Radiation Report: After 33 Treatments

Posted by: KLM on: April 1, 2011

• In: Radiation | Recovery | Treatments
• 2 Comments

I was lax last week in my medical update… nothing had seemed to change.  In the last 2 weeks the radiated skin was sensitive, but not particularly red. This was quite different from my friends who were eager enough to show off the painful red burns that were demanding constant attention.

My shoulder after 33 treatments, pink but not the deep red I`ve had after other treatments.

Ok, so I wasn`t going to put my armpit on display, yet this is a part of the story... You can see the twin scars from surgery in 2001 and 2010, even in the armpit, my surgeon attempted to keep things as nice as possible.

I was encouraged that my skin was holding up so well.  Was it Donna`s magic potion helping me? Or was it just how the radiation was applied to me this time? 33 treatments means more time to heal between lower dosage treatments.

Either way, I got off easy in terms of my skin.  In contrast, my fatigue is far worse than any of my peers I’ve encountered.  Some get by with no naps at all.

It is interesting that it is impossible to detect the sharp outline of the radiation field on my collarbone area. Normally there is a distinct “bathing suit line”  when the radiation makes its mark. Note that the pink areas are places that all breast cancer patients need to check regularly with the self-exams.  These are where the prime lymph nodes are that drain the breast. Likely places for cancer cells to hide.

In the last week of treatment, my last inkling that there was still living cancer cells in my body went away.  This sense, last fall, proved to be valid and not paranoia last fall when I found a swollen lymph node.  I hope this feeling it is all gone is just as accurate.  I am ready to be done with cancer treatments forever.

The brain fog is the last symptom for me.  I don’t recognize when it kicks in, although it is rather obvious to Philippe who  complains of me spacing out or not hearing him.  I can repeat his words, yet the meaning never registers.  I have to be extra careful not to multitask – stay in the room and focus on cooking when I’m cooking so I don’t burn the place to the ground.

I’m taking my homeopathic “after radiation” treatments.  I’ll write that up soon, since I want to show photos of the cool bottles of my custom made potions. If nothing else, homeopathy has that personal touch.

Learning to listen to my body is an acquired skill.  It requires sitting or lying down in a quiet state, calming the inner voice of logic – my inner “know-it-all” and listening for something more subtle. The easiest is to go through each sense, one at a time, to see what I am smelling, what I am tasting, what I am feeling in various parts of my body and finally allowing the thoughts to drift forward, like the answer in a Magic 8 ball.  Then staying with the feeling, magnifying it, until it registers clearly. It takes practice, but an essential skill for me.

The Radiation Oncologist told me that my skin may continue to get redder and more irritated over the next week.  As I remember, the week immediately following the last treatment is the worst… just like with chemotherapy… these treatments take time to heal.

At least I can do all this from the comfort of my own home.