Post-Chemo, -Surgery, -Fundraiser, Pre-Radiation

Hola amigos, it's been awhile since I rapped at ya. So since I last touched base, we were done with the fundraiser. Hooray! I had my appointment with the radiation oncologist a couple of weeks ago now - you lie there forever while they mark you up with a sharpie. You can't move, and I had my arm overhead. Sounds easy, right? Well, no. Try lying perfectly still for about an hour. Don't move your arm! Don't move your head! Don't move anything! It's uncomfortable. But the absolute worst was the tattooing! I don't think my pain tolerance is that low, and I've gotten over a lot of my fear of needles, but oh my god, OW!!! I know that it's a different needle they use, b/c they just give you a dot & it's not electric, or however the tattoo artists do it, but oh my god. If that's how it feels, I don't understand how people can get those itty-bitty roses or tweety bird or whatever, let alone whole sleeves. I need to find someone who's had both. I suspect the radiation tats hurt a lot more than regular ones. So maybe that full-back tat of the hula girl is out for me . . . .

So before I am trapped here in DC for the better part of the summer, I took a little jaunt down to Bermuda, courtesy of Sylvia! Thank you so much!! It was so nice to get down there again & see everyone. I got to meet a couple of not-so-new-anymore kids & a couple of new ones! It was great. But too short! I guess it always is! Sigh! I had my favourite ebi tempura nori maki at Yashi sushi. God, it was good - like I always remembered!

I had one more pre-radiation appt yesterday, and got marked up even more with Sharpie - this time all the way up almost to my neck. Now I have another purple bra. Greeeeaaaat. Hopefully it'll mostly come out. And hopefully they won't mark me every time I go for radiation, which starts Monday. 3:15! So a relatively late appointment time, which is good! So I guess starting today I'm off antiperspirant. I have to switch to just deoderant, b/c antiperspirant has aluminum something in it. I think the aluminum whatever can scatter the rays. So don't worry, folks - I'll be sweaty, but stink-free this summer! Another reason I'm driving to work for the summer.

Fundraiser OVER!

First off, buy my t-shirts! See www.cafepress.com/LizTurtle. But more on that later . . . .

And not a moment too soon! It was fun & it went well, but man, was it ever stressful! That is not a line of work I think I could do. Wow! Mad props to the people who do it. Especially Nichole, who helped me out - which is really understating it. She taught me everything I know! Thanks, Nikki! And next time you need any personal actuarial work done, you know where to go!

So thanks to everyone who could come to the fundraiser - and thanks to those who couldn't come, but bought raffle tickets! The evening was a success! I don't have final numbers in yet, but the total tally should be over $3,000 once everything is finalized. Hooray! So we are getting the other 2 members of Team Turtle up to par.

My big announcement is the t-shirts I have for sale now through Cafe Press. All of the net profits will be going to Team Turtle. There are various colors & sleeve-lengths (ok, only 2 of those - short & long), and they also come in men's and women's styling. I also have a tote bag & a mousepad. I admit it, I made those just for me. I'm sure I'll be the only one who buys them. But please buy one & if your friends ask where you got such a funny shirt, and where can they get one, please direct them to my cafepress shop! That address again is: www.cafepress.com/LizTurtle. This link is also on the toolbar on the left!

Tomorrow morning I go in for my tattoos for radiation. My first tattoos! Aw! They'll be doing all the physics stuff - getting the angles, etc. set up so when I go in for actual radiation they just line up the machine with the tats & start shooting. But before radiation starts, I'll be enjoying a long weekend in Bermuda! Oooooh, I can't wait!! I hope I can catch up with everyone. I will be staying with the hostess with the mostess - Sylvia! Can't wait to see you, girl! And your little girl! And boy! I head out Friday. Ah! It'll be so nice!

Oh, and check out the pictures my good friend & amazing photog Seth Kaplan took at my shutterfly page: lizturtle.shutterfly.com/. Ignore the bad ones of me.