Friday, January 29, 2010

return of the lazy man

Confirmed, with the reduction in steroid medication my appetite has returned to it's normal rate, none. I'm also waking up late.

When I was on steroid I would wake up early, real early now I wake up late, real late. My appetite is also stingy again, when I would have eaten anything now I am picky and the craving is reduced. I'll miss y steroids.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

maskman 2

Dr K wanted to do further treatment even though I have not made an appointment for the MRI. I gathered this as he says that I will have to do another mask. I said good as the previous mask was under sized as I had gained some weight due to the steroids.

Days later I get a phone call to come in for a mask scan.

I appeared with my sisters in tow. The measuring guy called and I say it's me again. This time he invited my sisters to attend. Cool. I mention that I had shaved this time, to avoid having to do it in the measuring (scanning room). I take my shirt off to avoid it being scanned and lay on the slab. I lay still as the laser sampled my head. An expanding foam bag was also placed under my head to take a mold of the back of my head. This will later by my 'pillow' in the treatment room.

After the scan it was over. I see my image on the computer monitor. Ugly as ever. Here's an appointment to come back for the fitting and the CT simulation (plus injection I assume).

By the way you old mold is no longer needed, want it? Yeah. The assistant disappears and return with the plaster mold of my head. Cool. I can colour it and put a wig on it. I'll use it to freak people :) Maybe even put it in the fridge. That'll really freak people :D

Monday, January 18, 2010

what's next

My 20 treatments was over.

Today I see Dr K. Ask me how I was. I say ok. He mention that I should get an MRI. Then probably have some more radiation. I tell him about my bloody nose. He takes a look with a scope. Didn't say it was bad so that was good. When he pulled the scope out there a long booger attached to it, that was amusing.

I got a medical certificate and I was out. See you in 2 weeks. I forgot to ask whether medicare could pay for the MRI. Darn, it's gonna cost me.

On the way home I see my mother at RPH. She didn't look good. I was used to seeing her healthy so seeing her unhealthy was unusual. Her temperature was lower, normal, meaning antibiotic had worked and the infection had been controlled. She mentioned that she was in pain but got a magic button to self administer pain killer. Then the nurse threw us out because it was lunch. Still I didn't feel comfortable seeing her in hospital.

When I got home it was hot, hotter than hell. It was 42 degrees C. Man this was a heat wave. The last few days and the next few days are going to be hot. Please god give me air conditioning.

A few days later I had to go to the social security office to continue my welfare payout. My 3 months medical certificate had expired (this is necessary to avoid looking for work). However I have another cert for another 3 months. I better just look for work I need a heck of a lot of money, by March!

Man I sure made some bad decisions.

shit happens, dinasour shit

Yes it does happen but dinasour size is not what I had expected. In the last 2 months my father in law died, my father had an aneurysm and had a brain operation, my mother is in hospital had a liver abscess and gall bladder inflammation. She was critical the day before and me with my problem. Shit man.

I feel a little disillusioned with doctors, all their training and charges once they work, they get lazy and we have to pay for it, with our lives. When I initially went to the doctor, I got vertigo pills and 'go home'. Twice. My mother got the same treatment, paracetamol and see you next week but 2 days later my sister sent her to emergency and they found that her condition was much more serious. She was critical the next day. Imagine if she was still at home, she may have died. I am starting to hate these general practitioners. It doesn't seem to matter what country, same lazy assholes, complacent at your detriment.

I often wonder whether it would have been better to all have taken illness at the same time rather than one after another. At least it would've have been easier to visit, it would just have been an elevator lift at the hospital :) rather than a long bus or car ride.

When you deal with humans there are no country better than another. I feel justified in having my first operation where I did. My reply was that the operation was in the hands of humans and god guides the hands on the day, not the country.

nose

Wednesday again.

I see the doc. This time I mention that I had reduced my dexa to 1 pill a day without headaches. She says good, next week go for half. Will try.

I also mention that there was dried blood in my nostrils. She says that the radiation will dry the nostrils. I will get paraffin for it. And how do I apply it. With the finger of course.

end of days, dexa days

Next wednesday, doctor day.

I see the doctor, mention my ailments, tiredness, fatigue. She said it was normal. What about the moisturiser (sorbelene). I was lazy, better use it, twice a day, otherwise the skin will become a rash and will require antibiotic if left alone. She mention that better to use the moisturiser twice a day before things get complicated. Blah blah so I thought. She does say that it's startng to look red. She must be on weed or something I didn't notice anything.

The dexa will also have to be reduced. The side effects were too many. But I liked the side effects. What can I do. I mention the headache that may happen and she prescribed a morphine like pain killer. As long as there is no pain.

I got home and look in the mirror in the other bathroom. Bam! With the lighting in this room I saw the area around my nose and forehead WAS red and dark. I BETTER make serious attempt using the sorbelene before it becomes bad.

Friday, January 15, 2010

laziness

It's Sunday and I was getting a little lazy with the medication. I was starting to skip my midday dexa.

I got a little headache, laying on my back watching tv. This little headache started to grow and grow and didn't go. Next thing I know it was killing me. I was bed bound, for days. No appetite, no relief. Makcik also came to visit. Help put wet towel on my head. It was nice, it helped. Mum was around to help too. The peeled apple helped, I needed to eat but didn't have an appetite for anything.

I still had to go for the treatment though. I just had to suck it in.

Later on wednesday (meet the doctor day) I see Dr Melanie. I mention the headache and she prescribe something for the headache a paracetamol codeine cocktail. It helped and I sure finished it. I was also anxious to know of the biopsy results. The reception said that they were not allow to release that info only the doctor was allow to release it. Funny, the information belongs to me and I cannot read it? Anyways, it was cancer. No doubts about it now, metastasis has occurred.

I new this was a lack of steroids. So I just take the usual 2 and why not 3 while I'm at it. I'm in pain, why not take the extra to reduce the swelling.

End of the week the headache was gone. Thank god for that.

time to glow

This was a while back as I have been a little lazy with the blog.

This is it, radiotherapy treatment number 1. My wife and I took the bus to the hospital. I had an appointment card with a barcode. I scanned it and this registers my arrival at the 'tuart' unit. There are multiple units at the center. I sit a few minutes and then called in. The nurse introduces herself, and as usual I forget 2 minutes later. There seems to be new nurses every few days anyways. Although it would be nice to remember a name or two but this was not to be the case.

I mentioned to the nurse I had some nausea and she gave me an under the tongue pill. She said it was expensive so I was not going to get it...for free or otherwise. Just had to say I was nausious on the day and I would get a pill.I find it hard to believe these pills as if I'm gonna throw (up), throw up.

I lay on the slab, get positioned using the lasers and the mask placed to keep me in place. Then they ran out. I guess it wasn't safe. The machine moves as it shoots radiation at me. Straight through the head. 5 minutes later it was done.

Seems more work to get here than the therapy, getting up, getting ready, travelling just for 5 minutes of therapy. Oh well, better than surgery.