OT "Adventures in Radiation Treatment"

[MrsLop]

Greetings to All from Sunny Rhode Island,
First let me say "Thank You" for your concern, prayers and good wishes.
I have had a few emails inquiring about my health,  what I have been doing and when I would be returning to the TS Forum.
I have been away from the Board for a while.  My Radiation Treatments left me totally sapped of energy far more quickly than anticipated. By the way, my Radiation team told me my Treatments end on July 28th.  I had no idea.  I just try to take it one day at a time and not look too far ahead.
This whole journey started back on December 19th of 2002, with the removal of the tumor and it seems like it is taking a very long time to reach completion.  

I had some very strange pains in my head and it really frightened me.  I decided that I needed to lighten up, relax take an armchair Tennis vacation and watch Wimbledon, and catch up on my reading. I read about 700+ pages of Sherlock Holmes and just started to reread the Tolkien series.  I finished the Hobbit (300+pages)in one sitting, yesterday.

I had been trying to learn too much, too quickly.  My commitment to learning about all things Mac related has not changed, but my time frames have.  I realize that my brain  is not cooperating in assimilating Technical information of any kind, in the time frame that I am used to.  I don't know if it's a side effect of treatments and I don't know if it will last.  It could have just been that I had been trying to do too much at once. I just have to wait and see. The vacation seemed to have helped. The pains in my head  
have become more and more infrequent.  I will be seeing my doctor about these at the end of July.

In the interim, I can try to get up and running within the next two weeks using Cox Cable and running the time out on my WebTV service. (please see my other post on Cable Internet)  

It's great to be back "home".

Myrna

[CyberPet]

Myrna,

I'm glad you're back!  

I can totally relate to being whiped out after a treatment, even if I haven't had radiation I'm having cytostatica treatment and that does the trick for me. Blah!

Anyway, catching up on reading and just relax is just what you need. If you're into good stories I'd like to suggest to find the Harry Potter series. It's childrens books, but they are so well written (and fun) that I really enjoy them. I've just finished the 5th book (around 800 pages) and now I can't wait for the 6th book. To read about a wizard boy and his friends is defineatly relaxation for the mind, go into a new world and just enjoy it and all its inhabitants.

Get better soon!  

[MrsLop]

Well Hello CyberPet,

I haven't read any Harry Potter books.  It's all the rage in the US.  I did see Harry Potter and the Sorcerers' Stone movie.  It was fun to watch.  
I enjoy reading and I am doing quite a bit lately.
Tolkien is one of my favorite authors.
When I finish my other four books, I will give the Harry Potter series a try.
 
  for the suggestion.
Good hearing from you again.
Myrna
PS What is Cytostatica?

[CyberPet]

Cytostatica is medication that kills bad cells. I get it in injections in affected area so it's more local than getting it through IV.

You'll love the Harry Potter books... nothing can compare to books even if they've done a great job with the movies.

[Dreambird]

Hi Myrna!!!  

Good to see you again...

You'd be surprised how well the amazing human body recovers... My Mom's chemo in 1999-2000 left her with a few things that went away or improved greatly with time when she was through with it.

"One day at a time"... is a very good thing to remember, it's the same thing a friend said to me during some rough times... just take things at your own speed...

[MrsLop]

Oh Dreambird,

You've no idea how much I have missed being "home" on TS.

The side effects vary from being a nuisance and tiresome to downright frightening.

When I discussed the symptoms with the treatment team they just gave me a wide-eyed look of complete surprise and say that it isn't a symptom of "their" treatment.  Yet,when I took an informal poll of the women in the waiting area they ALL admitted to having the same symptoms.
Sometimes I wonder if they really know or if that is a standard reply used when they don't know what to say.  It just seemed odd to me that all the women I spoke with had the same symptoms.

Oh Happy Day - Radiation is over the 28th of this month.  I am tempted to see if I turn all the lights out in the room, if I will "glow" in the dark.  That might come in handy, being a human night light! LOL

Nice to be back among the TS family.

Myrna
 

[Gregg]

Reading must be good therapy. I have a son who had knee surgery a few weeks ago. He was laying around reading, now he's sitting around reading. His recovery has been remarkable. But, he's young. My body doesn't heal that quickly, I tell you that for sure!

[kelly]

Mrs. L. Nice to hear from you again.

Please don't push too hard with this computer stuff.

Let it come as it will. A bit here. A bit there.

You didn't learn everything you know about tennis all at once.

[Dreambird]

Yeah Myrna... I know, they told Mom it had nothing to do with her chemo too when she developed some problems in her legs... but it went away in time when she was done so...  

It "did" go away though, and she was very tired too, she complained that she felt like going to bed and sleeping in the middle of the day, which is something she never does... so I said to just do what seemed right! If she felt like having a nap in bed then she should do that... I think she just needed someone to say it was OK...

So like Kelly says, don't push yourself beyond your limits, take it easy... we don't plan on going anywhere! We'll be here when you feel up to it...  

[kelly]

Oh. By the way. I'd read every Holmes story before I was out of Grade School.

[MrsLop]

Hi Gregg,

What happened to your son's knee?

Myrna

[MrsLop]

Dreambird,

Believe it or not, I am already beginning to feel my energy level rising.  
Chemotherapy for me was like being little more than a zombie.

Thanks for the encouraging words.  I can always count on you to lift my spirits!

I pushed myself to the limits and I paid the price.  I am trying to be kinder and more patient with myself now.

Very good advice you give Myrna

[Bernie]

Howdy Mrs.L Glad your back.  

[MrsLop]

kelly,

Thanks.  I do need to be reminded to slow down.

About Sherlock Holmes and his ever faithful friend Watson, the version I was thinking of, the complete Sherlock came in three volumes. Mycroft, his brother, was a really good addition to the list of characters.   I love a good whodunit.  Have you seen the screen interpretations.  The two I liked best were Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and the made for TV PBS series with Jeremy Brett.
It is so sad that Jeremy Brett passed away.  He did a fine job of portraying Sherlock.
I am very fond of British mystery writers and Dame Agatha Christie is another excellent example.  Again, PBS did a series on both her characters: Hercules Poirot and Miss Jane Marple.
I am steadily accumulating a library of mysteries.  It is funny, but my husband and I noticed that we both had some of the same volumes when we were first married.  He likes all kinds of mysteries.  

Do you have a favorite story of Sherlock Holmes?

Do you find time to read now?

Myrna
I recently started to reread Tolkien.  My son and I have a standing "date" to see the movie versions, usually released in Winter.

[MrsLop]

Well Hello Bernie,

So nice to hear from you.
I was hoping you would stop by.

I'll email you tomorrow as I have a few questions only you can answer.

I am on the road to a new "Adventure.."

Myrna