Yes, I am counting it down.
Yes, I am ready to be finished with all of this.
So, I have had 2 of 33 radiation treatments. The first one, nerve wise, was the worst. I've always said that I can deal with things when I know what to expect, but not knowing what I'm getting myself into freaks me out a little bit. I was a nervous wreck walking in there on Wednesday. I think if I'm to be honest with myself, this has just been an emotional week.
I'm going to try to take a picture today of the radiation machine, if they'll let me. It's really not what I was expecting. It looks a lot like a giant MRI machine, but with arms, and without the tube part. Okay, it looks nothing like an MRI machine. There is a big round arm that has little metal panels inside of it that move into different shapes. It hovers over top of me, and buzzes. I think that's the radiation. When it's done with that spot, it moves around to the next spot. They are radiating both of my breasts, my chest wall, my throat and both arm pits (because the cancer had spread to both sides.). All said, I'm in and out of there pretty quick. 20 minutes tops. I spend more time battling the stupid Orlando drivers there and back than I actually do there.
So, far the only thing that I'm noticing is that my entire chest feels really hot for several hours after treatment. I am not burned so far- but there have only been 2 treatments. I bought a pure aloe spray yesterday, and am spraying the entire area that they are radiating 3 times a day after treatment. Honestly, the cold feels really good.
Yesterday I went for what should be my next to last Echo-cardiogram. It's the first one I've had since my tissue expanders were placed, and she had a little bit of a hard time getting to my heart around those babies. They are checking to make sure that the Herceptin is not doing damage to my heart. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but this is the first time she hasn't said to me "All good!" when she was done. I've had the same girl every time I've been there. I'll be nervous about that until the doctors office calls me with results, and they may not even call knowing that I will be there next Friday, but since I'm not seeing the doctor, maybe they will call.
Thursday I went to see a physical therapist. I have a few post-surgery issues that I think need to be addressed. I am not the kind of person that is just willing to accept things as they are because someone tells me that I have to. I have a lot of swelling in my left arm- it comes and it goes. Some days, it doesn't bother me at all. I personally think it's the Herceptin, because it follows the same pattern every round, but because they took my lymph nodes out, lymphedema is a concern. (A concern that I was told I didn't need to have- I'm not sure that's true.) The other issue is my displaced clavicle. The therapist could not believe that they are just planning to leave it that way- actually I was told "You'll have to live with that!" She thinks that she can gradually work that back into place... for which I would be forever grateful. To the untrained eye, it would be un-noticeable that I favor this left side- but I know it's a little off, and that bothers me. So, we are going to work on that.
And that folks, is the update from the Breast Cancer Fighting arena. I am off for round 3 of radiation, but first I am going to sit on the porch, with my coffee, and watch the incredible storm rolling in.
No comments:
Post a Comment