Rushing to Radiation!

Every day for five weeks.
I thought this would be a crazy part of my treatment but somehow it has settled in to being a norm.
For the past three weeks and for the next two.
Every day, I make my way to the Juravinski Centre - to the imposing red-brick building that looms over the other Concession Street buildings here in Hamilton - for the last active part of my cancer treatment.
Radiation.

We have settled into a schedule.
And I LOVE schedules.
And lists.
And organizing things.
Because there is such control when that happens and I fancy a little control in this outta-control world I inhabit.
How about you?
In the midst of this whirlwind of a world, do you sit in the eye of the storm with a checklist in hand?
Mmmmm....so nice isn't it?

Want a glimpse into the new everyday over here?

Of course you do or you wouldn't have clicked on this link, silly reader!
Unless, of course, you clicked by accident and now cannot stop reading even though you want to.  Maybe you have one of those rare conditions where you cannot stop reading something once you have started.  I have that and always feel super annoyed when my brain decodes and puts together the words on those advertising park benches that smugly state something about "See!  Advertising Works!" just because they fooled you into reading what was written on that stinkin' bench.  That is so annoying!
I apologize if you have that sort of condition....the reading one.
Here, I will leave a little blank for your eyes to rest at and you can stop reading.  Now.


But for those of you who wish to read on, please do so.

So, our mornings remain relatively normalish.  At least, normal for over here.  We have our homeschool.  We read, write, do math, go over grammar, map out history stuff and then read some more.  I am so thankful for these small slices of normalcy over here.

Then it is the afternoon and a variety of people make their way over here.
My mom.  My mother-in-law.  My sister or sister-in-law or brother.  My friends.
I am so blessed to have these people around.  And so thankful.
My support system is made up of an ocean of people and their prayers and love!
They come and take care of my beautiful children while I get going to that gigantic cancer hospital.

I am almost always late.
This is something that I have tried to improve upon for pretty much my whole life; yet I am quite certain that the only thing I was on time for EVER was my birth.
And for that, I was two weeks early.
Because I am also furiously impatient and I wanted to be BORN already!
But for pretty much all else in life, I am less-than-punctual.
Don't tell anyone!
So, I zip carefully just at speed limit along our nice Hamilton roads that have LOTS of stop signs and street lights!
As I zip along, I berate myself for forgetting to get in touch with the two lovely families who live VERY close to the Juravinski Centre and who have offered the use of their close-by driveways.
Tomorrow I will remember, I vow to myself.
Then I instantly forget, because my brain is fun that way!  Whee!

I locate a free parking spot along one of the side streets and align the free parking time-slot with the type of appointment I have.  If I only have radiation, I can park in the 1 hour parking spots and those are nice and close to the hospital.
Then I clamber from my vehicle, slam and lock the door and bolt down the sidewalk.
I am like the speed of light from this point all the way to the hospital.
Slow light.
That huffs, puffs and wheezes.
My purse beats a steady rhythm against my legs while I run, keys in hand, super short hair waving weakly in the wind.
"Look at us," they seem to say (the hairs, of course) "we are waving in the wind.  We are blowing in the breeze."

I arrive and pass through the double, automated doors and dash down the hallway to the stairwell.  No elevators, please!

Rumble, rumble, stomp, stomp, stomp down two flights of stairs and turn left past the Hummingbird Cafe where I have shared many a coffee date with Paul.
At the base of the stairs, there is a large table filled with donated novels.
This is a dangerous part for me because if I don't avert my eyes, I will immediately be distracted.
BOOKS!  my brain screams at me, STOP!  YOU! MUST! READ!
Before I know it, I will often have a book in hand and will be reading the summary on the back or be well into the first chapter before my brain reminds me,
"Uh, weren't you late?"
Oh yeah, shoot!  I dash off, book in hand.  I will add it to the leaning tower of books on my bedside table.  To-Be-Reads they be.

While I run I unzip my purse and begin rummaging.  This is never a good idea!  Sometimes dog treats fly forth along with sunglasses, gum, children's socks and a dice.  My purse is a scary place to rummage in.  Especially whilst running.  I find my sign-in sheet and sign myself in.
Yes.  I am queued.  That means I am now officially in line for radiation, baby!

I make my way past another large pile of donated novels.
NOVELS......my brain drools....but I will shut one eye or cover both eyes while I go past or just shout, "I can't see you.  Nah nah nah nah nah!" Which is awkward to do in public but, whatever, I can just blame it on my treatments, right?  Or pretend someone else was yelling nonsensical things and just look askance at some poor random other person.

I dash into a change room and change into a lovely, clean blue patterned gown.
I have mastered the wearing of these gowns.  Open to the back!
I am ready and I sprint to a waiting room chair and rip open a magazine.
I slow my breathing and almost anyone would think I had been sitting there calmly for hours just waiting my turn.

....to be continued...