Thanks all those who responded this week and others of you who have supported me elsewhere @Anastasia @Bow @Former-Member @BlueBay @Schitzo @Owlunar @greenpea @Former-Member @Peri @Eve7 @Sans911
@Former-Member (please do not feel you need to respond)
@Clawde @Snowie @WIP @Bow @outlander @Lee82 @Former-Member @Shaz51 @Exoplanet @Maggie @Meowmy @eth @Faith-and-Hope @Former-Member @NatureLover @TAB @MDT and any others I may have missed along the way.
Much appreciate your posts and your support. And I do apologise for not providing more regular updates here. I tend to spend more time on other threads than my own, it just seems easier somehow. 😔💕
My appointment at the cancer clinic on Monday went okay. It was a simulation and planning day in preparation for my upcoming radiation therapy. So several CT Scans, lots of marker pens and even blue tac placed on scars. CT scans dont pick up scars apparently, but blue tac comes out on them very clearly. So they set you up and align you in the position I will need to duplicate for each future radiation therapy. They place, measure, photograph, record ... everything. I was a bit disconcerted with all the photos actually ... coz there I was lying on a CT machine thingy, all top half exposed .. and they are running around taking photos of everything from every angle. Then when they were happy, they did the permanent dot tattoos in 3 places ... one down the sides under the arms and one in the middle of my chest between the breasts. Not happy about these tattoos, and already trying to find out if I can get them removed somehow once radiation is done. Apparently its not enough that you are already permanently disfigured from the surgery ... they also ensure you have a permanent reminder of radiation therapy. I hate these tattoos! They are obvious and ugly. I think because I have very pale skin, its more obvious on me than they would be on most other people. Black ugly dots smack in the middle of the chest is not exactly pretty. With self esteem and poor body image already at rock bottom ... this only makes it worse.
So I had to be in this position with arms in a very uncomfortable position above my head for close to an hour while they did all this. It was a big relief once it was finally finished.
They have confirmed my therapy commencement date of Tuesday 12th January, and likely a time between 10am and 12noon. Thats the time slot I said would suit me best. All the staff and technicians were lovely, as was the radiation oncolgist who I saw a few weeks ago. One of the staff also assured me that I was entitled to funding for travel and accommodation and that I should consider staying at the hospital accommodation for a few nights each week. But I will try to travel most days. Certainly the first week is only 3 days, so I will travel each day then. But the second week will be 5 days and they tell me that fatigue will have set in by then. So I have made a booking to stay for 3 nights that week. Been putting plans in place to ensure hubby is cared for in my absence for those days. I havent thought past that at this stage, but will see how I got for subsequent weeks. I am looking at it as a means of respite for myself, where I can concentrate on me for a while. But I still need to ensure hubby will be okay. So I'm working on that.
I got some happy news this week actually. My nephew, who is 19yo and has Aspergers (mild autism) got his Heavy Rigid truck licence this week. I was very proud of him. He went for his test 2 weeks ago and they failed him. He did his test in the fire truck and when he was out doing his practical test he came to an intersection where he had to give way to oncoming cars. He stopped and did so, but because he was in a fire truck, someone waved him through. He is a kid who just does as he's told and so proceeded across the road as directed. So even though he had passed all the theory and everything else, the instructor/tester (quite rightly) failed him on that. I was so disappointed for him, and it did not do his confidence any good at all. So I was happy that he agreed to go back again this week and try again. This time he breezed through without a hitch. I can understand why they are reluctant to just give out a truck licence to anybody, especially to someone who is only young and still on his Ps. So he did really well. His mechanical apprenticeship is also going really well, with his boss very happy with him. As is his trainer who comes through once a month. It was a major setback for him when he badly broke his collarbone a few months ago, but he is definitely back on track now and doing well. So happy to see this. He is a lovely young man, but a very young 19.
My Dad had another fall at home yesterday and has hurt his knee again. So my SIL took him to the Dr yesterday who ordered an xray. Looks like there is no fractures or knee displacements, so he will now need an ultrasound. Because he is on blood thinners, any minor knock can result in internal bl**ding so they will check that out next Tuesday. So as from today, Dad will be staying permanently with my brother on the farm until such time as he can get a room at his preferred nursing home. Its not ideal to be staying with my brother because they all work and cannot be there all the time. Plus if anything goes wrong they are 45mins drive from the nearest town and medical care. So its really only a short term solution.
I think my post is long enough already, so I will call it a day for now. Once again ... thank you everyone.
Emelia 💞🎄🍒
