Proton Therapy #7
Last weekend was a blur of school festivals and goat yoga. Did you know that baby goats are adorable, especially when dressed in silly costumes?
Monday morning, I drove back to Dallas. I'm staying in the hotel adjacent to the proton center every night this week. With nothing to clean or put away and no kids to feed or bathe, I find myself with an excessive amount of free time. The first afternoon, I enjoyed a leisurely lunch (table for one, please) and wandered around a shopping mall. My impression of Dallas is that it has an abundance of shopping malls, and everyone I talk to wants to move to Austin. Dallas does have a Credo store, so I got to stock up on green beauty products. I found an all-natural fragrance called "Dirty Fig" to replace my beloved Angel perfume, and I bought a deodorant paste that promises lymphatic health. Score! Oh, and in case you didn't already know, the Christmas season has commenced.
My Monday treatment was unexpectedly stressful. Last week I held a flat breathing line for 30 seconds without fail, but this time the breathing line kept dropping off for no reason. The technician asked me if I needed a moment to practice, and I said, "No, I'm holding my breath like a champ! You need to check your lasers!" There was a lot of fiddling, and eventually I had to try to correct the falling line during my breath hold. (Tuesday was better but still a bit off. Today I absolutely killed it. Take that, breathing game!)
Since my second dose of proton therapy, I've been experiencing an unsettling pulling sensation near my heart. The doctor thinks it's inflammation and not permanent heart damage. To stress-test my heart, I decided to go running in the rain on Tuesday morning. The only thing I learned was that I still hate running.
On Tuesday afternoon, I got my hair trimmed to avoid having a mullet, and the stylist did an excellent job of flattering me and earned himself a hefty tip.
On Wednesday, I met Jeff and the kids at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. It's exactly halfway between Austin and Dallas. The highlight of the zoo was the gibbons. Did you know that gibbons make a high-pitched call that sounds like "Woo-hoo!" as they are swinging around? It was highly entertaining. My kids wouldn't stop yelling "Woo-hoo!" and I was happy that they were riding back in Jeff's car and not mine.
This morning I woke up to a bunch of alerts on my phone. Apparently there was a car chase and manhunt in my neighborhood last night, with tracking dogs and a helicopter. Jeff had all the outdoor lights on and was patrolling our house with a baseball bat. Me, I slept great.
Today is rainy and depressing. I thought about checking out the place I keep driving by called "Mama Tried Honky Tonk," but I didn't think to pack my cowboy boots. I guess I'll just sit around this hotel room and try to ignore the fact that it smells like tomato sauce and detergent. Also, the motion-sensor bathroom light goes out while you're in the shower, so you have to fling the shower curtain around in the pitch black to get it to come back on. That would never happen at the Four Seasons.
Tomorrow I drive back to Austin for another fun-filled family weekend. My last two treatments will be next Monday and Tuesday. I'll have to get out the #done banner again. How many times can I use that thing before it becomes meaningless?
Monday morning, I drove back to Dallas. I'm staying in the hotel adjacent to the proton center every night this week. With nothing to clean or put away and no kids to feed or bathe, I find myself with an excessive amount of free time. The first afternoon, I enjoyed a leisurely lunch (table for one, please) and wandered around a shopping mall. My impression of Dallas is that it has an abundance of shopping malls, and everyone I talk to wants to move to Austin. Dallas does have a Credo store, so I got to stock up on green beauty products. I found an all-natural fragrance called "Dirty Fig" to replace my beloved Angel perfume, and I bought a deodorant paste that promises lymphatic health. Score! Oh, and in case you didn't already know, the Christmas season has commenced.
My Monday treatment was unexpectedly stressful. Last week I held a flat breathing line for 30 seconds without fail, but this time the breathing line kept dropping off for no reason. The technician asked me if I needed a moment to practice, and I said, "No, I'm holding my breath like a champ! You need to check your lasers!" There was a lot of fiddling, and eventually I had to try to correct the falling line during my breath hold. (Tuesday was better but still a bit off. Today I absolutely killed it. Take that, breathing game!)
Since my second dose of proton therapy, I've been experiencing an unsettling pulling sensation near my heart. The doctor thinks it's inflammation and not permanent heart damage. To stress-test my heart, I decided to go running in the rain on Tuesday morning. The only thing I learned was that I still hate running.
On Tuesday afternoon, I got my hair trimmed to avoid having a mullet, and the stylist did an excellent job of flattering me and earned himself a hefty tip.
On Wednesday, I met Jeff and the kids at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. It's exactly halfway between Austin and Dallas. The highlight of the zoo was the gibbons. Did you know that gibbons make a high-pitched call that sounds like "Woo-hoo!" as they are swinging around? It was highly entertaining. My kids wouldn't stop yelling "Woo-hoo!" and I was happy that they were riding back in Jeff's car and not mine.
This morning I woke up to a bunch of alerts on my phone. Apparently there was a car chase and manhunt in my neighborhood last night, with tracking dogs and a helicopter. Jeff had all the outdoor lights on and was patrolling our house with a baseball bat. Me, I slept great.
Today is rainy and depressing. I thought about checking out the place I keep driving by called "Mama Tried Honky Tonk," but I didn't think to pack my cowboy boots. I guess I'll just sit around this hotel room and try to ignore the fact that it smells like tomato sauce and detergent. Also, the motion-sensor bathroom light goes out while you're in the shower, so you have to fling the shower curtain around in the pitch black to get it to come back on. That would never happen at the Four Seasons.
Tomorrow I drive back to Austin for another fun-filled family weekend. My last two treatments will be next Monday and Tuesday. I'll have to get out the #done banner again. How many times can I use that thing before it becomes meaningless?
Wow, those baby goats do look cute! But I just had my gall bladder removed yesterday, so no animals standing on my tummy, please. Not even my beloved but somewhat disgruntled cat. Even more surprising than baby goat yoga was the news that it rains in Texas!! Seriously though, you are looking great and getting funnier too. Cheers.
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