MY FIRST RADIATION TREATMENT WENT OFF WITHOUT A HITCH AND 'NO OUCHIES'

'OH GEEEZZZZZ I HOPE THOSE RADIATION PEOPLE DON'T FIND ME'

Under dull cloudy skies with a chilly east wind blowing Pheebs and I made our way along a few gravely roads southwest of Clinton earlier this morning.  Didn't see anything too inspiring in the photo department so we weren't out long. 

Kelly decided to come with me to London today and seeings how this was my very first radiation treatment I wanted to be at the hospital plenty early.  There were a couple things I had to do prior to the treatment and of course I knew I had to get it right.  One hour before the procedure I was required to empty my bladder then drink 400ml of water and keep that in until after the radiation treatment.  So with a 1:15 appointment we rolled out our driveway at 10:55 a.m.  I wanted to be at the hospital itself for the bladder drain and water fill.

A FEW OLDER CARS ON THE WAY TO LONDON THIS MORNING

With clouds threatening rain all the way we had an easy drive to London then down Adelaide street to London's south end and Victoria hospital's Regional Cancer Center.  Hit the washroom then drank my required water while filling out a questionnaire about my health on a monitor screen. (I'm required to do this every time I go) From there it was down one level to the radiation floor to check in and let them know I was there.  Being early they took me in early and a big guy about ten feet tall led me to an inner waiting room near the radiation machine.

I LIKE THE OPEN CONCEPT AND BRIGHT CHEERY ATMOSPHERE HERE AT THE CANCER CLINIC

KELLY CHECKS ON MY UPCOMING SCHEDULE

RELAXED AND WAITING PATIENTLY

KELLY GRABS HERSELF A TIM HORTONS COFFEE

OH-OH THIS REALLY BIG GUY ARRIVED TO TAKE ME AWAY

LOOKS LIKE I AM BEING LED OFF TO THE GUILLOTINE HERE

THAT WOODEN ROOM ON LEFT IS THE RADIATION CONTROL ROOM AND WHERE I GO IS THROUGH THAT DOOR TO THE RIGHT AND TURN LEFT

I FIGURE IF I HAVE THIS MAGAZINE UP IN FRONT OF MY FACE THEY WON'T SEE ME

WHADDYA THINK......DO I HAVE A CHANCE??

Okay, what can I tell you about the radiation treatment itself.  Well, first let me tell you this.  It is totally painless with absolutely no 'ouchies' whatsoever.  And no blue hospital gowns, clothes stay on.....sorta.  The ten foot tall technician guy in describing the procedure to me beforehand used the 'boring' word at least three times.  And yes for the most part he was right.  Two attendants had me lay on my back on a bench/bed and slip my pants and underwear down a bit.  They had to line up the machine's light beams precisely with the tattooed markers they had implanted on my abdomen and hips last week.  Satisfied they had me aligned perfectly they exited the room and the treatment began.  I simply laid perfectly still while the machine itself revolved around me at sporadic intervals.  Sometimes it would rotate right to left and other times left to right.  The machine was not as noisy as a Cat Scan machine.  Sometimes it was motionless for awhile and other times it would move and stop.  I didn't hear any zips or zaps or see any bright radiation beams piercing into my body.  I could understand if people dozed off while laying there.  Of course I'm all eyes watching every move the machine made simply because I find this kind of stuff rather fascinating.  I could see where a claustrophobic person might be a little uncomfortable watching different parts of the machine rotating close over top of them.  The procedure itself hardly lasted 10 minutes and that was it.  Attendant came in and told me to pull my pants up.  Hopped off the table, put stuff back in my pockets, snapped a photo of the machine and I was out of there heading down the hall making my way back to the central waiting room where Kelly was.  With a Tim Hortons coffee to go we exited the hospital at 1:55 p.m. and headed home under semi-sunny skies.  A good first treatment day:)))))

AND THAT THERE IS THE MACHINE WITH THE BED THAT SLIDES UP UNDER IT....THAT WHOLE BIG FRONT SECTION REVOLVED AROUND ME LAYING MOTIONLESS ON THE BED

MAKING MY WAY BACK TO THE MAIN WAITING ROOM AND IF YOU LOOK REAL CLOSE YOU CAN SEE KELLY STANDING IN FRONT OF THE AQUARIUM AT THE FAR END

They gave me a schedule for my next four treatments and I have some pretty crazy treatment times.  Monday morning I have to be there for an 8:25 appointment and two days later a 2:45 p.m. appointment, etc.  It is very likely I will do these appointments by myself.  No need for Kelly to come along and just sit around.  I'm a big boy now:))  Oh, and as soon as we got home today I went into the washroom, pulled the window curtain, turned off the light and checked myself in the mirror to see if the radiation had lit me up like Neon sign.  Nope, it was just plain old dull me unsmilingly staring back at myself:((

SPOTTED THIS LONDON MUSICIAN ON HIS WAY TO A GIG TODAY

A big difference this Friday the 13th from a few Friday the 13th's years ago when Kelly and I climbed aboard my motorcycle a few times and headed 90 miles to Port Dover Ontario from the Old Weenie Roast Ranch.  Thousands of motorcyclists from all over have been in the habit of heading to Port Dover every Friday the 13th for a bunch of years now.  So do I miss my motorcycle and going to Port Dover??  Nope I sure don't...……………...

NO THIS IS NOT MY PROSTATE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  An elderly gentleman was on his deathbed as his wife and three children and nurse stood close by. Then he spoke: "Bill, you take the Beverly Hills houses. "Mary, you take the offices in the City Center. "Debra, the apartments over the L.A. Plaza are yours. "To my dear wife, take all the residential buildings near downtown." The nurse was really impressed. She said, "Your husband must have been quite a man, amassing so much property to leave to all of you." And the wife responded, "What property? ….. the schmuck had a paper route!!"-----------------------
Today,” said the professor, “I will be lecturing about the kidneys, intestines, pancreas, and the liver.”  One med student leaned toward his friend sitting next to him, “Great, we have to sit through another organ recital.”
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