Don't do any running. A good brisk walk in the beautiful fall
air looking at the leaves and trees along the way. Find a good
place to hike and enjoy the view as well as getting rid of some
nervous energy.
I have a sled dog, and boy does he like to walk with me but I bet
I almost wore him out walking so much last fall. It helped so much!
It increases your seratonin, which helps keep back the depression that accompanies most of us at one point or another, increases your blood flow and is so good for your bones.
Maybe we should all start a dog walking business!!
Thinking of you!
Debbie

Good thinking Debbie. Maybe if I come to VA you will walk me. J/K I like to walk to but for right now I have to watch I don't overdo it. I had a Bassett that would run for his leash if I asked him if he wanted to take a walk. That dog understood a lot of things .

I have two very soiled dogs. The oldest is a huskey mix and she walks well. She also understands lots of things. The "baby" was a stray when we got him and he is still learning to walk on a lead. And will deside to pull me down the rode. I don't know what kind of dog he might be. We just call him "American" if someone asks!
The kids are all old! 23,22,19,14. I wish I had some little kids around here. I don't even have little kids neighbors to borrow.
I started running when I stopped smoking this spring. I started to put on too much weight. (wish I had it back now). I have just always been real physical and sweating kinda clears the mind. I'll have to find something to do, or I will just drive myself crazy!

Amy:

I have found that getting my yard ready for winter has helped me to feel much better about myself. I have ordered 2 cords of firewood and stacked it right along with my kids. I have rakes and cleaned out the shed and garage. It gives a sense of accomplishment and more energy. My house and yard went to heck for the past year and a half and it made me feel upset. My house is only a couple years old, I moved in and a few months later got sick. I never even had the time to properly unpack everything. Ive now cleaned out several closets and made alot of progress in getting things to how they should have been before I got sick.

Dont overdo it but its ok to still be active with having the PEG. It sure beats letting that imagination get the best of you.

Walking dogs is fun, but watch out if they pull you. My darn dog (the big rottweiler) took a flying leap off the porch with me holding the leash last summer. I broke my pinky finger. Just last week I had her out and she went after a chipmunk and she knocked me over. Probably a pretty funny sight seeing me rolling down the septic mound and into my garden.

Maybe you could get together your holiday decorations so they are handy. Or how about Christmas shopping now? You might not feel very well when it is time to do the shopoping later. How about cooking some big meals and freezing them for your family? Catching up with old friends. Making a list of people who to help you by driving you to tx or things like laundry, shopping, pharmacy runs, etc. Just a couple ideas.

Amy,

Well, I guess that kind of puts a damper on the family game night and Halloween costume ideas, but at least the "kids" are old enough to put to work on that yard work.

Dog walking hasn't been too much of an option for me, either. I also have a husky mix and he's fine to walk, but then there's my shepherd! When I got him as a pup I started to train him to the lead, but hurricanes, family crises, and finally my OC got in the way of his training. He's a lovable pup who would never deliberately hurt anyone, but he's also 120 lbs and full of energy! Even now, 2 years post Tx, I'm only 86 lbs. He loves and listens to me, but when he gets excited - which is all the time - it takes him a bit to even hear me. My son says he thinks the dog has ADHD.

Well, there's still the dinner idea if you don't hate cooking. Sometimes I do the whole holiday dinner thing "just cuz" - Turkey, roast beef, whatever with all the fixin's. I've said many times that it's got to be God's little joke - now that I have the time and interest and have become a fantastic cook, I can't eat any of it. I do have fun making it, though, and when I get teeth I'll be able to enjoy eating more of it.

Maybe you could get a start on your Christmas or other holiday lists. You could wander around the internet window shopping and mark down ideas for gifts. Maybe it could help you keep your mind busy for now. And maybe you could take that walk, either alone, or with just the one dog if you can sneak out without the other one getting too upset.

I really think that after Monday when you get your first treatment you won't feel quite so antsy because you will know what's happening each day. You just need to get through the next 2 days & nights. And remember there's usually someone on line here if you want to talk.

Take care,

Lani

Amy,
You should get used to the mask pretty quickly. I was sleeping through treatment about half way through. Make sure that they put the pillow under your legs and ask for a blanket if you are cold. They keep the treatment rooms well air conditioned as a rule. The mask will feel looser as you lose weight as well. They are typically a little tight in the beginning, probably taking that in mind. Also if the neck positioning device is backwards or for a different patient let them know immediately - that can make it very uncomfortable.

Another tip - make sure that YOUR name is on the treatment plan on the computer monitor.

I'm amazed that they don't have a stereo or boom box in the room. You can bring your own. Make a CD of your favorite tunes. That's what I did.

Amy,

I started out pretty thin to begin with and the table was so hard on my tailbone. They had a "donut" ready for me for each treatment to take the pressure off and make me comfortable. It made a world of difference.

And me too, Gary. I slept through most of the treatments after a while.

I hope I can sleep through all of this! Tomorrow is the day. I have turned into a very ugly human. I have bitten off the head of my poor husband. Only thing he ever did was love me. Throw a fit at Wal-mart. (Wal-mart always brings out the best in me). And if one more person tells me to be positive! ACK!!!

Amy,

I'm sorry. I thought you were starting today. I wouldn't expect you to sleep through tomorrow, but soon it won't seem like a big deal. It doesn't hurt or burn or anything like that while you're being "zapped". I spent the first 2 1/2 weeks wondering what the big deal was. "This is nothing."

Of course then the burning sensation started in my mouth, lips, and throat and - can't & wouldn't lie to you - it gets worse. But still the treatments themselves weren't a problem at all for me. Just the effects of them.

I won't tell you to be positive. (I kind of like my head right where it is, thank you very much. ) But I will tell you to hang in there and fight back hard against this horrible thing. When the effects of the radiation start to get bad, you'll be at a point where the end is in sight and you can count down what's left.

And remember that your husband does love you so he understands why you're not your sunny "lil ole self" right now. I'm sure, because he loves you, that he's also going through his own Hell because of this. Most men feel that their job is to "fix" everything for their loved ones. Well, he can't fix this, and that truth was very hard for my husband to deal with.

I went to Home Depot yeterday and bought some beautiful autumn-colored flowers to dress up my walkway for the season, so I'm off to do one of my favorite things - plant and fuss in the dirt. But I'll keep checking the site from time to time today, so if you want to "talk", I'll be here.

Lani

Like anything else, it will just take some time to get use to it so just be positive, Oh ooops!!!