July 7, 2010

What an amazing day! I can't believe how smooth today went. Got to the hospital a little late and got checked in by 6:05am. The nurse came in and got me hooked up to the saline in no time. We sat in the room watching a little TV but mostly just thinking. Thinking about how relieved we are to have this day finally here.
7:05am I get wheeled down to room 12. The pain doc comes to talk to me and i make some jokes, he is not amused. Dr. Thomson comes over to greet me and has the biggest smile on his face. "Today is the last day, but all the staff has enjoyed you so much we want you for two more procedures." Hey I can come back to visit but i am not doing any elective procedures. They wheel me in the room and the pain doc gives me something while Dr. Thomson was still talking to me, I fall fast asleep.
Recovery room is tough. I have pain in my pelvis but i can't figure out exactly where the pain is, just my pelvis area. I can't wake up and I feel real doped up. The nurse offers me ice chips and spoon feeds me, awesome. I don't know how long I am in recovery because i am having a hard time seeing the clock. I am really drugged up, hate that feeling when i can't shake it. I guess I came around enough to wheel me down to radiation.
Radiation is ready for me and wheels me right in to the CT scan room. I can barely remember being there but i remember I felt like forever. I think I talked to the nurse about a kitten but I can't remember everything. Crazy how sleepy and incoherent I was.
I finished up in the CT scan and got wheeled to the hall to wait for the planning. I was parked next to a man that was nauseous and actually vomiting. I felt so bad for him. He looked so uncomfortable and could barely sit up or roll over enough to vomit in the pan. I had it good, poor guy.
Time passed and they wheeled me to the radiation room. The chemist Keith hooks me up to the machine and lets me know it will be 13 minutes long. Geeez, this is going to be the longest 13 minutes. I am still really sleepy and I fade in and out of sleep. I am trying to stay awake to remember everything but i am so tired. The door opens and I'm finished. I'm finished with my last internal radiation. I get a little teary. Dr. Thomson tells me they used a new product on me, two balloons that are used instead of gauze. Oh great i thought, more pain. Dr. let me know he was going to start pulling it out and i tensed up, of course. No pain, no nothing. I couldn't believe how easy that was. The ovoids were the worst pain and they didn't really hurt that bad. Nurse January came in and took out my catheter and IV and I was finished. What a wonderful day! I feel so great. I know I still have to have check ups but I made it through my treatment. 3 months of hell was finally over. What is normal life? How can I express my joy of being alive and being able to be with my husband and two beautiful daughters? I have a body that works. I have more strength now than before this all started. Not physically but emotionally and mentally. I am so proud of myself for making it through. Words can't express how grateful I am to all the people that have helped us stay fed and everything.
I will write again on July 22 after my first check up with Dr. Nibley, chemo doctor. He will check my blood count and give me a check up. In 4 weeks I will meet with Dr. Thomson for a pelvic exam to see the tumor. If needs be, he will give me a CT scan.
LIVESTRONG!