4.

Okay, I must warn everyone that the following post will not be filled with pretty details.  If you don't want to read about a sore bum... then click out now.  I won't be offended!

Monday - Of course, radiation is first on my agenda and man, did I need to talk to my doctor.  I see her once a week and Monday is that day!  Over the weekend my rear end issue was getting worse.  I had been using every cream and ointment I could get my hands on, nothing was helping!!  She took one look and said "Well, that's one angry hemorrhoid!"  Ahhh, my only response was "I KNOW."  She gave me a prescription that I was hoping would be the miracle cure.  Off to work I went.

Tuesday - I woke up after a long night of bathroom trips, even more sore than the day before.  Before I even left for radiation I knew there was no way I was going to be able to sit for hours at work so I called off for the day.  I thought I would lay around, catch up on my sleep, and heal up!

Wednesday - Seriously, each day you think you can't possibly hurt worse but you do!  I got myself ready for work, drove to radiation and cried the whole way there.  Now, I'm not normally a crier, but I was so frustrated.  I  needed  to go to work!  I love my job and blessed to have such flexibility with my schedule, but I am not getting paid for the time I've had to take off!!  I called in as soon as I got to my appointment.  Again, there was just no way I could handle sitting for the next 5 hours.  My plan for this day was to sit, on and off, on my sitz bath.  It was NOT comfortable, but I struggled through it 3 times... overall, I saw little improvement.  I did, however, find an ointment that seemed to work on the pain and I've found ibuprofen to help most with the pain (when compared to the Vicodin I was prescribed for pain).

Thursday - I woke up and felt just a little better!  The routine with the new ointment and pain meds seemed to keep my pain at bay, long enough to function.  Off to radiation and work!  Next Thursday I start internal rads, and will have 5 treatments (each on Thursday).  I'm so anxious about those!  Hopefully, I'll be drugged up and everything will be uneventful.

Friday - Chemo day!  I hit radiation and made it to chemo on time, for once.  When I get there they take blood to check my levels and this particular time my count was low.  Argggh!  I know it's likely my fault because I've become so lazy with my iron pills.  Truth be told, I'm TIRED of taking so many pills.  It was one that I just didn't care too much about. Anyway, that lead to needing a extra dose of blood during this treatment.  Not a huge deal, but it did add an extra hour or so to my appointment.  I didn't get out of there until nearly 5pm.  Was a very long day, but I made it through.

Saturday - I went to work!  I know it doesn't sound like fun (and really, fun isn't the word I'd use to describe it..) but, I needed to get some hours in, and it was a quiet day at the office.

Sunday - I finally got out for a short walk!!  Note to self:  with an extremely sore bum (and yes, it has gotten worse.  I think I'm dealing with radiation burns at this point..) walking any amount of distance isn't necessarily a great idea.  I took my camera and as you can see, got some fun shots.  It was windy, so it wasn't as easy as I had hoped..but the short time I was out was worth all pain it brought me.  I got home, took some pain pills and got ready to watch the Super Bowl!

Not a horrible week.  I know I've been blessed with no nausea or super body aches.  But goodness, I need to heal up the bum or I may be spending the last weeks of this treatment horizontal!

♥