Not much to report about whole brain radiation except that, like chemotherapy, the administration of it is a breeze. In fact, that is the easy part of both. I am under the beam just 30 seconds on each side of head – above ear and eye  (+)  “X marks the spot!” The mask is not as tight and restricting as the one last summer (stereotactic radiation on the one small spot). This is for all ten spots that are scattered all through my noggin. As you can see, this mask is bolted down tight as was the other one. The machine rotates from side to side over my head for each treatment and with the short “hummm” or “buzz” I am suddenly aware of a blueish-purple color if my eyes are closed. Beautiful. On the other hand, if I open my eyes, I see the graph on the ceiling with a few trees for decoration plus a target for centering. (The nurse later tells me yes, that ‘some’ people see colors.) This time the environment is not still; lots of moving around, back and forth to controls in adjacent area, some FM station playing amidst the motion, and … then it’s over. In less than five minutes I’ve shed my wig, earrings, and glasses and am putting them back on again.
I saw the radiation oncologist yesterday and he assured me that no healthy brain cells would be damaged, that I have the same ones I was born with….. haha! That we all do! Of course I was treated with raw radium for hours at a time for my birthmarks, vascular nevi, when an infant. He said that was appropriate treatment back then since radium was so expensive. Everyone warned my parents not to do that as it would affect my brain…..it did! And I have been more and more aware of that these days as chemo brain takes firm hold from time to time, leaving me embarrassed with no words at all.
I have been walking with my friend Gladys every day, except today. Worked steadily on last parts of Spirit Windows on Saturday and some yesterday, but today was a bomb. Totally wiped out. Awakened with a bit of a headache and then had lower spinal pain that didn’t go away as on previous few days; took two Tylenol which worked. Fatigue kept me in bed too long today and also helped me realize that I made the right decision yesterday – to cancel a Tibetan Bowl Workshop this morning for the Life with Cancer group, because i didn’t have the stamina to pull it off. That tells you something. Then my radiation appointment this afternoon got delayed almost an hour due to an emergency. Fortunately there was the jigsaw puzzle in the waiting room that I’d been working on (along with other patients) and could occupy my time in a fun way – for about thirty minutes, and then I thought I’d been forgotten. I normally go in and out all within 12-15 minutes and they don’t even park my car, just let it sit. (This is at the hospital.)
Thursday I see Dr. Heyer the oncologist. Will review where we are and possibly what he might have in his bag of tricks for me next.
This evening I’ll hope to get a good night’s sleep and maybe get a better start in the morning.  Maxine has ‘my number.’