Skip to main content

Radiation Week 6

Episode LXIII: I'm radioactive, radioactive...




Another week of radiation was over. Unfortunately and fortunately we had a "snow day" which caused the office to close. Unfortunately - because I only got 4 treatments and will have to carry my final treatment to a Monday. Fortunately - because my skin was soooo bad that I really needed time off.


6 weeks... 29 zaps down!



The weather was crazy during the first part of the week. I went to treatment on a day when the ground was covered in snow. Then the next day treatment was cancelled and no snow was on the ground. Really!?!?! I did not want to miss any days as I am ready to be finished. I tried to view the day off as a blessing in disguise. However, I still got out and pulled a sled despite my very, very radiated discomfort.


Hard to say no to that sweet face!


Celebration time! I was now into the booster treatments. Each day at treatment was slightly longer than before. Instead of getting in & out in under 30 minutes, it was more like under 1 hour. I was laying flat instead of at an angle. I was no longer in my self-molded cocoon. I was generally having to hold myself still longer and in a more uncomfortable position.

Because I was scanned each day prior to radiation multiple pieces of equipment were pulled out from the wall. They looked like The War of the Worlds and Doctor Octopus had a love child...


My zapping table's parents.


Each day the technicians would line up my new markings and take a CT scan. I, of course, did nothing but lay there. Then they would line up my images (the ones that showed where to zap & the ones that showed where I was currently laying). Then the table would adjust to make sure that I was completely lined up. Usually it was a small adjustment. Then I would get zapped!

However, it was in new locations primarily from the right, left, & then top of my chest. Each one had different zapping points and they seemed to be longer than the previous radiations. I just stared at the ceiling and laser lines listening to some music. I think I heard mostly Riverdance style music which made me want to jig right of the table... no hold still, don't move!


Oh yeah! Almost there... except my skin was HURTING...


After a very long week, I was feeling the burn, blister, and tearing of skin. I was given Repara, a medicated gauze square, that I could place over my skin. Sweet relief, if it was relief. It gave me temporary relief. It also helped my skin peel off faster. I wish I had used these a week sooner!!!

I wore the gauze instead of the rolled shirt under my chest when possible. It really cause the skin to come off faster, which in turn allows me to heal sooner. The entire week I hurt. There's no nice way to say it. It sucked!


My many shades of pain!


My entire chest was varying colors: white, pink, red, purple, brown, etc. The worst pain was the time before it actually peels and the first few days of peeling, when it was raw. The discomfort really made clothes and general tasks undo-able... so I didn't do much!


Ouch! I really didn't do much! Ouch!

In my head...


I am so close. I have 6 treatments left. I will say that right now was definitely the most pain I have had during radiation. I have the very noticeable burns, but I also have nerve pain and arm weakening too. I went to get some groceries of the counter and instead they slid down the side of the counter. I thought I had it. In my mind I had it. My arm just did not have it!

I know I don't have the worst case of radiation burns & others have it worse, but it hurts. My doctor was surprised at how good I have looked throughout treatment. He expected me to look like I do now sooner. I have really kept up with keeping my skin from drying out, not wearing a bra, and avoided irritating clothing. Plus, I do not put any lotion on before treatment and I always shower before. I really think it helped.

I am near the end... and I cannot wait for it to get here!


“Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching,
 and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. 
I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.” 
- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations


Episode Reference: Radioactive, Imagine Dragons song

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

my longest hardest day yet

Get ready boys and girls... today is a doozy. And a long post too! But before we begin on one of the toughest days I've ever done, let's recap. Mon: Irritating Onc day where I was not told about suspicious fluid around lung/heart in time to get a biopsy & I got contradicting info from his NP the week before.  Tues: Spending the morning getting Immunotherapy and 2 Chemotherapies before going straight to the airport to fly to Houston and enduring long rental car lines and afternoon heavy traffic. A few more checks off this weeks list... a few more to go: Now back to my Wednesday... the Humpday I would like to forget! So, after 8 hours of cancer treatment, flying, and travel in congested Houston the day before, I didn't have much rest because we had to start Wednesday early. My husband and I decided to walk to the medical center since our hotel was close. However, it was not necessarily the easiest or closest walk - tons of traffic, intersections, and some strange indivi...

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...

from chemo to pee to future rad things

Another week of doctor's appointments and my 2nd week of chemo is complete. I spent about 5-6 hours getting 2 chemotherapies (check me on picture to right, headed into treatment on a very early Tuesday morning). I am super proud of myself. It was a long day, and I have some issues with nausea so they have to push the chemotherapies a bit slower to help me out. And despite feeling pretty tired, right after chemo, I went to the Urologist... well actually his NP. I am not sure if the appointment was successful or not. Mainly, she just prescribed me medicine.  Why? Who doesn't want to hear about my pee issues?!? Not that I hold back from the insanity that revolves around my life and cancer. Plus, I think it is good to share that cancer causes crazy side effects - so others know they are not alone. For me, this cancer go-round, I happen to have bladder issues. My ability to hold pee is going haywire... mainly at night. Because why not? It's not like I don't already have enou...