Week Two - This Boy is on Fire

I purposely scheduled all my radiation appointments at 7am, bright and early, so I had to get out of bed each morning, shower and do my daily routine. It would be so easy for me to throw the pillows over my head and drift away under the covers into a land of make believe. Although I am a very positive and optimistic person, I am human and I do go to a place that can be negative or depressing at times - this week was a struggle not to fall into that rut.

The radiation is starting to impact my energy. Early in the week, I walked home from the radiation treatments, which is only a mile away from our home, and by the time I reached the front door - I was out of breath and exhausted. Even when I do my yoga stretches each day I find that I cannot stretch as long, do many pushups or planks anymore - my strength is waining. I also had a high fever and I was pretty delusional as I felt my entire body inside and out was on fire. I got up during the wee hours of the night to find myself fumbling around the bedroom not knowing where I was and waking Paul up to the loud thud of me walking into our closet doors. I was so out of it from the fever I didn't know where I was!

The radiation is also started to discolor my skin in my pelvic area. It's turning this dark color and it's getting pretty sensitive to the point where I have to retire any and all jeans that hug my body. Let the full time sweat pants wearing season commence! Last time I admitted to wearing sweat pants in public on Facebook, I had slew of people appalled that I would leave the house dressed in such garb. I am sure people will think I have given up walking around wearing sweat pants in public, but it's for much needed comfort. Judge away!

As the week went on, I started to feel surprisingly great and back to feeling like myself. Calm before the storm I say. My doctor said starting in week three the radiation was really going to hit me. I did find I was "allergic" to something else this week - all slow songs by Billy Joel. I am not sure if it's the tone of his voice or just me being overly emotional, but anytime I heard his songs on my playlist, I started to cry like a baby. No more Billy Joel for me the next several weeks.

All in all, a good week. Thankfully no hospital visits -- although Billy Joel almost sent me there and my little Asian nurse, Rose, would have been in for a surprise if she were to pull the covers down to look at my junk again, she would not be saying "pretty" anymore with this skin discoloration!