Its a Marathon

OK,  so the first step of a marathon is completed.  You have to start before you can finish. Right.  So now I have had round one of Chemo and one dose of radiation.  So far so good.  Getting radiation to your head and neck is pretty benign while it is happening.  Other than being held down by my mask and having lead-lined mouth guards in place, I didn't feel a thing.

I have a bit of experience with x-rays and radiation.  During surgery I will often take a radiograph to make sure my carpentry or re-bar looks good.  ( I perform Scoliosis surgery).  When the radiology tech pushes the x-ray button, the exposure is like clicking a camera.  It is a quick little bleep.  During my radiation treatment, I could hear when the radiation machine clicked on and off.  I counted the exposure time.  It was nearly 30 seconds and they did that seven times.  Now that's some radiation. The good news is that I did do better with the mask and mouth guard today.  I think I am getting the hang of that.  Thank Goodness.

 OK,  now I am going to try and post my first picture on the blog.  I had the radiation tech take a picture of me during treatment. OK, transfer the i-phone picture to the computer and then find it and then post it.  Here we go. 

Twenty minutes later I figured out how to post the picture.  I am not very tech savvy but I am getting better.  Not quite a selfy but close.  Man, I am cute.  Anyone want to dance?  Jane?
The radiation treatment took about 30 minutes or so and then I was done.

Later that day, I could start to feel my throat swell.  Maybe a little more mucus. but OK for the first day.  I need to keep thinking about the now and present.   My mind keeps wandering;  after 36 more treatments what will my throat feel like?  That's not good.  Stay in the moment.  It is OK now and that is all that matters.  It is OK now,  it is OK now.  That is a hard thing to do, to keep your mind in a good place.  This is true for all aspects of life.  So many times throughout my life,  I have wasted so much time and energy wondering and worrying about the future. About what may happen if this or that occurs when I should have been more mindful and been in the present.  I would have been a much better person, doctor, husband, father, and friend if I had spent more time in the present; focused on what was happening in front of me and not what may or may not happen in the future.   And I think the future will take care of itself in a more controlled and satisfactory manner if you spend time in the present.  You will get more accomplished, and what you do focus on will be performed at a higher level and will end up affecting the future in a much more positive way than any amount of worrying will do.  OK, my little take on mindfulness.

So, for anyone interested, my schedule it is pretty easy.  Maybe I've mentioned this already, sorry, if I have.  But it's radiation everyday for 36 more days.  I get weekends off and Chemo is weekly for the next 5 weeks.  And then, if I am lucky, I get 3 more Chemo sessions for good behavior after the radiation is over.  One step at a time.    Namaste