TTT - Two Treatment Tuesday

Today provides me with yet another first!   My second Cetuximab dose (2/7) and second Radiotherapy dose (2/35).  I am now effectively 28% of the way through Chemo and 5.7% of the way through Radiotherapy.

8:30am Fitzroy Gardens - Blissful

We had a beautiful start to the day with a stroll through Fitzroy Gardens to enjoy a dose of fresh air (or the best you can get in the smoggy centre of Melbourne) and a Vitamin D boost from the nice warm morning sunshine.

It is always nice to spend time with Lisa, but just before a big day of treatment I find it extra special as I know that Lisa is worried and taking time to enjoy moments like these allow her to relax.

We decided to head in early just to beat the peak hour traffic and enjoy some time out before it gets hectic.

An external view of the tumor

The tumor is now quite clear from the outside (if you know what you are looking for.  This is most likely due to some early swelling following the Radiotherapy yesterday.  Other than this physical sign, I am still without any side effects.

Everything does like clockwork again today.  I walk in to the Clinic waiting room at 9:25am.  Courtney (Prof Dan's assistant) comes and catches up with me at 9:30am (exactly on time) with my QOL (Quality of life) questionnaire.

The QOL seeks my response to a myriad of questions about how I feel, what difficulties I have encountered, what pains I am having etc.


I answer nothing to just about all of them (and feel a bit guily when I look at all the others around me who are in much more advanced stages of pain and discomfort).  I tick that I am noticing a slight change in my tiredness levels.  Let's face it, this is rather taxing.  The travelling, the change in routine, the treatments have to have some impact, I am after all, not Superman (I do wonder however what super powers I will inherit from all this medical intervention - I could think of a few that I would love!

Marianne - RT Care nurse.  A Gem

I had a great chat with Marianne, my RT care nurse.  She took me through all of the essential body care but stressed to me that it was time to start listening to and caring for my body.  Enjoy life she says but feel what you feel and act accordingly.

The advice you get in this place is amazing.  The people you meet are awesome and the care is just so there all the time.   This little gem has such a lovely accent - I could listen to her all day!!!

But, I digress, back to today - I then head in to meet Prof Dan (I think he is warming to me, it is more like meeting a caring mate and not that stiff upper lip bedside manner.  After a brief reveiw of how I am feeling and what I have experienced over the last week, he smiles (God I wish I could capture that moment in a selfie) and tells me to head off upstairs for Dose 2.

At CDU (Chemo Day Unit) the procedure is to sign in, and wait to be called to a chair.  Now my butt only just warms the cool vinyl seat when I am whisked straight in to begin hooking up to the injector pump.  I know that there are others outside in the waiting room who will need to wait for quite a while to start and wished there was a solution, but it is as simple as this - there are so many people effected by Cancer that scheduling is so important.

The dosing today was far more relaxing.  Possibly because I let it happen,  There was no more nervous curiosity, maybe just letting what will be, be but as the pic shows, I had no trouble catching up on some ZZZZ's.  Thanks Lisa, really appreciate you catching my ultra handsome side!!!.

So three hours flies by, but before I doze off I am very happy to have a second week chat with Bill, a patient with a similar affliction who is in week 6 of 7 of a different treatment course, but looking at him and listening to his past 6 weeks, I realise that there are so many differing "levels" of reaction to the treatment and I just wonder whether I will have a similar journey to Bill.  If so I will be pretty stoked.

Another welcome surprise was a visit from Aaron from week 1.  This guy hardly knows me but is kind enough to come and say hello. His wife is being treated in the next room (I will have to ask how I can travel around the rooms if she is in a different room next week just so I can go and say hi to her and return the great camaraderie shown by Aaron.  So Aaron, if you are reading this please know how much I appreciated your coming and seeing us.

My doze is ended when Anne (my nurse for the day) gently stirs me by saying that it is almost time for me to head off to my RT treatment.  Wow, that was so easy, and so quick.  It is only 1:40pm.  Next stop L2 RT Clinic Machine 2.

I am going to have to compare today's RT treatment rather politically incorrectly, to an adolescent erotic encounter - in; clothes off, on the bed, wham, bam, finished, clothes on, hugs, see ya tomorrow.

Seriously, it was all over in just over 12 minutes. I sign it with the ward clerk and am immediately collected by the student RT (poor bugger takes me in to the treatment room way to soon and gets a stern reminder from Jo, not to do that again), I have to laugh when he (the student) puts my leg rests under my knees.  Now these are placed so as to bend your thighs and allow the small of your back to rest on the metal "table" (maximum comfort). Placing the wedge at the lower end of my femur means that my knees are bending in the air and the wedge is digging in to the back of my thighs.  Jo politely, and correctly informs my mate the student that he has got is all wrong and after I leave, he is gonna have to hit the table and experience just how uncomfortable the wrong placement of the wedges can be for the patient.  (I am glad I have me face brace on because it stops me from laughing out loud - I feel so much for this poor bugger.  He is doing his best, but this is his learning opportunity.  The sting will go away in a short time - the pain in his thighs later might take a bit longer to go).

Hugs are important.  Thanks for that Nat,  Hugs say thanks, hugs provide warmth, hugs reassure.  It is amazing how open these wonderful medico's are.  I take my hugs, grab my wife, and head home.  It is 3:06pm when we drive back in to the garage after leaving at 7:10 am.  Not a bad day - only 8 hours.

Now, I am feeling the effects of dose two.  There is an effect on my joints (only ever so slight but it is there, and I am more tired than usual, it is 8:14 pm and I am ready for sleep.  Is it just the end of the long day relaxation, or is it the start of side effect.  No doubt tomorrow will answer that.

Thanks for checking in on me again.  Please feel free to ask any questions or make any comments. You may even consider subscribing.  BUT PLEASE DO ME ONE THING - ENJOY TOMORROW!!!