Radiation Pictures and a Draino Shopping Spree

I've survived my first full week of radiation/chemo!  Before this it was the holiday season, so I never had more than three days in a row, but I made it through five in a row this week.  TGIF!  I can now say that I certainly appreciate the weekend even more.

In honor of the five day week, I got one of the radiation tech people to get a couple pictures of me strapped in to the radiation machine right before the machine started its daily shooting at my head.  If you are a student of mine in Marion, enjoy these photos.  You know that you will never see me not moving just because I'm told not to again.

There is the mask getting ready to be hooked down around my head.

I'm all strapped in!  The blue and yellow dots are two of the nine spots that they are aiming radiation at.
The other seven spots are underneath or on the left side of my head.

The radiation machine is above me and getting ready to start.  

 Thanks to my mask I always have some good lizard scale marks on my face whenever I leave.  The radiation tech guys who set me up each time have also assured me that I can keep my mask when I am done with treatment.  I'll have to stick it up in my classroom on a wall, that way I am always watching . . . mwhahaha! ;)

This week I have also made some new food discoveries; some good, some obnoxious.
Good:
-  sloppy joes - if I make it a bit spicy, it tastes almost exactly the same as it used to before radiation/chemo
-  Pastor Steve's wheat bread - the middle of the bread I cannot taste, but the seasoning on the crust is wonderful!
-  Crystal Light - the different lemonades actually taste kinda like lemonade, and they cover up the metallic taste that water now has for me
-  A&W Root Beer - tastes like root beer!
Obnoxious:
-  blueberry yogurt - lets just say that my stomach decided to protest the presence of this substance (strawberry and peach are still on my stomach's good side)
-  dill pickles - they now taste like sweet pickles, which is just odd when you expect dill
-  Italian dressing - it doesn't taste like anything now other than soggy lettuce, I'm going to eat salad like a rabbit (without dressing) from this point forward

This week is also the first week that my husband has taken note of my hair loss.  It is happening a lot more on my left side since that is where more of the radiation is aimed.  His way of acknowledging it?  Telling me after a shower "We need to get some Draino.  Your hair is going to plug up the drain."  Thanks Rock, at least you're being proactive.  (We really did get Draino at Costco today.  What can I say?  Better to prevent future plumbing issues than deal with them later!)

Now I'm off to make and try another dinner item I have not eaten yet since starting chemo, enchiladas! Oh, and I hope the Seahawks destroy the Falcons this weekend.  I'm sorry if you are a Falcon's fan; I want you to lose horribly.