Mr. P went ahead to our spot within the waiting room to the far right as I waved my patient treatment card in front of the scanner before proceeding to the changing rooms. The radiation oncology floor was fairly compact and quite easy to navigate.
Having succeeded at tying the strings on the gown myself, I walked into the waiting room hands free. According to Larry, one of the regulars, this was a sure sign that I was now a part of ‘the club.’ Lucky me I thought. It was too quiet today and I felt relieved when they called me in early.
I situated myself on the table, my head resting within the hard plastic cradle, my arms stretched straight along my body and my knees slightly bent over the bolster. The frame was snapped into the table just over my chest as I realized I was starting to feel comfortable here. Twenty-two minutes later I heard the door seal clear and the door open signaling the end of today’s treatment.
I felt slightly dizzy and my head hurt as I climbed off the table. Since Monday treatments included a visit with Dr. Kleinberg, I made note of this as I dressed.
Eddie called as I scanned into the outpatient center for my assigned appointment. We touched base on the morning, how the kids were at breakfast, today’s treatment, the day ahead and our upcoming weekend plans. I suggested we put an invitation out for a post-treatment celebration. It would give us something to look forward too.
The followup with Dr. Kleinberg was routine and he noted headaches a fatigue were likely to continue and possibly intensify–especially if I continued trying to maintain my full schedule. He reminded us that my job was to rest, yet remain as engaged with normal life routines and social engagements as I could without feeling worn out. My vitals were solid — blood pressure was excellent at 120 over 67 and my heart rate, as usual, notably low.
We left Hopkins just in time for me to dial into my 11 am conference call.