Settling into a routine
Near the end of the first full week, I’ve settled into a bit of a routine with daily (Monday through Friday) radiation treatment at 1000. Each day, I wake up at about 0630 and take my morning meds, which need to be on an empty stomach and with no food for the next hour. While I’m waiting, I get a workout and a shower in before coffee and breakfast. It’s a short drive of about ten minutes from where I’m staying to the Lynwood Transit Center where I board the light rail train heading south. It takes me about 25 minutes to get to the University of Washington Station, directly across the street from the hospital. Between leaving the house and arriving at my appointment, I drink 1.5 L of water to make sure my bladder is full for treatment. By the time I get all checked in, my back teeth are floating and I feel like I’m about to burst. This is exactly what they’re looking for (more on that later…). Once I’m checked in and clad in a couple of hospital gowns (not yellow or blue ones), they bring me into the radiation room and start getting me positioned on the table. I put my legs in a custom molded brace to ensure I’m in the right spot each time, then they make slight movements to line up the marker lasers with my three tiny tattoo markers; one on each hip and one just below my belly button. Once I’m lined up and in the correct position, the process begins. The radiation machine has a built-in CT scanner and before any radiation occurs, the radiation techs make sure everything is in place and that my bladder is full and bowels are empty. If all is as it should be, then the radiation begins. If not, I have to get up, walk around a bit, drink some water, and do my best to take care of business. The whole process is surprisingly quick and painless. From the time I walk in the door to the time I’m walking out, the total time elapsed is usually about 20 minutes. Since my treatments are in the morning, my afternoons are free, which allow me to get out for a run, explore the area, or just read and relax (and maybe nap).
Location, location, location, and timing
Why so much focus on the bladder and bowels? It turns out that radiation is like real estate in that location and timing is everything. When they originally did the mapping and radiation planning, I had to have a full bladder and empty bowels. This ensures that all the structures and organs are in the optimal position for radiation. Now, every day for treatment, I need to make sure my bladder is full and my bowels are empty. To put it bluntly, I need to be full of piss and vinegar and not full of shit. As simple as this may sound, it is not always that easy. The problem arises if I’ve not fully emptied my bowels that morning, I have to try to have a bowel movement without emptying my bladder. Few things are more difficult. Trust me.
Side Effects
Aside from trying to make sure my bodily functions are coordinated in support of my treatment, everything is going well. I am starting to notice a few side effects from the radiation. The most noticeable has been increasing urinary urgency and frequency. This is a common side effect of this particular radiation treatment, as the radiation irritates the urethra and bladder, leading to incomplete emptying. According to the radiation oncologist, approximately 90% of men experience this. As a result, I’ve gotten to add Flomax to my med list. Ironically, these were the same symptoms that initially tipped me off that something was wrong before my diagnosis. I’ve also been dealing with a bit of constipation from the radiation irritating my lower bowel, so stool softeners and laxatives are also now part of my daily routine. Finally, I have been feeling a bit run down and fatigued. At this point, it’s hard to say if the fatigue is directly related to the radiation or stress or something else entirely. All that being said, I feel great and thoroughly pleased with my treatment so far. It seems like I just started and already I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Carpe Diem
I’ve been doing as much as possible to make the most of my time here. I’ve eaten more oysters than I thought was humanly possible, I spent a Friday evening at Husky Stadium with family and new friends watching the UW Huskies beat UCLA, and spent the following night listening to Moe Weisner play some outstanding live jazz. I took myself to a movie (We Live in Time; pack a box of kleenex) and a concert (ZZ Ward at the Showbox), and was witness to a date going down in flames (folks, pay attention to your partner and not only listen, but actually HEAR what they say). As long as I’m able, I will embrace each day, suck the marrow out of life, and have as much fun as possible while hurtling through life. There’s no sense in being boring, sitting around moping, or feeling sorry for myself. Life is too short for that.
“Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary” Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society
I am surrounded by people who love me, whether here in Seattle or scattered around the country and world. Thank you all for your love and support! An extra thank you to everyone who has added music to my playlist!!! It’s what I listen to while riding the train to and from the hospital, it’s playing on the overhead speakers in the radiation room during treatment, and I’m listening to it as I write these words. Keep ’em coming!
I love you all.
Alex
Flight of the Raven 