Two little dots, one in between my breasts, one on my left side. This is to allow the machine to line me up exactly so they can zap me with radiation.
The radiation oncologist took a CT scan, so they can map out when and where they’re going to zap me. I don’t know yet how many treatments I’ll get, but he did warn me I will get a bit itchy toward the end and any lotion will do, aloe vera is excellent (I have a plant) and he’s going to zap my neck (super clavicle?) lymph nodes.
But my lymph node biopsy was negative, sez I.
Ah, he says. But there’s a 15-20% chance if we don’t zap there, the cancer may reoccur. You’ll have a bit of a sore throat, but the chances will drop to 2%.
Well, then, zap away, I reply.
So, I should start radiation treatments in the next couple of weeks, and before that, I have to fit in a colonoscopy. Phase 3 is underway!
I got a call from the doctor’s that they need to redo my scan, since the doctor wanted a view with 5 cm slices and they did 1 cm slices. So I have to go back in tomorrow.
I would think that thinner is better than thicker, but I don’t have an MD after my name.
Oh, I forgot…I have to pencil in my eyebrows now. They hung in there, but gave up the ghost after the sixth treatment. I’m also foregoing the mascara for now…I still have eyelashes, but not like I used to.
Colonoscopy scheduled for November 17, which is a Monday, so I can prep on Sunday and only have to miss one day of work.
The bad part is, the procedure won’t be until 1:30p, so I have to be hungry and thirsty all morning. I was worried a bit, until I remembered my lumpectomy didn’t happen until 2:30 in the afternoon, so while I was a bit on the cranky side, the nurse did sneak me some ice chips and I didn’t die.
I have three teeny-tiny tats and it’s hard to locate them now, three years out. Rads? The easy part! At my first hospital (breast cancer) I parked and walked to the building; for the second series (tonsil cancer) I had valet parking. Parking and walking to the building and back to my car was longer than the rads session. For both cancers I had 35 rads each; the last three for b/c were boosts for which you’ll have to be measured again - much much quicker than the first time measurements.
I had an aloe vera plant as well but found that Aquaphor was far easier, relatively inexpensive (under $10), glided on perfectly, and switched to it solely during the first week. Although I have light skin and turned color rather quickly, I didn’t have any pain, skin tearing, bubbling, sunburn sensations, etc. The skin in the target area simply went from pink to red to purple and then just faded away after about 6 - 8 weeks.
I had 3 or 4 delays during the 35 days, all because of equipment problems, nothing that lasted more than an hour or so. I became fast friends with the people that were scheduled close to my time - it became a social experience as well as a medical one. Go figure. Fatigue is a side-effect but I didn’t find it debilitating.
The techs were great - probably the best people you’ll encounter on this journey. They don’t hurt you in any way so that’s a big plus for them as well as you.
There’s no pain involved in this - you can finally relax. I brought Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday CDs that they played for me every other day; on the alternating days it was the head tech’s choice, usually Green Day, U2 and John Legend.
This is the easy part - it’s nearly over! Pat yourself on the back and celebrate - you deserve every bit of it.
I did find out when I went today that the doctor wanted 5 mm slices and they did one cm slices. So that makes more sense.
It looks like it will be about a month before I start radiation, but that’s okay. The doctor said they have a four month window, so I can take a bit of a break and start looking anxiously in the mirror for signs of hair growth.
ivylass, let us know what we can do to support you. I’m curious about the rads and rems and grays and sieverts and stuff, but that’s the (former) physicist in me. Keep hanging in there!
