Proton Therapy #10: LAST ONE!
My wonderful friend flew to Austin to keep me company during my last two days of proton therapy. After spending last week alone, I went a little overboard planning our itinerary. I'm sure I sounded like Will Ferrell in Elf: "First, we'll go to a farmhouse coffee shop and order lavender lattes. Then we'll go to this wacky chocolate shop and try chocolate salami. Then we'll go see the new Christmas romantic comedy. Then we'll snuggle."
Of course, things didn't go according to plan. The airline lost her luggage and we had to make an emergency Target run for toiletries and underwear. Then I started having serious chest pain on the drive to Dallas, and we ended up spending the day in an Emergency Room in Waco. My friend is normally super sweet, so it was fun to watch her storm around the hospital demanding attention and pain meds. I couldn't have picked a better advocate. Eventually, they ruled out all of the life-threatening conditions like heart attack and pulmonary embolism and discharged me with "unexplained chest pain." It's probably inflammation from proton therapy, although my doctor at the Proton Center told me he's "never seen this before." How reassuring.
FYI, I look happy and relaxed in this picture because I'm on morphine. "Problems? What problems? I feel amazing!" Since then, I've been on a steady stream of Ibuprofen and have been feeling good.
I totally freaked my parents out with that hospital trip, so now I have to send them reassuring proof of life pictures every few hours.
My oncologist urged me to finish the last two treatments, so yesterday my friend and I drove to Dallas (again) and made it to our destination this time. We did everything on my itinerary and even went to Mama Tried Honky Tonk.
This morning, I had my final treatment and got to bang the gong. They probably use a gong to promote feelings of zen, but I pretended to be a judge on The Gong Show. "Cancer treatment, you suck! Next act, please." I was also awarded a certificate for taking my proton beams like a champ (minus that hospital detour). I briefly thought about laminating it, but instead I crumpled it in the bottom of my purse with all the goldfish crumbs and Claire's acorn collection.
My friend, who always knows the perfect song for every occasion, played "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" on the way to our celebratory lunch. The restaurant gave us our lunch for free when they found out I had just finished cancer treatment. Yay, more money to spend on chocolate salami!
Of course, things didn't go according to plan. The airline lost her luggage and we had to make an emergency Target run for toiletries and underwear. Then I started having serious chest pain on the drive to Dallas, and we ended up spending the day in an Emergency Room in Waco. My friend is normally super sweet, so it was fun to watch her storm around the hospital demanding attention and pain meds. I couldn't have picked a better advocate. Eventually, they ruled out all of the life-threatening conditions like heart attack and pulmonary embolism and discharged me with "unexplained chest pain." It's probably inflammation from proton therapy, although my doctor at the Proton Center told me he's "never seen this before." How reassuring.
FYI, I look happy and relaxed in this picture because I'm on morphine. "Problems? What problems? I feel amazing!" Since then, I've been on a steady stream of Ibuprofen and have been feeling good.
I totally freaked my parents out with that hospital trip, so now I have to send them reassuring proof of life pictures every few hours.
My oncologist urged me to finish the last two treatments, so yesterday my friend and I drove to Dallas (again) and made it to our destination this time. We did everything on my itinerary and even went to Mama Tried Honky Tonk.
This morning, I had my final treatment and got to bang the gong. They probably use a gong to promote feelings of zen, but I pretended to be a judge on The Gong Show. "Cancer treatment, you suck! Next act, please." I was also awarded a certificate for taking my proton beams like a champ (minus that hospital detour). I briefly thought about laminating it, but instead I crumpled it in the bottom of my purse with all the goldfish crumbs and Claire's acorn collection.
My friend, who always knows the perfect song for every occasion, played "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" on the way to our celebratory lunch. The restaurant gave us our lunch for free when they found out I had just finished cancer treatment. Yay, more money to spend on chocolate salami!
LOL, "proof of life pictures". That was a very satisfying bang of the gong. Well done.
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