Rad is radical...

    Hey there!!  Last week was my first full Monday through Friday week of radiation therapy.  It went well as far as I can tell.  I am definitely learning a new form of tiredness.  I have learned new forms of tiredness ever since this whole neuro adventure began in 2009.   I was going to make you a chart of the varying degrees of exhaustion, tiredness, snooziness (which often coincides with snottiness), and too tired for public display tiredness, but I couldn't figure out how to make a table.  I'll try and work on that sometime.   I am very thankful that I have the time to heal and rest right now.
     After back to back days of radiation, I've discovered "hot headed melt into the floor" exhaustion.  The great news is that so far it is lessened by steady hydration, good nutrition and rest.  I think that most ailments can be cured by those things usually, so its pretty natural so far.  Stay tuned to see if we find a new classification after weeks of daily radiation to the head...I'm curious as the professionals seem to tell me in a apologetic tone that I'll be feeling fatigued (especially as my brain's getting zapped and I had my surgery 5.5 weeks ago) and see some hairs go away in weeks 2 or 3, so I'm trying to see this as the honeymoon phase, while also taking extremely good care of my skin.  Dad, Ma, and Gary D. have been very nice to apply aloe and special cream to my scalp and face for me as well.  It's tricky to get the lotion on the scalp rather than just to overly condition my hair..so the team approach is really working best.      
      You know that feeling when you've spent a bit too long in the sun and your skin feels heated and hot, the first warning of a sunburn??  Well, that's how my head and face feel basically, and the feeling increases throughout the week, and by Friday my mouth feels a bit cooked as well.  I find relief though so far and I'm approaching this as a "let's see what happens and deal with what may come" angle.  I feel like last weekend was a big recovery weekend, and my sleep schedule is changing all over again.  Stimpy is still being very supportive.  
    I have a lot more to write, as I've not been writing much for a while, but I will try and catch up as I can.  Here are some topics I am thinking of expanding on in blogland soon:

•  Outdoor walks, a highlight
•  Spotlight on Super Friends...any ideas for a template for these?
•  Portland Trailblazers: Playoffs really put things in perspective...
• Blue Bird and Baby Mouse, a tragic tale of the food web in action...in my front yard
• Protein Low...Its the new low blood sugar situation...
• Netflix has a great selection of low impact yoga and "exercise" 
• Today I saw someone younger than me in the radiation waiting room.
• Radiation therapists are very kind.
• Eating healthfully while not overdoing it on anti-oxidants (they interfere with the radiation goals, let's not protect the bad cells...) is a challenge.
• Oh, yeah, that's right I'm signed up for 3 graduate credits at PSU and I forgot that my pre-March self did 90% of the work early and left it somewhere in my classroom...hmmmm
  
  I hope that everyone's doing well and enjoying some Spring magic where ever you are! 
  xoxox, Sara L.