More of the Same
As I predicted, treatment is getting to be a routine. I go to the center. I lie down on the table. They put the mask/helmet on and the treatment starts.
So far, I am irradiated from two directions during each treatment. One direction has the x-ray machine at right angles to the right side of my face. The second has the machine at about a 45 degree angle to the left side of my face, with the beam of radiation passing through my nose and behind my right eye at an angle. I am not too sure if any other angles or directions will be used, but I will let you know.
My right eye is a bit dry now. I am using both prednisone eye drops and regular eye drops to moisturize the eye. The dryness is not bad. I could probably do without the drops, but the eye would be a bit scratchy.
As far as evidence that the treatment is working, I think my eye has receded to its normal position. It is hard to say. After you have been staring into a mirror at your face for a while, everything on it looks weird. Does that happen to everyone or is that just me?
I only had four treatments this week. On Wednesday, Mike the tech called me at 9 a.m. to tell me that the x-ray machine had fried a board. I asked him if it also fried a side order of bacon. He laughed and said that he would call me to come in if the parts arrived and the machine was back up to speed that day, but it didn't happen.
The good news is that Dr. Della Rocca has dropped my dosage on the prednisone and it will drop again next week. I am now taking 20milligramss a day and will drop to 15 milligrams next week. I am starting to feel way more normal. Ok, maybe I am feeling more like I usually do. "Normal" is always a bit of a stretch for me.
Just how bad were things sometimes with the prednisone? I am not proud of this, so do not think that I am bragging. Two weeks ago I decided to have spaghetti for dinner and made a whole pound of pasta, with the plan to have leftovers the next day. I ate half of it, which is a honking lot of pasta. About a half hour later, I ate the other half. This should serve as an illustration and warning of how absolutely out of control your appetite -- and your judgment --gets when you are on high doses of prednisone.
The only other odd thing going on is that I appear to be having my periods again, full bore. I am 51 freaking years old!! I started early. I should have been able to give my uterus a gold watch and a retirement party by now!! Just when I thought things were tailing up, with spotting here and there but no real periods, here it is, just as if I were 15 or 22 or 40. Forty-two freaking years. I have no idea if this is a result of taking prednisone for long periods, of the radiation, of the general upheaval in my life, or what. (And if any guys out there feel that this was too much information, go off and talk about football quietly among yourselves, OK?)
So far, I am irradiated from two directions during each treatment. One direction has the x-ray machine at right angles to the right side of my face. The second has the machine at about a 45 degree angle to the left side of my face, with the beam of radiation passing through my nose and behind my right eye at an angle. I am not too sure if any other angles or directions will be used, but I will let you know.
My right eye is a bit dry now. I am using both prednisone eye drops and regular eye drops to moisturize the eye. The dryness is not bad. I could probably do without the drops, but the eye would be a bit scratchy.
As far as evidence that the treatment is working, I think my eye has receded to its normal position. It is hard to say. After you have been staring into a mirror at your face for a while, everything on it looks weird. Does that happen to everyone or is that just me?
I only had four treatments this week. On Wednesday, Mike the tech called me at 9 a.m. to tell me that the x-ray machine had fried a board. I asked him if it also fried a side order of bacon. He laughed and said that he would call me to come in if the parts arrived and the machine was back up to speed that day, but it didn't happen.
The good news is that Dr. Della Rocca has dropped my dosage on the prednisone and it will drop again next week. I am now taking 20milligramss a day and will drop to 15 milligrams next week. I am starting to feel way more normal. Ok, maybe I am feeling more like I usually do. "Normal" is always a bit of a stretch for me.
Just how bad were things sometimes with the prednisone? I am not proud of this, so do not think that I am bragging. Two weeks ago I decided to have spaghetti for dinner and made a whole pound of pasta, with the plan to have leftovers the next day. I ate half of it, which is a honking lot of pasta. About a half hour later, I ate the other half. This should serve as an illustration and warning of how absolutely out of control your appetite -- and your judgment --gets when you are on high doses of prednisone.
The only other odd thing going on is that I appear to be having my periods again, full bore. I am 51 freaking years old!! I started early. I should have been able to give my uterus a gold watch and a retirement party by now!! Just when I thought things were tailing up, with spotting here and there but no real periods, here it is, just as if I were 15 or 22 or 40. Forty-two freaking years. I have no idea if this is a result of taking prednisone for long periods, of the radiation, of the general upheaval in my life, or what. (And if any guys out there feel that this was too much information, go off and talk about football quietly among yourselves, OK?)
posted by Valerie DeBenedette at 1:04 PM
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