30 to Go

This morning was not great. I drove to UCONN with tears running down my face. I'm starting out tired and stressed about it - I need to reset. I'm going to.

So I get there and put on my "Johnie" open to the back. I don't know why it needs to be open to the back. Anyway, then I talk to the Nurse who is very kind. We're killing time because they're backed up. Another patient was late arriving for her first treatment coming in from farther out than I do. A rainy day, the first day you don't know what the roads and traffic will be like. I'm not worried about the schedule. She has me sit with another patient in an interior waiting room. The woman is wearing a Johnie too and a floral scarf that looks very pretty covering her head. She looks kind. I don't know her name, I'll get it tomorrow. She's already at the half-way point in her treatment and she looked at me gently and reassured me that it was the easiest part compared to chemo and surgery. This was the first day that she had to wait. I get called in ahead of her. We wish one another the best and share a smile.

What they did today was take x-rays to see where the radiation will line up. I can see the shadow of my breast against a part of the machine. It's within a target rectangle. Interesting. There were 3 people getting me into position; 2 women techs and a male student. He looks young, so young, as did the one tech. They are all very nice as they pull my hips to the left and move my head & shoulders over. It's hard to just let them do it and not help but those are my instructions. Lay still and breathe normally. I can't because I am all stuffed up. this weather makes my nose get congested. Add it to the list of complaints.

When the doctor comes in she's very pleased with how it's all lined up; "Perfect". Well, I guess it should be since it was her directions that the techs had to follow. That's all. I start the actual zapping tomorrow morning at 8:45. I should be back on the road by 9 -9:15 and home by about 9:30. In time to get Bailey down for his nap.

I drove home quietly looking at the houses along Talcott Notch and Waterville Road. Another truck was pulled over at the bottom of the mountain. Every day it seems a truck missed all the signs that say "NO TRUCKS" on the mountain. Things continue. I hope that my schedule overlaps with the lady in the scarf because I'd like to have a fellow breast cancer survivor with me. She was jealous of my hair, but she finished chemo about a month after I did. It's coming in just not fast enough. I get it.