D - 30 - Our journey on the Waka continues

D - 30 - Our journey on the Waka continues.

Xmas day modelling kit completed -  care of Klaus and Minette Chemo care package

This is my yacht waiting for me patiently at home . Hoping to regain sufficient “oomph” to be able to get
It back in water and sailing when get home 

Second day of chemo round two -  dawns!! - very restless night and many trips to loo have not helped . Feeling quite “ropey” this morning. Thought about a walk down to Newmarket but sensibility suggests a morning of rest as advised by my nurse Renene.  Shorter days of treatment Tuesday to Friday ahead . Radiation at lunchtime then only couple hours of single drug Etoposide in afternoons. Hopefully week gets better day by day. Definitely needed all the extra symptom management
“ drugs” today

Found this statue today which clearly reflected how my head and stomach is feeling today

We “boogied” into radiation appointment in a Motown mood which brightened up the day of Machine 6, then the crew at Machine 4 when I was re allocated so I decided to keep on wearing it into the chemo room to much laughter and comment. Funnily enough it was the glasses that had most comments and in fact one person thought it was my real hair!

As we had to move machines , my “pillow” on machine 6 had to move with me so gave us an opportunity to get a picture of it . When doing my original radiation planning I could not get comfortable lying with my arms above my head grabbing two rails. They therefore had a bean bag that they could mould around my head and arms and then sucked all the air out of the bag which makes it firm and retain its shape and I lie into it each time with arms and head in exactly the same position and they check against a photo before lining me up with the laser beams 

Pillow I lie in with head and arms at each radiation session

Trying to demonstrate how I lie in pillow but whilst standing and forgot I had silly hair on

Some of the consequences of the radiation is  beginning to become visibly obvious . My back is on the table and machine targets the lesion from below in three different positions . The front surprisingly not quite the same degree . Not sure why this is as the machine is directly above me by only 30 cm

Radiation burn starting to become obvious. Kind of looks like the weather map of Australia with all the temperature gradients 

Kids both away doing their own things at present. Brendan back today with friend Kate and then Courtney flies back from Oamaru on the 3rd so we will all be back together for last few days.

Grahame, Kate, Brendan just like old times in Whakatane 

Brendan delivered a new set of hats from our good friend Minette Kuhn