Prep is finally all done. Let the games begin!!!

I had my MRI Monday morning at 7 am.  I needed to be there at 6:30 in Round Rock to check in.  The nurses, who were in a tent outside the door, took my temperature with a touchless forehead thermometer and let me inside after answering Covid related questions.  I got my paperwork all filled out and turned in and then they sent me outside to sit in my truck until I was sent a text message to come in for my scan.

This was the hardest of the procedures for me to do because I had to lie on my back with my mask on, breathe shallowly through my nose and keep my belly extremely still.  A 2 minute test scan came back blurry and I was told I needed to be much more still and the actual MRI might take up to 20 minutes.  I told them that as a wildlife photographer, I also hate blurry pictures and would try to be a good subject.  The machine is extremely loud, so they gave me a pair of earplugs and I gave them the green light to start the machine back up again.  It seemed like an eternity trying to be perfectly still, barely breathing through my mask and hoping they wouldn't have to repeat the process.   Luckily, the MRI came out OK and I left, thanking everybody along the way.

That was not the high point of the day, however.  My Supercuts finally reopened and I made my way to an 8:30 appointment with my stylist, friend and psychotherapist Rita.  It was a joy to see her, we swapped stories of my recent past and of hers as well.  I told her my Covid Hair proved that I had been faithful to her.  She told me about several people that had taken the matter into their own hands and wanted her to fix the results.  Sometimes you just can't fix stupid!  At least it grows back eventually.  

Anyway, that's my story for now.  My next step will be my first radiation treatment on June 1st.  They will give me an orientation, showing where the mold of my lower body will be each time I come in and instructing me on what to do each time.  It will become routine very quickly I'm sure.  I'm blessed, I got a 1:50 pm time slot each day which will allow me to do my dawn nature photography and conduct my computer repair business each day before going in.  I should be out by about 2:15 pm each day and even if Austin traffic returns to normal this summer, I will be able to make my way home before rush hour.

I am going to start an online exercise program, mostly for my upper body, because the hormone therapy and the radiation will cause me to be fatigued, possibly gain weight and suffer muscle and bone loss.  I will be fighting back with exercise, diet and calcium and vitamin D pills.  I'm sure I'll be able to do it.  I'm a stubborn German Lutheran.  I just need for somebody to tell me I can't possibly do all that and I will prove them wrong!  Any volunteers? 

Blessings everybody until next time!