FROM TRI CABIN AARON, FORWARD TO WEEK 6 !
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:03 pm
hey gang, well, it's been a really bad weekend. the radiation burns are extremely painful, so , on tuesday, i am seeing my dermatologist to address the burns. pain meds are hardly touching the discomfort, so i'm seeing a physician that is trained for that. anyway, tuesday the 4ht i begin week 6 and the finish line is right around the corner. honestly, i really do not know how much more i can take. just ask perry and prowlerfish.... they have been amazingly supportive these last few days. thanks guys. so, 4 days of step down rad levels (thank god!!) then weekend off and just 2 more treatments left, with treatment ending on 11 sept. originally i did not want to finish on the 11th as that is the day that i lost 6 of my friends.... 3 on UAL and 3 on AAL. but, a friend i've made in the waiting room said, ''no. honor your friends, but, use the day to celebrate a NEW BEGINNING for you.'' okay. i think i will.
as many of you know, phil has been very distant during this whole ordeal, however, last tuesday, he came with me for my mitamycin-c chemo drip. after i was settled in my cubicle, he went to get some food. he arrived just as deb, my chemo nurse, was sliding the drip needle into one of my veins. this one needle has an attachment with 5 other tubes attached. he almost passed out. as a matter of fact, they made him sit down as he turned a nice shade of pale 'i don't know what.' (welcome to my world phil!) after i was 'hooked up', deb took him on a tour of the chemo floor. this tour included the pediatric and juvenal chemo wards. i think deb did this to show him that it's never easy, no matter what age. well gang, he came back a changed person. he was shaking, he was sweating, and kept repeating....''those small kids, all the tubes attached, those small kids!!" his lips were actually quivering when he was saying it. i looked at him and said,''now you get a better idea of what horrors i've been exposed to every day for the last 5 weeks. and every monday and tuesday, it's a new group of recruits into this nasty club. now you can understand why i can be in the kitchen, fixing dinner and just break down. it's not like taking a pill. it's highly involved.'' he stayed with me about two hours then headed home to take care of maccabee as i still had radiation later that afternoon. i arrived home to a dinner of organic, charbroiled burgers, baked potatoes, squash, fresh fruit and home brewed iced tea.
he's been very engaged for the last week too. so, maybe it took that one day to wake him up. i'll enjoy that for now.
take care folks. onward to week 6!!
aaron
as many of you know, phil has been very distant during this whole ordeal, however, last tuesday, he came with me for my mitamycin-c chemo drip. after i was settled in my cubicle, he went to get some food. he arrived just as deb, my chemo nurse, was sliding the drip needle into one of my veins. this one needle has an attachment with 5 other tubes attached. he almost passed out. as a matter of fact, they made him sit down as he turned a nice shade of pale 'i don't know what.' (welcome to my world phil!) after i was 'hooked up', deb took him on a tour of the chemo floor. this tour included the pediatric and juvenal chemo wards. i think deb did this to show him that it's never easy, no matter what age. well gang, he came back a changed person. he was shaking, he was sweating, and kept repeating....''those small kids, all the tubes attached, those small kids!!" his lips were actually quivering when he was saying it. i looked at him and said,''now you get a better idea of what horrors i've been exposed to every day for the last 5 weeks. and every monday and tuesday, it's a new group of recruits into this nasty club. now you can understand why i can be in the kitchen, fixing dinner and just break down. it's not like taking a pill. it's highly involved.'' he stayed with me about two hours then headed home to take care of maccabee as i still had radiation later that afternoon. i arrived home to a dinner of organic, charbroiled burgers, baked potatoes, squash, fresh fruit and home brewed iced tea.
he's been very engaged for the last week too. so, maybe it took that one day to wake him up. i'll enjoy that for now.
take care folks. onward to week 6!!
aaron
