Roller coaster ride of rADiaTIon!

Oh, I have this problem when I don't update me family blog often enough I can't remember everything that has happened plus my memory is getting worse ever day or so it feels like it.

I made it through radiation. That really wiped me out. I needed to take naps everyday for a couple of hours which really cuts into the day. I would get up go to radiation take the kids to do a few things come home for lunch and then it is time for a nap. By the time I get up it is dinner time and then time for bed again. If I didn't take a nap it would make me more nauseate then I already was. So it came down to take a nap everyday to help to feel better.

I had some interesting experiences while I went to radiation treatment. Some really nice experiences and some that I would have rather not to have had. I would like to share a few. There were some really nice older ladies that volunteered there that were very kind and helped put a smile on my face. I also really enjoyed one of the nurses there. She was very helpful and answered alot of my questions and concerns while I was getting radiation. I had met her before when I was first diagnosed so it also helped to see a friendly face. Another nice experience was one of the techs was always very friendly and talkative which I loved. He was also kind enough to show my kids where I get treatment and what all the equipment looked like. I know the kids loved that. So it was nice to have some good moments with something I didn't enjoy.

Then there were some not so fun experiences the one that tops my list I have to share. I will give you a little back ground first. When I would go in for radiation treatments it would take two minutes from the time I would go back into the room and then come back out. I would not have to undress so it was a very quick in and out appointment. So instead of finding someone to watch my kids every day for a two minute appointment. (There were lots of offers thank you!) I took the kids with me.

There are three waiting areas. One is by the front doors which has kids toys but the radiation techs can't see me from there. Then there is the middle waiting area which is were the nurse told me to wait when I have kids with me or my husband. Then there is the back waiting room where all the radiation patents wait to have radiation. Which I guess they don't want anyone other than the patients and volunteers in. I am sure it is because most of the women have to wear gowns on the top half.

I was taking the kids with me and we were waiting in the middle waiting area where the tech would know I was there. We would wait there maybe 3 to 5 minutes some days not even that long before they would take me back. Then the kids would go over to the front waiting room and play with the toys for the 2 minutes I was being treated.

Well one day after a week and a half of treatments the front desk lady came over to me and informed me that I was no longer aloud to sit there. She said I needed to sit out by the front door. Her reason was because of the patient and they receptions answering couldn't hear on the phone. I was so shocked I told oh o.k. So we walked out to the front doors and sat in that waiting areas that day and it took the tech about 20 minutes to come get me because they didn't know I was there. They asked me why I wasn't sitting in the other area? I told them we were told we were not suppose to sit in the other waiting area. They were a little confused as to why I wasn't suppose to sit there. So as I started to think about it I was a little more upset. Radiation patient don't have a lowered white blood cell count so my kids are going to get them sick. And we weren't in the same room with the patients? Then the whole phone thing give me a break the kids were not noise for the whole maybe 3 to 5 minutes we sat there. And forgive me how in the heck do receptionist do it in peds offices? And what am I not a patient. I think that I am a patient. I am sorry if most all patients are 60 to 80 years old. But there are some of us that are young and still have kids. Lets not forget we all had kids once. An office doesn't have to be died quite. And give me a break if one of the old people complained.....well guess what I had to sit in there on the other day and listen to all those old people complain about everything under the sun. Forgive me I didn't go complain when I had to listen to all of them complain about there treatment, doctors, life and how miserable they all are. O.k. that is the one thing that made that experience not so fun. Sorry to complain but I just had to put it out there how much that really upset me.

I know I shouldn't leave this on a bad note so remember I said I also had some great experiences also.