Last Day & TV Interview

Yesterday was my last day of radiation. Thank goodness. Ta ta, Zofran; you’ve been a life saver. I'm very thankful that I did not spend 5.5 weeks with my head in the toilet this time.

We celebrated my last day the best way I know how — with kittens!!!

Check out my interview on the local news! [Skip ahead to 12:00 min].

http://www.channel3000.com/news/newscasts/36165558

Fight like hell.

Halloween & TV

This year I’ll be dressing up as KJ with hair for Halloween.

Just kidding —I really don’t care who sees my bald head, but I thought it’d be nice to get a wig just in case I wanted to have hair at times. Otherwise, I’ll continue to rock the G.I. Jane look. Many thanks to the Friends of the UW Hospital who fund raise to provide wigs to cancer patients free of charge!

I’ll be dressed in my usual pirate costume to hand out candy. Thanks to my big ass brain surgery, I have a legit eye patch to complete my costume this year. Heh.

Yesterday, N. and I were interviewed by Channel 3 about my battle, our love of the Badgers, and to help promote the “Beat Cancer” buttons that the Carbone Cancer Center is selling to raise money for research and patient services. We’ll be on Channel 3 at 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. The interview will also be on the Channel 3000 website. I’ll post the link when it’s up.

tOMORROW IS MY LAST DAY OF RADIATION!      

Fight like hell.

Awesome Day

Yesterday was so awesome. I won tickets to the Matt Nathanson Studio M session at the 105.5 Triple M studio. We had to jet straight from my radiation appointment to make it to the show on time. After he played, we got to meet him. I took off my hat for the picture, and he was a little surprised at my bald head. I told him that I had brain cancer and that we had just come from my radiation appointment. He hugged me three times and told me that I was a badass. He asked if we would want to come to his show yesterday night. I replied, “I would love to!” I’ve always wanted to see him in concert.

And then I took a nap ... 

When we got to The Majestic for the show, we found that Matt had gotten us hooked up with VIP seats — So, so awesome. The concert was fantastic. I’m paying for it today with exhaustion, but it was worth it!

Fight like hell.

No Hair, Don't Care!

The deed is done. No hair, don’t care!

Last time, I was so concerned about my hair. This time, I really don’t give a damn. I was so over pulling out handfuls of hair, and it had only been going on since Saturday. Off with the hair!

You can definitely tell where I have balding spots versus just shaved hair. The three surgery scars are very visible. Oh well, the hair will grow back in a few months.

My N. was very sweet and shaved his head with me. We gave the neighbors a show, shaving each other's heads in the driveway.  

12 days of crockpot radiation left!

Fight like hell.

It Has Begun

It has begun; the hair loss is upon us. It's like my hair hurts [because the follicles are irritated from the crockpot radiation]. My sister actually lint-rolled my head today to catch all the hair falling out.

I feel like the balding started sooner last time, but I could have just been more traumatized then, too. Seeing a pile of waist-length hair on the floor is a little more demoralizing than short hair. Plus, I really don't give a shit about my hair this time. No bald spots yet, but depending on my balding pattern, I may go #nohairdontcare.

Fight like hell.

Fight Song

I mentioned this before, but when Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” came out, I thought about how it was too bad I didn’t have anything for which to use it. [Be careful what you wish for!] I had also said to N. that I didn’t know if I could be as strong if I had to go through this whole circus again.

Well, here we are. I don’t know if I’m being as strong as I was the first time, but I’m doing it.

Today started the 3^rd week of crockpot radiation. I have 19 more treatments remaining, so that should put my last treatment on October 30^th. I have yet to vomit – yay for Zofran and a doctor that understands pharmaceuticals!

I’m just waiting for the hair to start falling out.

Fight like hell.

Zzz Zzz Zzz

I’m into my second week of crockpot radiation. We met briefly with my radiation oncologist after my appointment today. Apparently I am going to be even more exhausted this time, since this is re-treatment radiation.

Yup… I’d say so. I took a 4 hour nap today with Jinx. I fell asleep during treatment too. My life has become a series of naps.

I think I'm catching up from the lack of sleep Monday night. I got radiated at 6:45am Monday morning so that I could go to the Packers game in Lambeau on Monday night with my ladies. It was so worth it.

Treatment isn’t the most pleasant since the titanium screws that are now in my skull press into the hard plastic on which I lay for radiation. The techs have been very sweet in trying to cushion it for me, but there’s not much that they can do because they have to be able to strap my head to the table with the Jason mask. I can get myself into a position where it doesn’t hurt too much and make it through the 30 minute sessions. I still manage to fall asleep.

At least we’ve been able to control the nausea this time. [I already knew this but…] Zofran is a lovely drug. The first night I got a little nauseated, but we figured out that I need to take a full pill before bed instead of a half pill. That seems to have solved the waking up in the middle of the night feeling barfy problem. I am yet to puke this time from radiation. [::knocks on wood::] The lack of appetite is starting, though. I’m forcing myself to eat. What a change that is from the steroids, where I had to feed the steroid machine to stave off the hangry.

The hair loss should start in the next week or so. From what I understand from the techs, I’ll have a bald spot on either side of my head and then most of the top of my head will be bald too. We’ll see how it falls out, but if I end up with a skullet, I’m shaving my head. No hair, don’t care.

Fight like Hell.  

KJ Gets Cooked Low & Slow

Yesterday was my first infusion of Avastin. Besides it taking Pharmacy an hour to formulate the drug and get it to me, the infusion was cake. I had to get labs drawn to start the day; I’m glad I didn’t have to do much pleading to get her to just put in an IV and draw off that. One stick day – FTW! [It’s sad when I have to measure a good day by how many times I got stabbed.] I needed an IV because my port isn’t ready for use yet, but it will be by the next time I get an infusion. Once Pharmacy finally got the drug to me, it was smooth sailing. I was able to be in my own little bay, lay on a bed with a warm blanket, and take a nap while the Avastin was pumped in. Piece of cake!

Today I got to take off my bandages from the port placement. Hurray for a normal shower this afternoon! [And holy bruises – yeesh!]

This evening begins my radiation treatments. The last time I saw my radiation oncologist, he confirmed that cooking me low and slow won’t change the radiation nausea or fatigue. I actually have good anti-nausea meds this time, though. The Zofran is ready to go before I get radiated tonight. My appointments won’t always be in the evening, but it was the only space available since it was a quick decision to change my treatment timetable. I’m hopeful that I won’t be as sick this time. I will be the queen of naps. That’s okay, though; the boy kitty and I have our afternoon couch nap routine down.

Let’s burn the Bitch to the ground! Fight like Hell.

[I'm terrible at selfies]