September was nice. My brother was here until mid-month, always a pleasure.
We biked to the Nat’l Nordic Museum in Ballard, via the
bike trail and Locks, Goldilocks biking weather, although it started to rain as
we got off the ferry and got drenched on the final leg home.
We spent some time with family in OlyWA. Danced at the yoga
center. Much, much garden work, harvesting, prepping freezing canning &
drying food. Put up 13 gallons of berries in addition to what we ate.
The bloodwork orders for the end of the month were mix-up,
so we rescheduled. With the bloodwork finally sorted, I had a draw. Got hearing
aids (Bluetooth for audiobooks, OMG!) and they placed gold markers in my
prostate (to avoid confusion, different medical professionals for each), and that
was just Tues-Fri of Week One.
Week Two: Had my eyes checked, got acupuncture, received
approval for acupuncture as part of Integrative Health at Fred Hutch, and celebrated
the end of the week with a CT scan and MRI at UW Medicine in Montlake.
Week Three: Acupuncture
Week Four: Acupuncture, get my leg form made, tattoo
markers drawn and an MRI before we start radiation sessions. Daily radiation
sessions (sans weekends and holidays) begin Oct 25th, and it’s not
as simple as I thought, need at least 150 mL of liquid in bladder. I figure it
out, but it gets harder with more radiation sessions. Went to the Silvertips
hockey game in EvWA.
Week Five: Five days of radiation at The Hutch, to clarify,
that’s Fred Hutch and not the gift store is my hometown.
October proved useful for finishing up some outside projects.
We managed to tune up quite a few things in the yard before the cold, wet &
dark of winter descends upon us.
November was filled with radiation every single day, except
weekends and holidays. And the side effects began to manifest that first week
in November; low energy, getting every hour up to pee (all night long),
having trouble maintaining 150 mL of liquid for the procedure w/o having to pee
was an issue, to name a few, between the lack of sleep, side-effects of
radiation and the prednisone, I wasn’t my usually cheery self. At the weekly
check-in staff added a few meds to help.
We had dinner out, a great vegan Thai place, then went to a
Kraken game and stayed at the Behnke House, Fred Hutch’s ‘hotel”, not too far
from their campus, in the South Lake Union neighborhood.
Regarding transportation, our original plan to ride the bus
was scrapped after one visit. We quickly realized that the journey required a
passenger vehicle, as I had to drink lots of water and had to pee roughly every
15-20 minutes. I stashed a few small jugs in the car, just in case. They came
in handy more than once.
We used the valet parking service at The Hutch. They are kind
& quick, and it’s free for anyone receiving cancer treatment, and you’re
not allowed to tip, they won’t take the money.
We had a playlist for the drive and started every trip with
Cabezon by The Red House Painters. We’d go directly to the campus, takes
about 20 minutes from the ferry.
A friend filled in as driver a couple of times. That was hugely
kind of him, as I was not my best self. I yelled, from my friend’s car, at a pedestrian
who was blocking traffic by not using the sidewalk, not my finest moment.
After giving your vehicle to the valets at Fred Hutch, you
go to Oncology and check-in. They made a card for me to scan, so it was very
easy. We’d talk with other cancer folks and their support, and drink water
until the staff called me for the radiation session. We had the waiting room in
a buzz of conversation, most days.
When they call you for your session, you go back to a
changing room (they have half-a-dozen), strip down to your sox and t-shirt, don
a gown, and wait to be called into Bert or Ernie, the two
radiation rooms. My partner goes with me. I bought some unusual socks to wear each
day, for the 28 sessions, e.g., sox with dogs on them, sushi sox, pink flamingos,
you get the idea.
You get called into the radiation room, lay on the table, it’s
covered with a sheet and the blue leg form they made during the first visit.
The form holds your legs still. You split your gown, sit down on the table and
swing your legs up, trying not to flash the techs. They cover your legs with a
heated blanket covering up to your waist, They pull your gown up to reveal the
tattoo markers on your stomach and each hip, squirt some heated jelly on your belly,
and ultrasound you to check your water level. If you have enough liquid in your
bladder, they line you up to do a 1-minute scan with the robotic, 4-arm, thingy
that swings around the table’s axis. Then they do a final alignment and leave
the room, closing a very thick door. You lay still, holding a foam donut, the
robot begins to whine and click, then turns a complete revolution with all four
arms, while 70s R&B plays in the background. You can sing along, but no
toe-tapping. The robotic arms turn for one pass then reverses direction for a
second trip, finally the arm stops, makes a few more clicks, then the really
think door opens. You have to pee badly. The techs come in. You have to pee badly.
They lower the table down. You have to pee badly. They put RoboZap (my name,
not theirs) back a bit, and understand that you have to pee badly as you dart
from the room, throwing thank yous over the shoulder, while you grasp your gown
so as not to flash the crew (no one needs to see that) and dash for the
bathroom.
And, in my case, you get to do that 28 times.
My partner would get the car as I dressed. On the way home we’d
stop for soup at Met Market, where you need a daily-changing code for the
bathroom that’s almost always occupied. The tomato mixed with ½ & ½ with
the mushroom is quite good though. And once a week, if we had time, we’d go to
Top Pot for a chocolate glazed or a Bavarian crème, because all the cake donuts
were usually gone. Now remember, I have to pee about every 15 minutes for the
next couple hours, due to the 40+ oz. of liquid I’ve had since 7 am, and the
irritation caused to much of my nether region as a result of being regularly
blasted with radiation.
My partner figured out insurance coverage, handled medical
stuff, including the meds and supplements, and took care of the underappreciated,
yeoman tasks. She is a brilliant advocate and has navigated all with skill and
alacrity. I am lucky guy!
Then I got a rash on my back, so staff added a few more meds
to help. By the time the Thanksgiving break arrived, I rattled for 30 minutes
after taking my morning doses.
We are lucky enough to have lots of extended family in the area,
so we enjoyed two Thanksgiving dinners. The gathering sizes are getting smaller,
but it’s so nice to visit with everyone, for some, it’s the only time we see
them. Needless to say, we really enjoyed both gatherings and we’ll have to
figure out how to plan to gather more often.
Radiation was completed on Dec 5th. We made
orange-cinnamon soap for the techs, nurses and doctors who took such good care
of us. They are an amazing group of professionals who put the patient first.
Now, the side-effects from radiation begin to wane, I’ve
had a few nights recently where I had 3-4 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
We saw a physical therapist and worked with the pelvic
floor muscles to speed my recovery, super helpful, immediate results from her
knowledge. And I have some exercises to add to my routine.
We had lunch at The Athenian in the market. I went there
a few times with my brother and sister-in-law when I first came to Seattle in
1985. It is still a great place, food is good, with quick and friendly service and
the view is one of the best in Seattle!
My partner is helping a family member as I type. It’s been
blowing like crazy here so the boys and I have yet to make it outside for a
walk. But I see a shaft of sunlight peeking through and the trees have stopped
their shaking and shedding of big branches. It’s time to get outside.
More to follow…
