Tell Me A Riddle
What do a robin and I have in common? A red breast!! I am really suffering from sunburn or radiation burn or cooked microwaved breast!! I have inflammation and redness galore as well as irritation under the arm from skin rubbing on skin which Dr Marisa Weiss warned me about but I found hard to avoid as I was living life. I thought having a cotton tee shirt on was guarding against friction but I was wrong. You have to do nothing, keep your arm akimbo, lie around with your arm flapping in the wind so that it does not touch anything near your body. Get much done in life that way?? NO!!
The two medications I have for this condition which I was not so diligent about, I am now putting on 4 times a day instead of 3 so that the redness will clear up. I was told by the technicians that the redness continues for around a month after the treatments stop. It can even get worse. The effect is going on internally after the treatment stops for up to a month. Can you imaging how intense the rays are?? Freaky!! My poor molecules! They are still cooking.
The very fabulous news is that I was told at first I would be finished radiation on October 8 but, in fact, I will be finished on October 4. On Monday, I was told I was finished the 25 sessions of full breast treatment. The entire breast had been radiated each time to insure that all cancer cells were gone. Don’t forget, the purpose of radiation after a lumpectomy is to make the outcome equal to a mastectomy when they take the entire breast off. The next phase of radiation therapy is 8 sessions of radiation to the cancer site. An additional piece is added to the machine which focuses the rays to a smaller area. These rays are electrons. not protons, which do not penetrate but stay more shallow since they angle the machine more directly at my body. The radiation goes to where the cancer was in the breast.
I am now in the final countdown. I will finish radiation next Thursday. I can’t believe it is almost over. Someone said the day is long but the weeks are short. It is true. I am so used to this being part of my routine. Will I miss coming to Lankenau? There is some comfort in knowing the cancer (if there is any left) is being zapped.
toooldtodieyoungblog 
Happy the end is in sight!! I hope the redness and irritation starts to diminish soon.
Take care, Sandi (from my Ipod)
On Sep 27, 2012, at 11:16 PM, toooldtodieyoungblog wrote:
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It sounds awful. You are very brave.
Sent from my iPhone
Almost time to ring the bell !!! YAY!!!
And Gail Twersky? Yes radiation sucks, but the alternative is far worse and once you get into it, you do have a sort of routine. Yes it is like being baked and microwaved daily like some kind of rotisserie chicken.
And LINDA, I am indeed going to chide you for NOT listening sooner about applying the creams (and did you use corn starch to keep it all from being angry moist?) – that is one reason why you are extra red. And truthfully, the redness will continue for more than a month after radiation. You need to apply the creams as instructed and I will tell you one year out of radiation, the skin on my left breast which got the radiation is still drier than the skin on the right breast.
Linda, LISTEN to Dr. Weiss. That woman is the bomb and knows what she is doing. (Tell her hi for me) – when it comes to this, it might be our body, but we do not necesarily know better. I don’t like to listen to anyone at times, and I listened to Sataloff and Weiss and my oncologist Dr. Hartner. And I am glad I did :<}
xoxo and I will be ringing that bell with you in spirit so ring it loud and proud! (and bring some friends with you on your last day – it is a celebration!!!!)
I know it’s easy for me to say, but hang in there. This radiation business is a temporary thing; keep that in mind. You are often in my thoughts.
Amy B.
Behind you 100%!
I’m so glad it will be finished in a few days! Yaaaaay!!!
much love, Susan