Well it is over two weeks since I last wrote; I have celebrated my 60th birthday and spent a great week with the family who came from the UK to celebrate with us. During the same week Bill and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. I admit that the way we celebrated both wasn’t one I would have chosen. I have done 19 days of radiotherapy and have 6 days left. On my birthday I spent a good 3 hours at the hospital seeing the doctor and then going on to radio. The doctor’s comments were positive; she is very pleased with the way things are going. As for me, I am tired; so tired that I come home from the hospital and sleep for a while before I can carry on the rest of the day. From Monday to Friday my day goes like this – get out of bed, shower, eat breakfast and walk along to the train station where I first catch the train and then from there ride the metro to the hospital. I normally arrive at the hospital around about 11am. In the hospital it is a first come first served in the treatment and people have been arriving from 8:30 if not earlier. The waiting time varies from 1 hour to 2 hours; on a bad day it can be worse. Fortunately most days Flavia comes and picks me up and takes me home which is great as this saves about half an hour or more. I have 6 more treatments to go and then I can catch up with sleep, relax and begin to enjoy normal life again.
The effect from radiotherapy is nowhere near as bad as chemo. Inwardly I don’t feel sick or anything like that at all. What I am feeling after 4 weeks is what feels like sun burn. The patch where the radiologists are doing the treatment is now quite red and itches a lot. I have been told to use two lots of cream, one Nivea and the other one that was prescribed from the doctor, which is actually a burn cream. I use the burn cream two or three times as it stops it itching and the Nivea at night to soften the skin; especially the scar from the hospital. At least I only have a week to go.
My hair is beginning to grow and soon I will be going to the hairdressers; not to really have it cut but for her to start to shape it a bit. I actually started washing it during the last week which feels really strange after so long. I only use the stuff that I shower with as it is a non chemical one which is ok for what hair I have got – but at least it is a start.
On Friday the 8th it was a public holiday here in Porto and Bill and I met up with other members of the American Club for a game of softball. Neither of us plays and anyway we were late as although being a holiday I still had treatment. It was lovely just to sit on the grass in the sun, having a chat with friends and feel like I was living a normal life. These days have been rare.
I am now beginning to look forward to the days which don’t have treatment and visits to the hospital. There will be the odd couple of days over the months when I have to visit the hospital to check with the doctor etc but those I will be able to live with.
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