1 Week of Radiation & Some Hair

So my hair is starting to come back! It'd be nice if it was growing a little faster, but oh well. I also haven't shaved all week, just for fun and to enjoy having hair, but I'll probably shave it off before church tomorrow. On Tuesday I started radiation close here at the American Fork clinic. It's nice not to have to go up to Salt Lake anymore! Radiation hasn't been bad at all, it's quick each day ea and so far I haven't noticed any side effects. Maybe I'm a little more tired but not a whole lot. Each day I go in and lie on a table that moves me under a machine. There are laser lights that come out of the ceiling and walls so they can line my body up in the same spot each day. The lights line up with marks made with permanent markers on my chest and sides. Then the machine shoots concentrated x-rays into me from two different angles and then I'm done. I'm usually in and out of the place in less than ten minutes. I'll do this every weekday for about a month; it'll be 20 treatment times total. They say it might give me a sore throat in the latter weeks, but so far I've felt fine.

It's also been really nice lately to be able to get out of the house more! I've been able to hang out with my friends a lot more lately and go to church on Sundays too. I wanna go see a movie soon also. Nothing in particular, I just haven't been to a movie theater in a long time! I know in May there are a bunch of movies I'm really looking forward to, but I'm not sure if there is anything good out now or during April... I'll have to check!

Exiting from LDS Hospital

Today was my exit consultation with the doctor and nurses at LDS hospital. From now on I'll just have to drive a few blocks to American Fork hospital instead of the 45 minutes to get up to Salt Lake! It'll be so much nicer. Things are looking good blood wise, all my counts are continuing to rise, though still a bit slower than we'd like. They also took out my Hickman line that was in my chest. It's kinda weird not to have odd foreign objects protruding from my chest anymore! I had my old port in since September 2007 I think, and this new one was placed the same day they removed the old. That does mean that from now when they do any blood work they will have to poke a vein the old fasioned way. No big deal though.

We also met with a radiation oncologist up there who says it'd be best to have spot radiation treatments on the one spot near my esophogas that was the last to show any cancerous activity. I meet next week with the radiation oncologist down here in AF to schedule all that, but it shouldn't be too big of a deal. Last year when I had radiation it wasn't bad at all, just kinda made me tired but that was it. No other side effects. This is just to be absolutely sure the cancer won't return, so it's fine by me if we go ahead with it!

Again I just wanna say thanks to everyone for your prayers and well-wishes, visits and phone calls, online conversations and blog comments!! You guys have all been so great in helping me and my family get through all this! THANK YOU!