I am now into phase III in this war. Radiation is the last big phase until I move into longer but smaller phases. Radiation can be started 3-4 weeks after surgery. To prepare for actual treatments, I did a simulation. A CAT scan is done to pin point the actual spots where the radiation treatment is to be administered. At this time I was given 4 tattoos so that the technicians know where to line me up on the table each day. (the tattos aren't very exciting. Just little dots.) At this time, I also have a mold made so that at each treatment I lay with my head and arms in the mold. A picture is also taken of my head and arm position in the mold. The mold also helps me to easily position myself on the table. Following the simulation, the radiation oncologist then takes the next week to perfectly map where the treatment is to go. The goal is to get the high risk spots with minimal zapping to other areas. My radiation treatments began on February 22nd. Ironically, this is Jim's 17th birthday and also my first day back at work. When I check into reception I am given a beeper so I know when to go back. (The receptionist amazes me. She knows everyone and I don't even have to give her my name. Noone does!) I find a dressing room, undress from waist up and put on a gown. I am on good old machine B. (There are machines A,B,C,D,E,F,G and H.) When I go to the treatment room I remove gown and lay on the table with my head and arms in the mold. The technicians line up my tattoos with the little red light beams. (after I have given my name and birthdate for the millionth time.) A bolus (sp?) is placed over the treatment areas. It is white, kind of like heavy foam. (It reminds me of the old yellow life jacket at Fritz and Shirley's cabin.) If I remember correctly, the bolus prevents the radiation from going too deep into tissue. Unfortunately the bolus also can create more skin problems and causes more skin breakdown. Once they have me set they leave. I need to divert for a moment. There is a TV on the ceiling. It plays nature scenes with elevator music. It has the capability of playing regular TV but do you think I can remember to ask for a station before they leave?? Absolutely not!!! So there I am for 20 minutes listening to elevator music and watching trees and flowers!!! Before radiation is adminsitered, x-rays are taken. (I'm thinking by the time this is all done I might be able to glow in the dark! I won't need a flashlight on camping trips!) The treatments begin at this point. I have treatments delivered to six spots. The radiation machine starts at my left, zaps that spot and then moves in a circle above me. The last one is at my right. When I am done I go back to the dressing room and apply lots of lotion to my skin. Now that I have a few spots where skin has peeled away, instead of lotion I am putting on xeroform. Xeroform is like thin pieces of cloth but with gunky vaseline like substance. I lay them over the open areas and they stick there on their own. I put a little gauze over them however. I head to the scheduler and schedule the next day's treatment. Mon. thru Thurs. I have my pick of times. The out of towners are given the early morning Friday spots so they can head home for the weekend.
I am so amazed and sometimes get a little overwhelmed when I see all of the people getting radiation. I feel so lucky for a variety of reasons. I may have said in other blog posts about the people traveling from all over. Many people drive many hours, stay in Rochester for the week and then head home for the weekends. I feel so lucky that the Mayo Clinic is at my doorstep. I go in in the morning for treatment and then go to work. I also feel lucky because some of these people get two treatments per day. (I start to feel a little guilty for complaining about going in everyday.)
So many people have told me that radiation is "a piece of cake". Based on the information from doctors and nurse educators on the short term and long term side effects, I was determined to stay with the strategy that has worked for me through this ordeal. That strategy is to expect this to be difficult but to try and stay positive. I have found that if I go into something believing it will be difficult but at the same time trying to remain positive, I am able to deal with it a little better. It's a little like being pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as bad as I thought. However, I have also tried really hard at not letting all of this get the better of me. I refuse to slow down until my body tells me to. This strategy has not worked quite as well with radiation. So many people told me what a piece of cake radiation is so that I have let my guard down a bit. Thus it has been more difficult than I expected. Frankly this pisses me off. After all of this time, I have finally let other people's comments affect how I am dealing with this.
Okay for one thing it does in fact not take longer to park my car than to have the treatment. I'm not sure where exactly this person I know was parking. Downtown Rochester just isn't that big!!!!! Even if you park in the ramp it only takes 5 minutes to walk to the Charlton building. So, going into it I expected this to be a five minute deal. Not exactly!!!!!! It is usually somewhere between 20-30 minutes.
The other thing I hear over and over from people is that toward the end your skin just gets a little pink. (This is not what the doctors and my radiation oncology nurse said to me however.) Well, it is more than just a little pink. As I said above, my skin is peeling off in a few spots. The bummer part is that it is going to get worse before this is all done!!!
But, like I have said before. There is a lot of living to do in between all of the crap. Only now I can do all of this living and camping without a flashlight!!!!
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