Typical Day

For everyone who was thinking about asking, here's how I spend my days...

5:00 am:  Wake up, test blood sugar (not a prostate issue), eat a small yogurt, scan headlines.
5:30 am:  Empty bladder and drink a quart of water.
5:55 am:  Drive to PTI, check in, chat with other early morning patients, and wait for treatment time.
6:30 am:  Go back to treatment area, change into a hospital gown, and nestle into the treatment "bed".
6:40 am:  The therapists adjust my position to match the mark on my hip to programmed laser pointers, take an x-ray to confirm my exact prostate location, turn on the proton beam for about two minutes, take another x-ray (occasionally), and note my appointment time and place for the next day. Lately it's been 6:30 at the Yellow gantry, and probably will remain so.
6:45 am:  Get dressed, say so long to the waiting patients, and drive back to Third & Main.
7:00 am:  Change clothes and head for the Third & Main workout room for a half hour on the treadmill (1% grade, 14 to 15 minutes/mile).
7:35 am:  Shower, eat breakfast, and catch up on the news in the Tallahassee Democrat's e-edition.

For the rest of the day, we do whatever we want. I may do some scanning of the genealogy and financial records I brought from home, or "relax" with the latest political news on TV. We may go out to see some of the attractions of the Jacksonville area, or do some grocery shopping. I always get in a second half hour on the treadmill.

Soon after supper, I prepare for the morning, setting out my quart of water and clothes for the next day. I try to be in bed by 8:00 pm. That gives me nine hours to get 7.5 hours of sleep, and I usually do (an hour-and-a-half at a time).

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, there are additional activities organized by PTI or Third and Main. More about those in another post.

By the way, I had my 26th treatment today, with 13 more coming up...I'm 2/3 of the way through!