I went to see Dr. Page yesterday morning and my parents met me there to hear the latest. He is such a nice person and I am so fortunate that Dr. Rine, my radiation oncologist, chose him. The first time I saw Dr. Rine was the day I had the second biopsy and he knew it was cancer just by looking at me. He asked me if there was a medical oncologist I preferred. I told him there was one, and named him, who I did not want because he is an a**hole. I said I wanted someone who would speak to me like I have a brain in my head and has a good bedside manner. Jackpot! Dr. Page shakes your hand when he comes in and when he leaves. A good, firm handshake while he looks you in the eye. He acts like he has all the time in the world and is a great listener. He addresses every little concern and doesn't act as if they aren't valid. I don't like to be a patient. Most nurses don't and we are usually bad patients because we don't want to admit we are sick. So telling a doctor about how you've been crying for no reason and having headaches is difficult but Dr. Page acts as if I should be complaining more and I have every right to. He's just so nice. Oh, and he was born in 1978. Good gosh, I'm getting old. That's 3 years younger than Brandi. He looks like a baby but a very intelligent baby.

I was concerned about my kidney function but I was pleasantly surprised to find out my kidneys are actually doing better now than at the beginning of August. I'm sure this can be attributed to receiving IV fluids. I showed him my left arm vein where I received the chemo and he says I have phlebitis. It is getting better though. He thinks my headaches may be caused by the Zofran (nausea med) they are putting in my IV. So I told Sasha, the infusion center RN, that I was refusing the Zofran yesterday. She hadn't received the updated order yet and needed to document a reason why she wasn't administering it. I also asked Dr. Page if he thought the steroids they are putting in my IV fluids could be the cause of me being so emotional at times. He didn't think so but he does think I'm depressed so since I was already placed on an anti-depressant he doubled the dose. I also got my pain medication refilled. I haven't had to take it for a day since my throat is improving but he assured me things are going to get a lot worse. Oh, yea!! He said the Cisplatin (chemo) is causing my throat sores along with the radiation. Double whammy. In the information the Cancer Center gave me that wasn't in the list of side effects. When I got home I looked it up on the American Cancer Society site and sure enough. Oh geez, well looks like a long road ahead. I just have to try not to think so far ahead. Or, look further ahead, whatever mind game I have to play with myself to make it through.

Dreaded mouthpiece!
The marks are for them to line up, not target.

In front of the machine

Bolted down and ready to roll

A lot of people have asked me to describe the radiation mask so yesterday I had the tech take a couple of pictures of me.