Steroids & Seattle

The fat face

Steroids are useful & necessary, but boy do they suck. They make you irritable, unable to sleep, paranoid, compulsive, and cause swelling. It's common, after a high dosage of steroids, over an extended period of time to get “puffiness,” I would argue I have fat face. Eric and I recently went to the Eat Drink SF event in San Francisco, and the pictures confirmed my suspicion—I’m a victim of the fat face. While Yan Can Cook, may not know the difference, I do. It’s ok, it will be part of my process, just a reminder that things are going to change and I have to take it as part of the journey. I’m sure once treatment is underway, there will be more changes. It’s just a bit of a shock when you just wake up one day and don’t look the same. It reminds me of a filter Snapchat had once, which I refer to as “inner me” (shout out to the boys), where it’s personification of the little voice in your head that takes the last chicken nugget without regard for anyone else. For now, I will just be a walking Snapchat filter and will take it in stride.

Fat Face @ Eat Drink SF

Inner Me Snapchat Filter

Quick transition to Seattle

After a whirlwind trip to Seattle this week, I was able to successfully enroll into my new proton radiation treatment in Seattle. It’s a great place that is very patient-centered. Upon entering the center, it felt right. Unlike other parts of my treatment so far, here everything was clearly organized. As part of the treatment process, special masks are molded for your head to ensure exact alignment for every radiation session. The molds look and feel like an American Horror Story character. In this case, I have to do what I’ve got to do, regardless of any claustrophobia I may have.  These masks are necessary lock your alignment, as the precise dosages are planned in collaboration with physicists for each session. The creation of the molds and seeing the machines were both new to me. The machine, which looks like something from Star Trek, actually requires a lot of time and energy to reset for each patient, so people are grouped based on the setting they will need. So my schedule will vary depending on the group I’m similar to that week. 

American Horror Story Alignment Mask

Proton Radiation Machine

My treatment will start next week (first week of September) and I’m planning to be in Seattle for two months. Rosy, my sister and partner in crime, will be there with me throughout the process. While this approach is less taxing than traditional radiation, it will still have cumulative effects over time. Stay tuned for updates once we’re settled in Seattle.

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Hugs,

CD