Phase I Underway

This may be short, may not, you know how I sometimes ramble!

After having an MRI on Saturday morning, I was caught up in a whirlwind of activity, lots of things happened in a short period of time. I had the MRI at 9:30am, the oncologist called at noon, said the mass was bone metastasis to the skull (parietal bone) and the tumor was compressing the fifth cranial nerve, which is causing my facial paralysis on the left side. She wanted me to start radiation therapy immediately and said when we hung up she would be calling the radiology oncologist on call. She called me back about 20 minutes later, said Radio-Onc would be calling me within the hour. Sure enough, right about 1pm she called, wanted me to pick up a prescription of Decadron (steroids) to help reduce the inflammation and hopefully take pressure off the nerve to minimize damage to my facial nerves, and head down to the hospital where she would meet me at 2:30!! She opened the Radiation Oncology just for me LOL

I spent a couple of hours there getting set up for my first set of rads (focal radiation aimed directly at the tumor). Since this turned out to be an "emergency" session we did thinks kind of backwards but worked it out in the end. I went back on Sunday for another round, and again today to get things in order the way they would have been had I gone about this in a normal way haha So I'm all set up properly now and have 7 more sessions (Tuesday-Friday this week and Monday-Wednesday next week). I'll continue with the steroids for a month and then have another MRI. The docs wait a month after rads are complete to check because radiation continues to break down and destroy the tumor for some time after treatment stops, and we also want to make sure the steroids can reduce all the inflammation so we get the best possible pictures of what's left in there.

I'm a bit tired and have been sneaking 15 and 20 minute power naps where I can. I take a Decadron every 6 hours so just about the time I'm ready to fall into a restful sleep I pop up like a poptart out of a toaster! I'll probably have to bite the bullet and take a sleeping pill to counteract the steroid so I can get the rest I need to work through radiation, which can make you bone-tired starting at about 7-8 days out from the beginning of treatment.

I'm also going to shave my head again since my hair will fall out where I am receiving radiation, so I'm thinking my next "happy dance" blog will be a showcase of all my hairstyles, and lack thereof, throughout the years - won't that be fun!!!

Okay, as always, here's my upside and blessing: the tumor is a BONE met, not a BRAIN met YIPPEE SKIPPIE I'm thrilled and so very thankful for God's mercy!!! There is not indication of cancer spreading into the brain or outlying brain tissue. Praise The Lord! Now you know why I call this blog My Blessed Life :)

Thanks for keeping up with me and I give you my unending thanks for your prayers! Will update as things come along. In the meantime, I'll find something fun to add here to lighten and brighten your day.

May God Always Bless You Abundantly
~S