#usually it’s staggered throughout the day not just everyone in at 9:30

[ghosthart]

i have really bad congestion rn so i was like can’t wait to take dayquil when i get home but i was thinking like doesn’t dayquil make me feel funny tho like make it hard to sleep but i didn’t wanna take nyquil and end up sleeping for a million years and missing my morning shift cuz i will do that so i took the dayquil and now i feel HORRIBLE like mild nausea and weird sensation near my heart and feel wide awake like i remember why i don’t take it lol the side effects listed really do happen and are kind of strong id rather just take ibuprofen and hope for the best

[fortheloveoftonks-blog]

Friday, May 19, 2017

The end of week two! Got a call bright an early to see if I could come to the proton center about a half hour earlier than scheduled. Yeah, sure. No Problem. We’re only 3 minutes from the place after all. I told her to give me a few minutes to brush my teeth and I’d see her shortly. I feel really good today. Better than the last few days. Even my throat is less....hummm I haven’t quite figured out the word to describe my throat. It doesn’t hurt, no pain, doesn’t feel raw or sore. Maybe dry with an extreme weird taste in the very back behind the tongue. 

Business as usual. Change then the short walk to the gantry, put my hair in ponytails, lay on the table, get the mask clamped down and and they’re off. The machines grind and churn, bumps and bangs with all the adjustments. I’m rather excited because the doc had said yesterday that he would come check out the scan to see if he could tell a noticeable difference in the size of my tumors, so I’m expecting him down with the crew checking things out. I think I do hear his voice at some point while I’m laying there. I’m not as much at ease today as I have been. I don’t know why. But I lay there listening intently trying to analyze the sounds and the movements even though I’m aware of what they stand for. 

Session over I change again and go fetch Greg so we can go see the doctor again. I ask several questions that I’m curious about. “Why, if I have weight to lose, don’t you want me to lose weight?” He said straight across the board those who eat and try to maintain their weight throughout radiation do better because the body derives energy from the food to keep up with the metabolic processes of repair as the radiation breaks down. He said that no matter what I will lose weight towards the end because it will become just too difficult to eat. Number two, I wanted the picture/video he took when he first examined me - the picture showing the tumor attached to the epiglottis. 

And third the news about the tumor size. He said he had seen the picture but hadn’t analyzed it yet. He said it had shrunk enough that by the end of the following week he would order another scan to superimpose over the original to see if they needed to make changes to the size of the Proton Beam so as not to radiate more tissue than needed. That was heartening! Great vibes. Ready for the weekend. 

Grapevine was holding one of their yearly festivals and it was starting today. Since it was early Greg and I decided to go investigate the festival today because the weather was looking pretty threatening. Tomorrow might not be so favorable. We walked down one side of Main Street stopping to look at the vendors, then turned around at the end and walked down the other side. Nothing jumped out at us calling our names demanding to go home with us. It was a pleasant outing and then we were both ready to go home to rest.

Christina from the Proton Center had invited us to attend a special event at a local high school called Relay for Life. There were literally hundreds of people in purple cancer survivor shirts and after registering I found myself in one too. Because of the weather the event was moved into the gym. We were greeted with entertainment and booths and then the survivors and their caretakers began the ceremonial walk around the gym. I found myself in awe and suddenly humbled. Every one of these people have had, or are related to people who have had the most feared disease on the planet and I am walking around among that group. I am now a statistic. That was a staggering thought.

But more than that these people are real live people who have either survived or have buried a loved one or been touched by cancer, and they have feelings and this disease is real and it doesn’t really matter if they’ve lived life according to NH or not. I am living proof of that obviously. Sixty-six years old is pretty young to be finding out you have cancer after “Being a Hygienist since before birth.” Another staggering thought. That Hygiene chip just keeps getting knocked off my shoulder even though my brain tries to figure out how to keep it there. 

The cancer survivors and their caretakers were specially honored with a dinner of grilled hamburger or hot dog. There was a great variety of drawing for prizes, hoping for everyone to win something. We sat by a woman and her 6th grade son. She won the very first drawing - tickets to the Medieval Times Restaurant and I won the very special Cancer Tree picture, the very last drawing. When I got back to the table with my tree picture Greg told me that she had really wanted to win that picture. When I turned around she was headed for the table and I asked her what she had won. She showed me the tickets to Medieval Times and I looked her in the eyes and asked if she would like to swap with me. Her eyes got so wide and fluid that she put her hands over them to cover her tears, then looked at me and said “Are you sure?” I replied “Absolutely,” and gave her a hug. Her son fist-bumped with Greg and we decided to walk around a little more then decided to leave even though they were going to have a Luminere ceremony around 9:30. We were tired. 

[tripstations]

10 of the best winter festivals in Europe: readers’ travel tips | Travel

Profitable tip: Carnevale di Ivrea, Italy

The battle of the oranges is held yearly in February within the fairly Piedmont city of Ivrea as a part of the city’s annual carnival. 9 groups over the course of three days hurl 500,000 kilos of oranges (from Sicily; they aren’t grown in these elements) of their try and kill the tyrannical marquis, who apparently was decapitated by the native miller’s daughter; the story dates from the center ages. As a spectator you received’t be concerned within the crossfire, however there’s an unimaginable quantity of oranges to take care of on the bottom. It’s one of many largest meals fights in Italy, and culminates with the funeral of the marquis. There’s a enormous number of avenue meals obtainable at affordable costs. It’s a enjoyable, feel-good competition that may go away you smelling of citrus for days. It’s all the time held on Sunday to Ash Wednesday – so 23-26 February in 2020. • hstoricocarnevaleivrea.it Martin Colegate

Up Helly Aa, Lerwick

{Photograph}: Andy Buchanan/Getty Photographs

On a tour of Scotland final winter I went to the Shetland Islands for a few days – and ended up staying per week due to a type of Norsemen-style Mardi Gras in Lerwick, which took days to get pleasure from and get better from. Up Helly Aa is a wild, torchlit social gathering with costumed Norse revellers, all-night dancing and ingesting, bonfires, processions and blazing ships which have fun the island’s connections with Scandinavia. The primary theme is who will be the Lord of Lerwick, apparently by being the final individual standing because the festivities finish. Most of the characters portrayed have been actual vikings with fascinating tales hooked up to them. The fruits of the festivities takes place on the final Tuesday in January (the 28th in 2020); the day after is a public vacation to get better. • uphellyaa.org Mike Wilson

Each week we ask our readers for suggestions from their travels. A number of suggestions shall be featured on-line and will seem in print, and the perfect entry every week (as chosen by Tom Corridor of Lonely Planet) wins a £200 voucher from resorts.com. To enter the newest competitors go to the readers’ suggestions homepage

Somerset carnivals

{Photograph}: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Photographs

You possibly can’t say you’ve actually skilled an English winter till you’ve skilled a Somerset carnival. Over the course of 1 fortnight in November one of many greatest illuminated parades on the planet travels across the county, warming chilly excessive streets with a procession of floats bearing hundreds of lights, banging pop tunes, and sulky tweenagers wearing masquerade costumes. The route takes in cities akin to Bridgwater, Shepton Mallet and Weston-super-Mare, however my favorite venue is Glastonbury, if just for the conjunction of stoned hippies, drunk locals, and bemused-looking guests. Bridgwater’s spectacular illuminated processions takes place on the primary Saturday of November. • visitsomerset.co.uk Alice Rooney

Fête du Citron, Menton, France

{Photograph}: Alamy

The Lemon competition is held on the finish of winter within the south of France, within the small city of Menton (from 15 February to three March in 2020) to have fun the Menton lemon. The theme modifications every year, however the carnival all the time consists of monumental sculptures made out of oranges and lemons (entry prices €10). There are additionally a number of parades stuffed with citrus floats and dancers (tickets price €25 seated, €12 standing). I discovered the entire expertise to be distinctive. • fete-du-citron.com Mila

Tartófla truffle competition, Bologna

{Photograph}: Getty Photographs

Final November we visited the Tartófla truffle competition held in Savigno, a 45-minute drive south-west of Bologna. Except for a brisk commerce in entire white truffles and stalls promoting truffle-flavoured all the pieces, there have been exhibitions, crafts and an enormous pop-up restaurant tent serving a truffle-heavy menu. There was even a workshop the place you could possibly take your canine to check its truffling potential. Our spotlight was the candlelit night truffle looking expedition (€10 adults) which took us via farmland with a truffle-hunter and his canine, ending in woodland the place the canine excitedly dug up a couple of truffles, although it ate half of them earlier than we had an opportunity to catch a glimpse! This yr the competition is being held over three weekends: 1-3, 9-10 and 16-17 November. • tartufosavigno.com Martha

Fête des Lumières, Lyon

{Photograph}: Alicia Canter/The Guardian

Lyon’s annual Gentle Competition takes place over 5-Eight December this yr. Non secular in origin, it’s now a deservedly common occasion with greater than 40 mild installations. Lasers and trendy expertise rework town’s statues, fountains, bridges and constructing facades right into a magically hued, continually altering wonderland, probably the most spectacular I’ve seen. There are spectacular fireworks, and street-food stalls promoting mulled wine, soups and native, scrumptious, fare. There’s lots to do in lovely Lyon earlier than darkish, too. Climb the hill to the basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière for panoramic views of town and even the Alps, and benefit from the metropolis’s vaunted gastronomy. • fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr Fi

Krampus, Salzburg

{Photograph}: Johannes Simon/Getty Photographs

Solid apart the well being and security guide and be a part of Salzburg’s Krampus parades to discover the darkish facet of Christmas, this yr beginning on 6 December – St Nicholas Day. Be ready to atone on your sins because the fearsome Krampus, clad in stinking goatskins, clanking cowbells and terrifying horned masks, roam the streets in packs with flaming torches and birch whips, thrashing the legs of anybody unlucky sufficient to stray too shut. The town parades are usually tamer affairs, so head out to the villages for the actual deal. Positively not for the fainthearted. • salzburg.data Melita Dennett

Fiestas de San Antonio Abad, Spain

{Photograph}: Trevor Thompson/Alamy

Within the Matarraña, Teruel (inland between Barcelona and Valencia), the pleasant fiesta of Antonio Abad, patron saint of animals, is widely known on 17 January. The competition is held throughout Spain, however we actually loved the one held in Valderrobres village, the place on the evening of the 16th there’s a spectacular bonfire at which desserts and drinks are handed round. Early the next morning everyone seems to be invited to take part in a neighborhood breakfast – primarily native sausages and chorizo roasted within the embers of the hearth. Later in the principle sq. locals convey their animals to be blessed. Within the surrounding villages the bonfires are staggered so that folks can get pleasure from a number of of them. Keep at very affordable costs within the villages or in snug nation homes: a splendidly genuine expertise of common tradition. Annalee Curran

Gentle competition, Amsterdam

{Photograph}: Getty Photographs

Through the Amsterdam Gentle Competition (28 November to 19 January 2020), town is illuminated by mild artists from all around the world showcasing their work all through town centre. Tons of of designers and designers submit their concepts and the choice committee chooses 30 artworks. To totally benefit from the competition, as we did, it’s finest to observe steered routes on foot, and there are additionally routes for many who need to see all of it by bicycle and boat. John Kilkelly

Percée du Vin Jaune, Jura, France

{Photograph}: Sébastien Bozon/Getty Photographs

Subsequent yr’s Breakthrough of the Yellow Wine competition will happen on the weekend of 1-2 February within the picturesque village of Ruffey-sur-Seille, 80km south-west of Besançon. This native competition celebrates the discharge of the brand new classic of this very particular sherry-like wine which is aged for six years. A €20 day move is out there on-line (see beneath) which supplies you 10 tasting tickets for the winemakers displaying their produce of their embellished cellars plus a memento glass. There’s additionally a cookery competitors, a wine public sale, parades of Jura winemakers and nice avenue meals. • percee-du-vin-jaune.com Jantee

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