Hello Dear Readers,
My apologies for the long silence. There is a lot of "just-in-time" delivery in cancer care, at least in Kingston at this time, so I only found out a few days ago that my first radiation treatment would be today. And I'm getting weary of cancer and cancer treatments, eager to get on with life. I am keenly aware that is a privilege that not all cancer patients enjoy.
I saw the radiation oncologist, Dr. De Metz, two weeks ago. She is lovely. One of the things I really like about her is that she gave credit to her many previous patients with breast cancer, saying things like "my patients tell me....". One of the things her patients have told her is that radiation treatments are tiring. Not an exhausting kind of tiring, but a weary kind that accumulates as treatment goes on. Apparently, the weariness is worst 2-3 weeks after treatment finishes. She said it takes about 3 months to regain most of one's energy, but several months to feel back to 100%. She advised taking it easy over the summer.
When I asked her about what tense to use in reference to my cancer (i.e., do I have cancer, or did I have cancer?), she looked at me as if not many patients ask such a question, and said that given all the treatments I've had, she thought it was reasonable to use past tense. I liked that answer.
She also told me that she would have made the same decision I did about not having further lymph node surgery. I liked that too.
She described radiation as a "mop-up" procedure and an insurance plan, to destroy any stray cancer cells that may have escaped chemo and surgery. The radiation is very localized, on the breast and the lymph nodes. At my radiation planning session, a technician gave me four freckle-sized, permanent tattoos, which they use to ensure the equipment is always lined up in exactly the same spot. As in many medical procedures, this is a place where perfectionists are welcome.
The radiation itself doesn't take much time, about 5 minutes. But the two technicians spent quite a lot of time making sure that I was in exactly the right position. And then they left the room, of course (so they don't get radiated), and I was alone on the table, with the machine whirring, moving about, and buzzing.
The technician told me when to hold my breath (the "deep inspiration breath hold" - to keep the heart out of the path of the radiation) and when to breath. I forget how many times I did that today. I did it more today than I will on other days because they also had to do some x-rays today (which the same machine does). There is a little monitor on my belly that is attached to a screen that I can see, which tells me if my inspiration has been deep enough. The technician also told me that if I started to breath while the machine was still delivering radiation, it would automatically stop. Very high tech.
The photo here of the radiation machine was after my session. I'll try to get a "pre" session shot tomorrow. There are lots of supports for positioning, and a blanket.
I will have 16 treatments in total, which is the minimum number. That will take me to June 29th. Today's treatment was at 4 PM, but tomorrow I go back for 8:20 AM. I will also see the radiation oncologist (or her nurse or resident) on Thursdays.
I was happy that I had the energy to ride my bike to today's treatment - 30 minutes there, against the wind, 25 minutes on the way back. Probably it is going to be raining in the morning, so I'll drive.
Thank you, as always, for your interest and loving support.
Previous owners of my house did a splendid job of planting peonies, poppies, and two beauty bushes (side by side), all of which are now in magnificent bloom. Such a delightful time of year. The beauty bushes (below) are near the gate in the back yard, so anyone entering the yard is treated to a lovely sweet fragrance.
