Radiation Is Over But Boy It Hurts

I am finally done with radiation. But before I say 'Yipee' I need to say 'Ow it hurts.' Over my nice four day break from treatment (during Thanksgiving), the skin started to peel and blister. Then it starting oozing and then it got infected. I basically have second and third degree burns on 1/4 of my chest. They have given me lots of smelly stuff to put on and a constrictive garment to wear until it heals. I was told the first week it will get worse and then it will get better. Currently, the pain is pretty bad so I am back on very strong narcotics to sleep. My house is like a mini pharmacy these days. The good thing is the worse for now is over.

What now? Well I will start Tamoxifin next week and will take that drug until my ovaries are removed. Then I will take aramotase inhibitors for 5 years. Studies have shown that there is no benefit to taking the drugs any longer. Plus, the reoccurrence rate of cancer is highest in the first 2 years and goes down dramatically after that. I met with my OBGYN this week and we are scheduling my oopharectomy in early March (as soon as he is available). That should only lay me up for a week. After that, I get to recover and heal until the big surgery in August.

Overall, all my doctors are so impressed with how well I am holding up. My OBGYN was very surprised that I have not needed antidepressants through any of this. I think my love of live, my wonderful friends and my incredible family have made this journey a lot more bearable. Thank you to each and every one of you for caring.

The Finish Line Is Near

Wow, I can almost see the end in sight. I had doctor visits with both my oncologist and radiation oncologist last week. They went very well. My oncologist does not want to see me again until February. YEAH! She gave me a prescription for Tamoxafin which I am to start taking two weeks after radiation ends. Once I have my ovaries removed (March?), she will switch me over to an analase inhibitor. The radiation oncologist is very pleased with the amount of radiation that my sites are receiving. They use a bolus on the skin during treatment, which is really a metal scarf that acts to amplify the radiation beams at the surface and it also prevents the beams from penetratitng lower in the skin to the organs. Thus, the radiated sites are receiving a much stronger dose. The doctor has decided to reduce the number of my treatments from 33 to 25. This means I only have 6 more treatments to go!!!! I am grateful as it is getting very painful. On the plus side, while I am tired I do feel more like the old Cheryl. Even my cognitive abilities are coming back. My boss should be pleased about that :-) In addition, my hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes are starting to grow again. They are very short however. Haydee you can now let your hair grow.

Week Three of Radiation

I am doing well with radiation, but getting very sleepy after my treatments. It is more of a problem on Thursday and Friday of each week after 3 previous treatment days. My chest and under my arm are getting very red and sensitive - this will continue to get worse (oh joy). However, in the grand scheme of things I would settle for this over chemo any day. My dad arrived on Sunday and is driving me to and from my treatments. It is nice to have the company and help here.

Tomorrow, I meet with my oncologist for a check-up and to discuss the next step. I am hoping to have an oopharectomy (sp?) in the spring. This will be to remove my ovaries and reduce my Estrogen levels.

Lastly, I wanted to share with all of you the incredible feat completed by a dear friend of mine as a promise to me. She ran a marathon last month to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. While this is incredible in and of itself, it is even more so as she is not a runner. She sent me a slide show of the event and I go so choked up looking at the pictures. It is hard to notice, but she has pinned to her chest a picture of the two of us together. Way to go Haydee!

Wow Are They Nice

My children did not have school yesterday and went with me to my radiation appointment. The technicians were so nice. They asked if the kids wanted to see the treatment room and watch me get 'zapped' (as my husband says). The kids were able to see how they position me (once I was covered with the metal mesh cloth (it amplifies the effects and helps the beams not penetrate through me) and they were able to go into the control room and watch on the monitors as the machine administers my treatment. I was really impressed by the staff. The children get to do it again today since school is out for elections.

Two Weeks Down - Five To Go

So far so good. I am having some redness and soreness in in the radiated site, but really can not complain. Currently, the daily day drive is more of a pain - one hour each way. The treatment only takes 15 minutes (it takes longer dress and undress), but they are always running late. The children had no school on Friday and no school Monday and Tuesday this week. I have visions of them running up and down the hallway and knocking over the old people on their walkers (the kids were very well behaved on Friday) OK my biases are coming out, but so far there are very few young radiation oncology patients. I have had several grandmotherly types adopt me and am getting regular knitting and cooking lessons while I wait. Hey, it helps pass the time.

Not looking forward to this week, but know it will mean one more week down.