Monday, August 4, 2008

Hi Everyone,

I have good news!! Everyone at the Lodge thought I was 22! Then they heard my oldest was 11 and they did the math which didn't add up. They said "You mean your not 22?!" I replied that I was a mature young woman of 34. They were floored (about the age, not the mature part). That made my day. (Remember last time I wrote that I still looked like my kindergarten picture - o.k., plus a few years). Also they radiation departments were fighting over me - actually using bribes and everything! On Wednesday morning we had a huge thunderstorm in London and all the radiation machines shut down. (Some patients were a bit nervous going under the machines during the lighting, thinking that they might get a little more than just radiated!) In the hospital they have two halls opposite each other that both have radiation departments. Anyway, I always go to the same machine with the same techs everyday. On Wednesday though our side was an hour backed up by the time the machine was running again, so the tech took me to the other side. She said "You'll like this side because they have a nice new machine. You might not want to come back to us". Once over there the techs said "You'll like it here better, we have nicer machines...and cookies!". When my radiation was done sure enough there came this warm, sugar coated chocolate cookie that was oozing melted chocolate! I'm not a chocoholic, but that was probably the best cookie I have ever eaten! The techs started bragging about their side and that I would never go back, but I told them "I don't know they may offer me lunch or something when they catch wind of this!" (I wasn't shutting any doors at this point). The next day I went back to my usual place and told the techs about the bribery. They said "We heard, they came running over to tell us about it, so we brought you cookies today". Can you imagine I was being radiated for six weeks, I would probably be moved up the food ladder to muffins and even fine dining! No sooner was my radiation done and I lifted my head up to this huge delicious looking cookie. I love being fought over! Well that's my good news.
Life at the Lodge was good. I got to know the people a little better this week. Everyone has a life story, some are sad, some unbelievable, but everyone was so nice. You just connect to them in different ways. One lady asked why I was there. (No one thinks someone as young as me should be there). When I told her, she said "Such a beautiful, beautiful girl. You keep praying and ask God to forgive whatever sin you did and everything will be okay. I will be praying for you too!". I told her "No matter what happens to me I am safe with the Lord." The next day she saw me again and said "Such a beautiful girl. You keep praying and so will I".
I had a friend come up from Monday to Wednesday which was nice. The time there just flies, I think it's because everything is scheduled and the days keep moving along. My friend took me out to a few places even Costco. (We don't have Costco up here). It was fun and made the week go much faster.
Pete and the kids came up Thursday and met all the people at the Lodge. Then we went to the Best Western with a water slide! I was told by the doctors that when you are being radiated you can't go swimming in chlorine pools. This one was salt water but even then they said only for half an hour and then rinse off. The kids swam for three hours and slept like babies. The next day we went for my last treatment (no cookies or lunch). We waited for the radiation doctor to tell me about the CAT Scan I had taken the day before. He thought he saw something on the X-rays on the left side of my chest in the rib and muscle area. It came back clean.
Since coming home the heartburn has been kinda bad. It hurts to swallow food and drink so I just eat soft food and take my time. It's like the food doesn't want to go past my shoulder level. The techs told me my esophagus will feel burned from the radiation. The other thing is I'm really tired from radiation and that might last a couple weeks. Last week I had the runs and stop the shuttle I took to London three times. Proud moments, but they all said "not to worry, it could be any one of us". Good thing we are all going through the same things. This week I've been backed up again and it got so bad that Pete and I spent the Sunday in the ER. After more X-rays to make sure nothing else more serious was wrong and blood work to see the white blood cell count was up, I had two enemas and they wanted to do a third. I said no thanks. They sent one home with me. With all the narcotics I'm taking it's hard to find a happy medium in the bathroom department. This weekend has been kinda lousy that's why the blog was delayed. Sometimes the side effects of everything are worse than the disease.
Anyway, it's good to be home again and have the month of August to hang around with the kids. I have a follow up in London in the beginning of September. This week I go for my three hour IV in the hospital here. Other than that I think it's going to be kinda quiet. That will be nice. There might not be that much news from now til then, but you never know.
Thanks again for your prayers and support. It's very much appreciated!

Love from Pete, Sharon, Natasha, Heather and Shaun.