Last test before the real deal!

Had my last test yesterday afternoon before we start the radiation on Monday. Was again strapped down to the table and mask fitted over my head. Radiation therapist took 12 films just to ensure everything was set up just right before the real deal. I was on the table for about 36 minutes and boy oh boy was my neck and head starting to hurt. I was sure glad to get that over with. It seems like anything more than 30 minutes my head and neck start going to sleep.
The therapists' are telling me that my sessions should take between 20 and 25 minutes, so that should be ok.
All the ladies at the Cancer Treatment Center seem to be taking an interest in me and my treatment. They talk to me each and every time I'm there about taking care of my skin and what I can do to make this upcoming process easier. I must have 3 dozen samples of lotions, potions and creams to put on my neck. They're having me use these products now in preparation. They seem genuinely interested in how I'm feeling and doing whatever it takes to make me feel better about this situation. One of the nurses recommended I start drinking this new product called Juven. It's a protein drink that's supposed to help build lean muscle without you gaining unwanted weight. She gave me several samples and said the product is available at Rite-Aid. The stuff is expensive at $35 a week. Apparently, a representative for the company was in the Cancer Treatment Center the other day and mentioned that they would like to track a patient that is using the product from the beginning to the end of treatment. Well, they asked me if I'd mind participating and if I agreed, they would ask the company (Juven), to supply me free of charge the protein drinks. Juven agreed, and they want me to pick up two cases on Tuesday....I'm pretty happy about that!
That's about it for now. I'm trying not to get too worried about Monday, but it's hard not to.
Marjie and I are having some landscaping work done in the back yard and we are going to paint the living room and dining room this week. Figure at least this will keep my mind 0n other things.
Thanks again to everyone out there supporting us! The cards, letters, emails and comments on this blog mean a lot to us!!!!
7 weeks to go!!!!!

Quick Update

Just a quick update. A good friend of ours, Kevin Barber, visited for the last few days. We were stationed together in Adak, Alaska back in 1990. Kevin and I spent a lot of time in those days learning how to reload ammunition, hunting ducks and Caribou and shooting guns. Kevin now lives in Georgia and we've been talking on the phone lately trying to figure out a good time for him to come up when I was feeling good. Kevin's visited me here in Virginia a couple times since we moved here in July, but wanted to get up here again and see me and make sure I was doing ok. He couldn't have picked a better time. I'm feeling good and about totally healed up. All the nasty side effects from the chemo last month are gone and I'm pretty much back to normal except for the lack of hair. This chemo really has a cumulative effect because I'm still losing hair. It's been gone from my head for quite a while, I haven't had to shave in over 2 months, but now my whole body is becoming hairless. I never realized how smooth my skin was till it was void of hair.
Anyway, I had a really good time these last few days with Kevin. We've both haven't reloaded ammo or shot any guns in a long time and after numerous phone calls and his visit, both of us have taken the reloading hobby back up. I must have cranked out 500 rounds of ammo last week. While Kevin was here we went to several gun shops and went to two different pistol ranges to get in a little plinking. Going through all this cancer BS, it's nice to get back into a hobby that I enjoy so much. Thanks Kevin for rekindling that for me.
Had an appointment yesterday with the radiaiton folks for a radiation simulation and for them to take some films. After getting strapped to the table and having the mask put over my face and clamped down, it feels much better than the first mask they made, so it will much more comfortable now. I was on the table for about 30 mins while the radiation therapist were fiddling with the machine and for some reason they were have problem getting the film machine to work. They finally took the mask off and undid me from the table and were going to move me to the other machine. I guess someone was getting their treatment so they said I would have to wait about 20 mins and we would use that machine for the films. 10 minutes later, they came to the waiting room and said they had the 1st machine fixed. Strapped back down with mask on and it only took about 25 minutes to get it all done.
I got to see how this IMRT works. This is what the machine looks like: IMRT Machine
There is a whole bunch of information on this if you google: IMRT.....
One more appointment Friday morning for more films and any other final adjustments, and then I begin on Monday the 19th with my first of 35 treatments.
That's about it for now, more to follow...