Here is a quick recap if you are just joining us:
At the end of November last year, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. They successfully removed the tumor and testicle at the beginning of December.
I had to go through some blood tests and imaging scans to make sure the cancer was "gone" and that it had not spread.
Finally, in my last post I explained that the oncologist I was referred to wanted me to start a course of radiation therapy. It was going to be a 10-day course starting on a Wednesday and ending on a Tuesday. I wouldn't have to go on the weekends which was some good news. The reasoning for the radiation was to get rid of any of the microscopic cancer cells that might still be hanging around.
The whole process for the radiation treatment was very interesting. My first appointment was a week before they actually started and it consisted of them mapping out my body.
They did a bunch of x-rays so they could target the specific area that they wanted to hit with the radiation. I had to lay on a table while this machine moved around me and made a bunch of noise.
After they had the right area, they needed to tattoo me so that if a different tech was ever in, they would know how to line the machine up. They are just little dots on my body that look like freckles, but they are actually tattoos. They marked the spot with a permanent marker then dropped some ink on that spot and pushed it under the skin with a needle.
That part was the worst because as you probably know by now, I HATE needles!
After they were finished mapping me out, I was free to go.
I would start my actual radiation therapy the next week. They gave me anti-nausea meds to take the morning and night of my radiation days as well as one I had to take an hour before I came in.
Each radiation appointment was pretty painless. The actual treatment only lasted for about 5 minutes and some days I was in and out within 10 minutes. Other days I had to wait a little bit if they were running behind. It was an inconvenience at the time, but looking back it really was never that bad.
If you remember, the side effects of the radiation were fatigue, nausea, and the possibility of a rash in the area they were treating. The only thing I ever experienced was the fatigue. I would work all day, then head to my appointment in the afternoon. After my appointment, I would go home and pretty much be worthless the rest of the night.
It was like I had been drugged or something. I would sit down on the couch and just zone out. That was the roughest part of the whole process.
On the last day of my treatment, they gave me a certificate stating I had successfully completed my radiation therapy and sent me on my way.
I am happy to announce that I had a follow-up appointment with my oncologist this week and everything is still going great. I have to visit him again in six months for a routine checkup and then every year after that.
I have a follow-up appointment with my urologist in July and my hope is that it goes fine as well. If you were to look at me, you would probably never know I had gone through such a horrible ordeal.
I am still fighting with my supplemental insurance company. They are now refusing to pay what is owed to me for the radiation therapy I received, so I have filed a formal appeal with them. If they deny that, I will need to decide if it is worth it to try and take legal action or not.
Part of me feels like I should just cut my losses and celebrate that I am once again healthy and well. I feel beyond blessed that my cancer turned out to be easily removed and treated. There are so many others out there fighting this battle that are going through inexplicable pain and agony over this dreaded disease.
Please remember readers to check yourself and check yourself often. Learn your body and know when something isn't right. Likewise, do the same for your partner. If you know someone that is fighting cancer remember that it takes an emotional toll sometimes greater than the physical toll.
Your support and love make all the difference. Thank you for taking this journey with me and thank you fellow Steemians for all of the support and encouragement I have received through this process.
If you want to start from the beginning of my journey, you can read it here.
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Many of my posts in this series have been featured in The STEEMEngine and Steemrepair, check them out: