Yesterday I went through the radiation "simulation," the planning session that comes before the actual radiation treatment, which will begin next week.
The "sim" was definitely a weird process. It involved a CT scan in a machine that looks like a big metal donut, and getting five small tattoos so that the doctor will know where to aim the radiation. (The tattoos do not feature any butterflies or Hell's Angels emblems; they are just small dots.)
I had to lie still for about 30 minutes or so, and it took a lot of adjustment of pads and a special body-conforming "bean-bag" to enable me to do that without pain in my back from my osteoarthritis. I also had an attack of vertigo…which is a recurring problem whenever I try to lie flat, ever since a bicyclist ran me down in October 2015.
Afterward, I had a meeting with my surgeon, who answered some questions for me. She confirmed that radiation can make the "cording" in my arm worse and and lead to lymphedema. To minimize the possibility, I need to continue with physical therapy and exercise. Also a distinct possibility is radiation burns. Because I am the "queen of side effects" I figure I better be prepared for that. The doctor advised using pure aloe vera with no perfumes or such, so I have a week to track down some of that.
On Monday, I met with my oncologist one last time (she's retiring), and she stressed the importance of staying on the anti-estrogen pill Anastrozole indefinitely. At least it's inexpensive.
If everything goes OK, I won't be seeing either the surgeon or my new oncologist for several months.
No comments:
Post a Comment