So today I got tattoos - yes plural, not one, but 3. OK, so they are small - the size of a freckle. And it wasn't my choice. Oh, and I didn't get to pick a color (black or black). And they are in locations that never see the light of day so I can't show them off. But it is one more thing to cross off my list in becoming a hipster. If I can just figure out how to get rid of 25 years.....
Having questioned my adult children about what makes a hipster, except for that age issue (usually under 30), once I decide to buy a pair of Toms I should be about there.
Oh yeah, about those tattoos. I got them for free from my radiation oncologist so that they can be precise and consistent in directing the photon beams these next six weeks. And it hurt.
All is well.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Glow Stick
The title of this post is actually misleading. I will address that in a moment during the Educational Portion of this update.
So for the Personal Portion of this update, I have completed my first week (first of SEVEN - good grief - do they not know I have things to do this summer besides keeping daily appointments?) of radiation therapy. Actually, each day as I lie on the treatment table for less than 5 minutes (amazing, but true - only 5 minutes), looking up at the giant radiation machine that makes no sense to me, I thank God for the machine that is saving my earthly life right now. The office where I go for this treatment is full of kind and friendly people that are quickly becoming my newest best friends as I see them so often. As far as side effects go, my skin is starting to look a little sunburned and I am enjoying a daily nap - not sure if that is due to the radiation or due to the fact that it is summer and I have the luxury of taking a nap whenever I want. Depends on if I need a good excuse or not for my lethargy - if so, I just play the cancer card - it comes in handy sometimes.
Now time for the Educational Portion. Radiation is high energy in the form of photon beams. I know, I know - what are photons? Photons are the basic unit of light affectionately known as "a bundle of energy". Hmmm...with that definition, I think I will start calling my grandson "Photon" from now on.
Most of us have had radiation in the form of an x-ray. This is radiation at a low dose. Radiation therapy is a high dose and used to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. And yes, it also damages healthy cells in the neighborhood, however, being healthy cells, they can usually recover from it and remember, with all battles, there is always some fallout. But it is minimal as the radiation oncologists/therapists/physicists are so darn good at this that they aim the beams precisely at the cancer cells (and their original home, as in my case, because the surgeon took most of them out already) and minimize damage to the healthy cells.
Science fans, please indulge me while I tell you how these photons zap the cancer cells. The high energy from the photons damages the DNA in the cells or it just plain kills the cells. Both good options in my opinion. Remember from biology class? DNA is the stuff that holds genetic information - so if that gets damaged, the cells go stupid and don't know how to divide anymore. Too bad for them.
Radiation therapy comes in two forms:
All is well.
So for the Personal Portion of this update, I have completed my first week (first of SEVEN - good grief - do they not know I have things to do this summer besides keeping daily appointments?) of radiation therapy. Actually, each day as I lie on the treatment table for less than 5 minutes (amazing, but true - only 5 minutes), looking up at the giant radiation machine that makes no sense to me, I thank God for the machine that is saving my earthly life right now. The office where I go for this treatment is full of kind and friendly people that are quickly becoming my newest best friends as I see them so often. As far as side effects go, my skin is starting to look a little sunburned and I am enjoying a daily nap - not sure if that is due to the radiation or due to the fact that it is summer and I have the luxury of taking a nap whenever I want. Depends on if I need a good excuse or not for my lethargy - if so, I just play the cancer card - it comes in handy sometimes.
Now time for the Educational Portion. Radiation is high energy in the form of photon beams. I know, I know - what are photons? Photons are the basic unit of light affectionately known as "a bundle of energy". Hmmm...with that definition, I think I will start calling my grandson "Photon" from now on.
Most of us have had radiation in the form of an x-ray. This is radiation at a low dose. Radiation therapy is a high dose and used to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. And yes, it also damages healthy cells in the neighborhood, however, being healthy cells, they can usually recover from it and remember, with all battles, there is always some fallout. But it is minimal as the radiation oncologists/therapists/physicists are so darn good at this that they aim the beams precisely at the cancer cells (and their original home, as in my case, because the surgeon took most of them out already) and minimize damage to the healthy cells.
Science fans, please indulge me while I tell you how these photons zap the cancer cells. The high energy from the photons damages the DNA in the cells or it just plain kills the cells. Both good options in my opinion. Remember from biology class? DNA is the stuff that holds genetic information - so if that gets damaged, the cells go stupid and don't know how to divide anymore. Too bad for them.
Radiation therapy comes in two forms:
- external beam: a machine, (which I might add is a crazy-technologically-amazing computerized machine) outside the body that aims radiation at cancer cells
- internal beam: radiation is put inside the body in or near the cancer cells until the radiation source goes through decay and has completed its job.
All is well.
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