Still waiting on NED

but back to radiation instead. I had been hoping to have MRI’s follow up on my brain and spine during the week between the two trips but of course with 4th of July and all, that didn’t work out at all. That Friday before we left I finally saw Dr. G the radiation oncologist but there was no way to do anything that day and I was leaving the next day on vacation anyway so we set up for after vacation. I did have some ‘newer’ issues with some numbness and tingling in my left hand. Most of this has been effecting my left side so far and that is kind of helpful as I’m right handed generally and it allows me to drive. My husband was able to go to this appointment with me and gave me a reality check too. They always ask you to rate your pain on a 1-10 scale, and usually at the doctor it is pretty low. He got on me. Ashley, there are days you can barely get out of bed and you sleep almost the entire day and you are taking your pain killers regularly. Would you be straight with these people!

We got back from Pensacola on Saturday and I was at the hospital up the street bright and early Monday morning for MRI’s of my brain and my entire spinal cord. Those tests average over an hour each which amounts to a LONG time in an MRI machine flat on your back. MRI’s are also really loud but I still almost managed to sleep. Radiation oncologist calls that afternoon with results, generally things shrunk – this is good – but there are some new spots on the spinal cord on the back of my neck. That wasn’t an area we were treating and we weren’t really too surprised due to the numbness in my hand. Went and met with a radiation onc at the location up the street and started radiation that day. They are zapping my neck area and they told me I would probably get a sore throat. Nothing last week really but last night my throat started to hurt, it came on really fast and is quite impressive. WOW!

Now last summer I had mouth sores and Dr. B prescribed Myles Mix mouthwash, I think that was for healing. You swished it and let it coat your mouth and throat. It has and antibiotic evidently as well.

Dr. G gave me a script for MAGIC mix. This one is less about healing and way more about comfort. I think it has lidocane in it. I love it, the taste isn’t wonderful but it is better than the other and everywhere it touches goes numb. It only lasts a short time sadly and while I’d like to drink it like the imposter Mad Eye Moody drank the polyjuice potion I’m pretty sure that it would numb things that shouldn’t be numb after time.

Three more days of this and then back to healing but the fatigue from radiation can often last for months, which puts me through the rest of the summer and into fall. UGH. I did go to the grocery store today and did it under my own steam, not with a scooter, I was slow and I’m exhausted but I did it. No gym today.

Some specifics on the other stuff from the MRI’s. The 3cm (about 1in) spot in the middle of the brain was down to about 2cm (so about 1/3 smaller). The 1.4cm spot in my front left lobe is down to about 7mm (so about 1/2), the 9mm spot on my conus (bottom of my spine) is measuring about 6mm (small and about 1/3 smaller). There were little spots in the brain and along my spine, many of those disappeared and the others shrunk.

Advertisement