My Tanning Bed

My dad has always had motorcycles and even though I wasn't doing much riding when this was taken, my brother Tim and I sat on the bikes a lot.  This was a BMW he had for a while. 

With February  of '81 coming to an end, it was time for my radiation treatments to begin. Taking chemotherapy is bad enough, but when you add blanket radiation to the mix, you move toward physical torture.  I had six weeks of radiation that began on Monday, March 2nd, 1981.  It's also the same day that Jon Bon Jovi turned 19, in case you wondered.


3/2 - Vincristine - WT 52 3/4#, lab WBC 4.1, RBC 4.1, HCT, 31.9 HG 10.8, Platelets 636,000.
Radiation Started.  Vomited severely about 4 hours
1900 1/2 B&O and Phenergan Supp.  B&O 2100

3/3 - Phenergan supp.1400 before radiation, B&O @ 2000 Intake 960, out 610
(Phenergan is an antihistamine. It blocks the effects of the naturally occurring chemical histamine in your body. Phenergan is used to treat allergy symptoms such as itching, runny nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, hives, and itchy skin rashes. Phenergan also prevents motion sickness, and treats nausea and vomiting or pain after surgery. It is also used as a sedative or sleep aid.)

3/4 - Intake 1010 out 680, 0300 B&O supp. 
3/5 - constipated, B&O @ 2330, appetite improved today.
3/6 - emesis (aka puking) undigested food, glycerin supp., phenergan supp, fleets enema (sweet, first time the enema appears in the journal, good times) increased pain in penis - extreme fatigue, mineral oil, B&O supp.  March 6th was a rough day.

3/7 - B&O @ 1000 @ 2000, no appetite until supper, intake 1460/980 out.  

Sun 3/8 - B&O 0800, 2000, 0300, more complains of pain, glycerin supp. 1900.

3/9 - wbc 2,600, neutrophils 80%, Neutrophils serve as the major defense of the body against acute bacterial and certain fungal infections. Neutrophils usually constitute about 45 to 75% of all white blood cells in the bloodstream. When the neutrophil count falls below 1,000 cells per microliter of blood, the risk of infection increases somewhat; when it falls below 500 cells per microliter, the risk of infection increases greatly. Without the key defense provided by neutrophils, people have problems controlling infections and are at risk of dying from an infection.
Vincristine, emesis @ clinic, dry heaves, IV @ home, phenergan supp. x2. 

We had really arrived at a difficult time. Now I was just sick all the time.  I had no energy and was experiencing pain all over the place.  March 9th was supposed be the start of my second week of radiation, but the next entry in my mom's journal gives you an idea how poorly I was doing....

Radiation cancelled.