Radiation Week 3

Episode LX: There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light

Another week was officially over... 3 weeks (15 zaps) completed!!! I was only a few days away from being midway through my radiation treatment...

I am almost halfway there...

I found that I was getting a darker version of pink on my treatment area, but mainly around the top of my chest, under the breast, and on my nipple. Everything was darkening. Everything was more sensitive. Everything was more painful to the touch. Don't touch that!!!

The pink is beginning to darken as of week 3...

At the end of the week I had gotten a new side effect... pain. It felt like ice picks stabbing into my chest. The radiation was really getting into my body and really getting after my nerves! Ouch! Of course this was not a common side effect, but I would get it. I love that I get all the weird stuff!!!

Other than that I was tired. I was so tired that I found I could not stay awake sometimes. If I did not get a nap, I was off to bed at crazy early hours. If I did nap, I was still tired, but functioned better in the afternoon. And trust me, my family wants me to function. I found that I could actually sleep sitting up... an ability that has always alluded me!

Me wanting sleep...

I was off my chemo medications, but found that without Tylenol and Tylenol PM... I was a very sore person. However, I was moving along and my treatments were passing by. Another Friday arrived and I was ready to get a few days off and try to recover from the increasing treatment side effects.

3 weeks & 15 zaps down...

In my head...

I am still keeping my head up and finding humor in all of these crazy things I am enduring. On one day this week, I remember seeing a hair caught in the radiation machine from the lady who went before me. I teased them about torturing her before they finally removed her hair. This will not be my issue, as I do not have any hair. That machine cannot pull any hair from my head... even if it is right next to my body!!!

Even in all the pain and discomfort, there is so much joy. I have really enjoyed meeting so many new people (nurses, techs, doctors, patients) that I only hope they are gaining from me as much as I am gaining from them!

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”
- Winston Churchill

Episode Reference: Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise, The Avett Brothers song

Comments

giving your 16 year old scissors

New Traditions Losing my hair - it's going to happen. When I did this in 2013, I waited to cut my hair once I was further in treatment. I didn't want to do that again. I didn't want to do it while I felt sore and bad. This time, I wanted to get rid of my hair before treatment. Since I will have now done this more than once, it can be considered a tradition: cancer haircuts by my kids . Last time I did this, the kids were 6 and 13. So, this time around my son (23) opted not to cut, but watched some. However, my 16 year old daughter leapt at the opportunity to cut my hair. Even though 10 years have gone by, she had to adhere to a few basic rules. Basic Rules: 1. Do not cut my ears. 2. Do not cut your own hair. 3. Do not cut anyone else's hair. These rules still hold up and are the general agreement we make before I put scissors in my kid's hands to chop on my hair! And the tradition isn't the same without going outside (weather permitting) and listening to our

happy birthday to me... almost

Let's rewind a bit and start a few days before my birthday... I had my first cancer treatment day on October 3rd - check it out if you haven't read that blog post yet. Let's just think of it as an early birthday gift since my birthday is October 7th. Great gift, right?!? If I have to hear "Happy Early" or "Late Birthday" from another medical person, I might have to smack someone. Especially, since I have spent most of the weeks leading up to and after my birthday at a medical appointment regarding cancer. Not really loving my birthday this year. Let's just say, on my birthday, I woke up with a special chemo-side-effect-surprise at 2am. That fun surprise I will share later... Rewind a Few Days... Update But first, let's go to October 4th, the day after my grueling 8 hours of immunotherapy and two chemotherapies on the 3rd. I woke up swollen, red faced, and fevering, as well as feeling pretty crummy. I didn't have time to dwell on it since I

here i go again... on my own

It's Time for Chemo #1 Today ended up being the longest day I've ever had in treatment... ever. I started at 8am and finished around 4-4:30pm. LONG day. I fully support getting your port ready about 30 minutes before treatment (ignore the 5-15 min suggestion on the Lidocaine box - give yourself 30 minutes to allow for more time and more numbing). So, for me, I apply the Lidocaine over my port and put a small square of Saran Wrap over it right before leaving to go to treatment. It takes me about 30 mins to get to my treatment center, so it gives it time to work. The Lidocaine helps numb the area so the needle will not hurt as much when poked and the Saran Wrap keeps the Lidocaine on your skin and not on your clothes. When I arrive to the treatment center on chemo days, it starts with a bit of bloodwork in the lab. They have to make sure your bloodwork is good before giving you chemo. I have a port, so they just hook me up with the right type of IV needle, take my blood sample

TaTa Wars

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