May 18, 2012

Ladies and Gentlemen,

     This is an announcement to forewarn you that there is going to be a bright glow in the sky emitting from Central Florida. It may be a puzzle to the Meteorologist and Scientists who are watching the sky, but it will only be me glowing from the radiation treatments that I will be getting 5 days a week for 5 to 7 weeks. Yes, it is true, I will be starting radiation very soon.
     This morning Dorean and I went to an appointment with my new Oncologist, Dr. Luka Milas. (Me’las) He is wonderful! I was concerned that no one could replace Dr. Shellenberger, but I believe Dr. Milas is the only doctor that could handle that challenge. He gave me a great big hug and held my hand the whole time he was in the room. We also love his P. A. She was very friendly and informative with all my questions. She is 8 weeks pregnant with twins!
     I have an appointment with the Radiologist on Thursday next week. This will probably be the time to set up my appointments and prepare the mask I will wear during treatment to protect the part of my head not getting radiation.
     On the next Wednesday I must be checked out by a Dental Oncologist to be sure my teeth and gums will be able to handle the radiation along my jaw line.
     The radiation will begin soon after the Dental Oncologist gives me the go ahead.
     My next appointment with Dr. Milas will be June 15th. As you can see I am going to be spending a lot of time driving back and forth to the radiation clinic and doctor visits. (It is about 10 miles to M. D. Anderson where all my appointments are.) They said I may be able to drive myself for awhile but will probably need someone to drive me later into the treatments. It looks like Amanda will get that fun job since she is not working and school is out for the    summer. I hope to be finished with radiation before the baby gets here or I will loose my ride.
     I feel perfectly at peace about all of this. Before Dr. Milas left he patted my hand and said “We’ll take good care of you.” I told him I had a  wonderful God that also takes good care of me. He said “I’ll pray for you and your family and you pray for me and my family.” How great is that? Isn’t God wonderful to give me a sweet doctor like that?
     Your prayers will truly be appreciated during this time. The P. A. told me it would be like getting the worst sunburn I’ve ever had. They have medication to put on the burn and I have a big Aloe Vera plant in the back yard. I will have to stay out of the sun and will probably experience fatigue which means poor Billy will be eating Subway sandwiches and other things he can pick up on the way home. It will be slim pickin’s for a few weeks. We’ll survive!
     We are having a big Alice in Wonderland Tea Party baby shower tomorrow for little Colton Timothy Traywick, my little great-grandson due in July. My house is decorated with whimsical flowers, 3 Cheshire Cats, 4 tables with cute plates and lots of mismatched tea cups. It is all so cute! I really need to take pictures and post them. Maybe someone can help me do that.
     We are going to take Annie for her walk so she can lose a little weight and me too. She gets really anxious about this time every night. I will let you know about the shower tomorrow night.
Love to all,
Mary Margaret

The big "C" in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little "c" which is the cancer!
Don’t forget to E-mail me . . .

angel8mmj@gmail.com