Radiation Update

I started radiation this week.  Last week I spent a day getting measured for my computer program.  After it was over there were several little bull's eyes drawn all over my upper body with clear round band aids put over them.  I was told to leave them there until this week and it wasn't hard to do.  The funny thing is I kept getting told the arm on my surgery side would be very sore after the measurement session because I would have to hold both arms over my head the whole time.  I was instructed to take extra strength Tylenol and do lots of stretches ahead of time.  Well, while I was laying on the table they custom fitted a foam pillow to my head and arms that I'll use for all my future sessions and yes, my arms were over my head holding on to some handles.   I had to lie still for almost an hour like that but it was absolutely no work at all for me...what kind of wuss's usually do this?  I guess I can understand if a person had just had a mastectomy or something - but my surgery was over 5 months ago and it was only a lumpectomy, plus I'm totally healed. I guess I just hate it when patients get treated with a one-size-fits all approach.

So, now I'm thinking/hoping maybe their caution about feeling tired toward the end of treatments will also not apply to me.  We shall see!

When the computer program was finished they called and set up another hour long appointment for Monday this week, then scheduled the rest of my daily appointments for 2:45 pm.  More measurements and then the stickers were removed.  In their place I received a little tattooed dot.  The gal doing the tattooing was very interested in the tattoo of Win on my arm and wants to get something with horse shoes done on her foot.  I have a feeling this will be an ongoing topic of conversation with her!  The radiation only took a few minutes and was unnoticeable.  I stopped at the health food store on the way home and got some 99% aloe vera gel.  My friend, Pat, who went through this last year said she put it on right after each treatment and never got a burn.

Tuesday I went in for another treatment but barely made it in time because I was late coming from my herceptin infusion.  One of the tattooed dots wasn't dark enough so I had to get it re-done.  Again no problems.  I headed home, got dinner ready and then went to train Win at my friend, Darlene's house.  That went really well!

How I'm feeling now:  I'm pretty much worn out by the end of each day.  I have learned to pace myself if I have something important to do late afternoon or evening since I've had to miss a few things due to just not being able to move!  The nurses at Dr. Gray's say it will be about 6 months before this improves.  My muscle pain is much improved and each week my red & white blood cells are getting closer to normal - they said they were almost there yesterday.  The skin rash is much better - still there, but getting  lighter all the time and the skin texture is beginning to soften.  Below are some pictures.  Still get bloody noses every day but that's probably from the warfarin, which I'll be on until I'm finished with Herceptin next April.  The best part is the stupid diarrhea is gone!  I feel like cooking again and am loving being able to enjoy the veggies from my garden.  The 3 lb I gained are gone now too, now that I'm back on my clean diet.  Chemo brain even seems to have improved although I did go to the wrong place to train last night for no good reason!

Chemo rash

Chemo rash

Hair report:  It's finally starting to noticeably fill in.  It's still like baby hair or peach fuzz though and has no color at all.  The hair on the top of my head was probably 1/2" long but SO thin and sticking straight up, so I re-buzzed it yesterday.  It was getting pretty curly around my ears, but again, thin-thin-thin.  When I looked at the back in the mirror on Sunday I could definitely see the back growing in but more around the sides and bottom.  The upper back is still pretty bare so I kind of look like an old man with that bald spot just on the upper back of his head.  I think I'll just keep buzzing it until I see it getting thick enough, probably another couple of months.  I'm going to resist coloring it to finally see what color it is now, and see if I can live with grey hair.  I think I can do it!  I just know if I don't, I'll be stuck in the endless cycle of coloring it every 3 weeks again.  And besides that, hair color can be toxic and I don't need to add any more toxins to my now healthy bod!!

Hair at 2 weeks post chemo