Positively Phoebe

**This post was transferred from the now defunct "The Long Ease" blog.** Yesterday was Treatment Day:  4 (Sorry I'm late) Arrival Time at Lutheran Hospital Wound Healing Center:  7:42am Appointment Time:  8:00am Told to “Go on back” (I’m such an old pro, now, they don’t even come get me):  7:44am (EARLY!) Notable things:  My wardrobe is very monochromatic: Notable things about self today:  Cold symptoms continue, though seem to be SLIGHTLY less crappy.  Was running so early today that I got a coffee at Dunkin Donuts on my way here, not thinking about the fact that this will probably make me want to poop about an hour into my two and a half hour treatment.  Oops. Blood Pressure Before:  I forget.  Around the same as always. Treatment length:  2.5 hours Physical things noted during treatment:  Very fidgety today.  Knees up.  Knees down.  Arms over blanket.  Arms under blanket.  Point toes...

**This post was transferred from the now defunct "The Long Ease" blog.** Treatment Day:  3 Arrival Time at Lutheran Hospital Wound Healing Center:  7:58am Appointment Time:  8:30am (I forgot it was later today.) Doctor Arrived and I got to go back to where the tubes are:  8:28am Notable things about today, as opposed to previous days:  There were actually other people in the waiting room.  Several of them.  But none of them were in for the Chamber treatments.  Once again, it was just me, flying solo in the room of tubes.  (There are 3 of them.  I don’t think I’ve mentioned that before.) Cutest conversation overheard in Waiting Room: TV: "...blah blah blah's new song "Something Birthday" blah blah..." Lady in Wheelchair: "Tomorrow is your birthday." Man in Hat: "I know." Lady in Wheelchair: "What if I can't quit  smoking ?" Man in Hat: "Well, that's all I want for my birthday, so..." ...

**This post was transferred from the now defunct "The Long Ease" blog.** Treatment Day:  2 Arrival Time at Lutheran Hospital Wound Healing Center:  7:48am Appointment Time:  8:00am Doctor Arrived and I got to go back to where the tubes are:  7:58am Notable things about self as I prepare to enter the tube:  Since yesterday, I’ve felt like I have cold symptoms – stuffy nose, crackly ears, sinus pressure.  Still not sure if this is because I HAVE a cold or if it is side effects of the treatment.  Also, the “industrial” piercing I have had for 21 years desperately wants to close up… or HEAL, I suppose, after having only been out for a few hours yesterday.  Blood Pressure Before:  She didn’t say it out loud. Treatment length:  2.5 hours Physical things noted during treatment:  Ears only pop as they bring me “down” and then “back up” but feel completely normal while I am “at level”.  Stuffy nose disappears completely while at leve...

**This post was transferred from the now defunct "The Long Ease" blog.** Treatment Day:  1 Arrival Time at Lutheran Hospital Wound Healing Center:  7:50am Appointment Time:  8:00am Doctor Arrived and I got to go back to where the tubes are:  8:12am Noteable things about self as I prepare to enter the tube:  Not terribly nervous.  Bangs are out of control, as no hair products (or makeup or deodorant or anything, really) are allowed.  Commando is not a state I feel at all comfortable in - but underpants are also forbidden. Blood Pressure Before:  100 over 60-something Treatment length:  2.5 hours Physical things noted during treatment:  Ears pop a LOT as they brought me up to pressure level in the beginning and then back down at the end.  Mouth is dry (they gave me a tiny squirt bottle of water and I tried very hard not to waste it).  Coughing hurts my chest.  Feet and shoulders got cold about an hour before ...

**This post was transferred from the now defunct "The Long Ease" blog.** I've been seriously failing as a blogger. Apologies tendered. Thing is, blogging has, for well over a decade now, been a big part of my life.  And to be completely honest, this past year, I really feel like I've been failing at many aspects of life.  Blogging is just the tip of the iceberg. All this crap started just under a year ago, I think.  And by "all this crap" I mean "radiation cystitis" or "pelvic radiation disease" or, if I want to be more, you know, flowery... "the fucking hell that is late side effects from my cancer treatment". Between the pain, the need to pee 24/7, the leaky faucet (so to speak), the multiple surgical procedures and multiple infections, and the overall lack of relief from these things, I have withdrawn from a lot more than just blog writing.  I have barely been able to work out, having completely lost hold o...