New Tattoos

I went to have my Planning CT scan taken yesterday. But when the picture is all done and they verify that I didn't move during the operation, she needed to tattoo little aiming marks on my abdomen and sides. So she says "now, this is going to hurt", and I think to myself, in that smug kind of tone, well how much can it hurt compared to when I got my belly slit open. Thankfully, I decided not to say it out loud because she was not joking. I think she used a knitting needle to get the ink in. Once they do all the calculating and stuff that they do, they use those marks for lining me up on the table. She suggested that I could get a really cool tattoo to cover up the dots as soon as they were done.

The chemo part is another issue. If we decide on using the 5FU, I have to get a port surgically implanted so that I can have some everyday without going to the hospital. Who knew. One of the other choices is a self administered pills, so then you have to muster up the courage to poison yourself everyday. And the last one I'm considering is my old friend Gemcitabine, administered at the infusion room with all the associated needles. Hmmmmm.

The date for radiation is most likely set. On November 18th I go and we have a trial run on the table and they point at the tattoos and make sure that they're doing it right. If all goes as planned radiation starts on Wednesday the 19th. So the chemo has to start on the 19th - any port has to be in by that time, or whatever.