August 2, 2016

Today was better than a Christmas morning!  I got my “2nd generation” Optune!  I have really TRIED to be ever so patient, having known about the device since almost a year ago when I first started the Optune treatment. Users in Europe already had the new device by last December, but here in the States it didn’t make it through FDA approval until late July.

But it was certainly worth the wait.  😊  I’ve only had it for part of a day so far, but I love, love, LOVE it!  It is about half the size and half the weight of the old one. The “Transducer Arrays” (the part that actually attaches to my scalp) haven’t changed at all – but my rep who came to see me today said that they plan to come out with new arrays in the very near future.  They will be more “flesh” colored (similar to a Band-Aid color) instead of the stark white that currently looks like your head has been bandaged post-surgery.  But the unit itself is whisper-quiet and doesn’t put out nearly as much heat as the old one.  The heat that it generated was an additional aggravation, as if the weight and size weren’t difficult enough to handle. I will still have to keep my head out of the direct sunlight but  I am told by other users of the new model that the device itself is not as sensitive to the heat as the old one. Getting into a hot car would set off the alarms on the old one – and sometimes just walking about 15 feet from the car to the store would set it off.

This one is so much easier to handle and to carry.  I injured my shoulders  with the other one, trying to carry it on my back or over my shoulder.  Because this one is more compact, I can carry it a number of ways – as a cross body bag, over the shoulder, or even around my waist/hips. And they have a new backpack to fit the unit which I will receive in the next week or so. All in all, it will just be SO much easier to get around – from cooking in the kitchen to getting on the floor with the little boys to getting in and out of the car, etc.

And I am so grateful to have gotten it before we go up to Morro Bay for a week later this month . Also, the batteries last longer and it is much easier to carry extra batteries.

So I am quite the happy camper! Let’s see how it goes tonight.  BT and I are so used to the white noise that the old unit put out – we’re not sure we can fall asleep without it!  LOL!

I’ve been feeling really good and seem to have a little more energy.  It helps to be OFF the chemo.  My next MRI, bloodwork, and Dr. visit is in about 3 weeks. Fingers crossed that  my tumor is still “stable”.

On the subject of good news, I’ve lost 4 more lbs. in the last month.  That’s almost 20 of the 40 I gained while on the steroids.  Woohoo!  Now I’m considering coming up with a slightly more ambitious plan to work on the rest.  These days there is so much controversy surrounding the “healthiest” way to eat, and even MORE controversy about the best way to eat in order to lose weight. Being somewhat of an analytical personality, I have studied this very intently .  It seems logical to me that I should create an eating plan the way I would create the perfect dress pattern.  I would take the very best attributes from several patterns and merge them together to create the perfect dress.  So I have done just that.

I believe I  have created the career-dieter’s Dream Diet from an assortment of healthy diets.  I will follow a Paleo diet for breakfast so I can have bacon and eggs; I will eat Vegan for lunch so I can have Oreo’s; and I will do Weight Watchers’ for dinner so I can eat anything I want as long as I count the points.  😤  BRILLIANT!  Right?

As a caveat, I should add that I ran this plan by Megan and she gave it the thumbs-down.  But, seriously, Megan has NEVER had to correct a problem with her weight, so what could she possibly know about eating healthy? (uh, okay . . . . . I get it.)

Having said all this, I better go juice some beets and rainbow chard and try to chase away the scent of bacon and visions of Oreo’s.

Love to all –

Marcia