Insane in the Mid-Brain

It actually turns out that I have a total of six (6) CyberKnife sessions, and that today was NOT my last (as I'd thought). The first session targeted all areas of the brain affected by tumors except the mid-brain (10 tumors in all, including little "seeds".). The subsequent 5 are all to target the mid-brain tumor with lower doses of radiation. My medical staff felt that a single, heavy dose of radiation to the mid-brain would actually put me at a higher risk for permanent cognitive damage, so that's why it's spread out.

Count the birdies!

This is part of a back-lit mural on the ceiling above where I am when I'm receiving treatment. In reality there is a third panel to the right of the two you see. It's a lovely little panorama that reminds me of the canals of Tortuguero, Costa Rica. When I started treatments, I would count the parrots, and then the white birds, and then the (howler?) monkeys in the trees. It gets a little difficult to count them, because you can't move your head. During last week's second session, I noticed something.

What is going on with THAT bird? 

He's had an accident! That poor bird has collided with the metal strip piecing the mural together and he's presently in a world of hurt. Seriously, does it not look like he's just faceplanted? Now, before the treatments start I always look for "Faceplant Bird" and I have a muffled little chuckle (because of the mask, you see).

I've been sleeping a lot - taking naps during the day and falling asleep early and for longer periods of time. I have not had to rely on sleeping pills, but I did start taking Melatonin. I've also taken Flexeril (a prescription muscle relaxer) before bed for two days in a row now - the first night I slept continuously with zero leg cramps... Last night/this morning I woke up with leg cramps, so the actual correlation between Flexeril and no leg cramps is inconclusive at best (for now).

Real talk now?

I miss taking chemotherapy. My breathing has not been... As fantastic lately. They do monitor my O2 saturation while I'm having radiation and there's been no cause for alarm, it's in normal parameters for a healthy person - but I notice that it's harder to breathe after going up stairs now. It's a little harder to breathe at the end of a bike ride. It really could be due to humidity (I do notice it more when it's hot out, or muggy feeling) or the fact that I'm just stressed out about it. It could be allergies - but I've been off the chemotherapy drug for a couple of weeks now and I really wish I was back on it. They want to assess me in a week or so (with an MRI and CT) to see what, if anything the radiation has done to my head. At that point, they'll likely decide whether I should remain on the trial or continue on to traditional IV chemotherapy. They could also be hoping for results from the liver biopsy - maybe Foundation Medical was able to use a sample and they'll have something to say. All I can say is, hooray for anti-anxiety medicine.

See you Wednesday, Faceplant-Bird - I'm going to celebrate when my last appointment is done.

CyberKnife #1 - A Trip Report

First CyberKnife appointment... Complete!

Truthfully, it wasn't that bad. The weirdest part is having this on your face:

Not mine, just an example!

This mask is tight and I'm not saying "Yo, this mask is TIGHT!" as in that it's cool. No, you will have little "grill marks" across your face for a while after it comes off. After an hour, it's kind of uncomfortable. The mask is screwed to the table, and you cannot move your face or head at all. They also made me a nice little cushion for the back of my head, so that helped. 

As of right now (about 1.5 hours post-radiation) I am tired. Walking up the stairs to my office afterwards was kind of tiring. I feel a little spaced out and dizzy if I stand up too much - but pretty much okay. 

I think I'll probably sleep well tonight, and not feel like doing a whole lot. I was able to eat when I got back to the office (spoiler alert: avocado was involved) and I'm not really nauseated at this point. I was told side effects can crop up in a day or so, but we'll see. 

The mixtape we made to listen to actually didn't work - it stopped playing after the second track... So I had to listen to some horrible opera - which was barely distinguishable over the buzz of the machine anyway. The CyberKnife was a little interesting, the "arm" of the machine moves around as it targets the various tumors. 

On that note, the detailed scans that they performed last week did find additional tumors. The initial scans last month found a total of four - one in the mid-brain (brain stem). The MRI/CT that they did last week takes finer slices (1mm, I think?) and they've located a total of 10. The doctor assured this does not mean the cancer has progressed further, but that the detailed scan was needed to make sure they are able to target EVERYTHING. I'm glad they're so thorough. 

More happy news, no weight gain from steroids. Avocados are the way and the light. Now though? I'm really jonesin' for strawberries. Who has strawberries? Teleport me some?

That's it for now! Go eat an avocado!