scan to make sure the "paddle" was in correctly.  It was and so I was wheeled back into a soothing green room, equipped with a large flat screen that had a picture of the earth on it and some acoustic music playing in the background.  They dimmed the lights and went to find Coach.

He arrived with his laptop and while he worked, I feel asleep.  Within about 15 minutes of my power-nap, the lights were brought up slightly and a really nice physicist wheeled in.  He introduced himself as Dr. T, and then showed me these industrial brackets that were to fit into the paddle lines that would allow the radioactive grains of rice (a nickname because of the size of the radioactive elements used) to be inserted into each of the 5 sections, then removed.  One by one this machine would feed the radiation into the separate sections insuring that the right about of radiation would be received by my cervix and other necessary parts of the uterus and vaginal wall.  He then screwed the lines together, fed it back to the larger machine, and asked Coach to leave the room with him.

I laid there as the lights were dimmed again, the machine whirred, the cylinders fed the radiation to the appropriate parts, and after 6 minutes it was all over.  The attending nurse came in, and with the help of Dr. L removed the paddle and the other parts.

I'll be honest.  There was really nothing quippy to be said during this.  Oh wait! There was one part when Dr. L asked me how I felt and I said I knew was a Fondue tong holder felt like now.  Yep, that was the gist of  my humor that day.  I blame the meds. ;)

There was quite a bit of blood after the procedure, but I didn't feel any pain.  This last weekend as been relative pain free as well.  I did have to leave the Football game early this Friday as there was some rectal bleeding that alarmed me a bit.  Evidently that is a normal side effect of radiation in the pelvic/abdominal area.  When I called Dr. S, who was coming out a movie with his wife and still answered his cell phone, he told me to take a couple of medications and then call if the bleeding turned to hemorrhaging.  As it didn't, I didn't feel a need to call him back.

So, pads are my friends.  Food is finally starting to be something I like to eat again.  Water continues to make me gag, but I drink it 'cause I'd rather not get a porta-cath.  And.....life continues on it's upward swing.  The boys and I were able to put up some Halloween decorations and I'm looking forward to the arrival of my sisters this week.

I am hanging on to every small bit of joy I can find, and believe it or not.......I'm becoming someone I actually like more these days!! Happy Fall & Carameled Apples! ~Kami