Itchy

The top of my head is starting to get kinda itchy. Actually, it’s the area that would appear to be right where the tumor was and where the radiation is focused. At first I thought I was just thinking it was irritated, but now I know it’s not just me. It feels kind of like… um… well… okay – I have a good example – have you ever slept hard… so hard that when you wake up - your hair hurts a little? Where you slept on your hair in a funky way to make it go the opposite way of how it grows out? It feels weird when you touch it, but it usually goes away after a shower or something. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced that before or not, but that’s how my head feels – and now it’s getting itchy too. And even the hair on the front of my head right above my forehead it getting irritated. They hit me from the front, right, left and back of my head. The radiation beams all converge on the target area where the tumor is. The only places I have long (for a military guy) hair are on the top and front, maybe that’s why those bother me now. It’s not a big deal, but if it is irritating after just two weeks, I can’t imagine what another four weeks will feel like. Other than the hair thing, I feel fine. The last scab fell off the incision this week. The actual incision line itself is pink, but it must still be healing underneath.

Incidentally, we removed the throne from over the toilet and the shower transfer bench a few weeks ago. I’m getting around pretty good and can stand long enough to not need them anymore. I haven’t used the cane in weeks and I’m able to stand if necessary on the metro. But I usually target the first or last cars of a train, which always seem to be less crowded. I have not used the cane in weeks, but we’re going to keep the cane and wheelchair handy --- just in case the radiation takes its toll. But we’re praying against that (join us, will you?) The week has gone pretty good thus far. I was pretty pooped when I got to work around noon and didn’t snap out of it until after dinner. It may have been the big lunch I had at the hospital cafeteria. Let me tell you, I have been able to eat lunch there every day this week for under four bucks each time. Sometimes under two bucks and I get enough to eat. It is fantastic and the food is pretty balanced too. I’m going to continue to eat there as long as I have to go there to make sure I’m getting fed well.

That’s all for tonight… we got a ton of rain tonight. We’ve needed it, so it was nice to have it. We’re supposed to get rain all weekend.