Just hopping on to let you know that I went in for my check up with Dr. Naik. She said everything is looking good and that she'll see me in 6 months. And so begins my bi-annual check ups! Fun times.
I am taking the tamoxifen. Today marks the fifth whole day, but my 6th pill will be taken tonight. So far, I am not seeing any horrible side effects. In fact, none at all. But I may be singing a different tune in another few weeks or so.
I have started working out more. I am working out on my Wii Fit. Feels good to be exercising on a regular basis again. I've been slacking... and I shouldn't be. Anywho, I was told by Dr. Chui that side effects are lessened if I work out. So I am taking his advice.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Day 282 - Phase 4 Hormone Therapy: Tamoxifen
It's been awhile since I last posted. And that I feel is a real good thing. There wasn't anything really to post. So let me catch up.
Following my last radiation treatment, it took about a week and a half for my skin to feel better. My skin was really red and mad. It wasn't so much the skin on the breast itself, but what really hurt was where the blister had formed and then peeled. I was putting silvadene and aquafor on the blister. I was also putting it under my breast as well because that was the next area that hurt. After the first week and a half, things calmed down. My skin started to crisp up and then peel. I was peeling like a snake molting. Some of the uncomfortableness was because the skin was drying up and when I went to stretch, the skin would crack. Think of chapped lips. My skin cracked the most right under the breast. The skin on the breast itself was fine. It just peeled like having a sunburn. The skin under my arm cracked like the skin under the breast. I had a two week check up on Oct. 2 with Dr. Marquez and she said I was looking good. I now have a final check up on my skin on November 7. My skin is feeling good. It no longer feels like paper. It actually feels like healthy skin. I have been spreading Eucerin Intense Dry skin lotion on it. It absorbs really quickly and also has an exfoliant in it. It works really well.
I've been stretching my arm out every day. I was told by my physical therapist that I want to continue to do my stretches every day for a year after my radiation. I can understand why. With my skin being less elastic, it helps to stretch. Plus the radiation also damages the muscle. So my body is repairing everything. But I have great range... I didn't lose any of it.
Work continues to go smoothly. I got the shift I wanted 4a-12.30p Monday through Friday. However, since the shift bid, we have been required to work a mandatory 45 hours a week. I don't think I've ever worked just 40 hours, but to make it mandatory really sucks. Plus you have to do it when they schedule it for you. But hey, at least I have a job. And last month my team did really well, so I will get a really nice bonus. Hooray. Just in time for Christmas and the cruise. Remember, if anyone wants to go on the cruise with us, I'd love it. :)
On Friday, I met with Dr. Steven Chui. He's my new oncologist. He's nice. I like him, but he's no Dr. Luoh. I really miss him. Our appointment was at 2.30p, but we didn't get into the office until 3.40. He apparently had an emergency procedure and that's why he was running late. Oh well, it happens. I did end up getting a little nap in while waiting.
So he was very pleasant. He knows his stuff. He didn't want to insult my intelligence and said so from the beginning because he (apparently) knew that I knew my stuff. He started off talking about studies of tamoxifen. He said that five years is good, but what he's found is that having younger women on tamoxifen may fair better in the long run. He said that hormone positive cancers have a recurrence of coming back later rather than sooner. So for me, he said that studies show that the cancer would come back ten years or more. He cited an example that a woman had breast cancer and 31 years later she has a brain tumor that is estrogen positive and has the same exact characteristics as her original breast cancer. Whoa! And I just want to let you know that I am paraphrasing all the stuff he talked about because he talked A LOT. So he didn't want me to be opposed to being on tamoxifen for more than five years. We also talked about getting the ovaries taken out because I am BRCA positive. He said that while I am eager to get things taken care of... I may want to wait on that because it puts me on instant menopause. In addition, I could get adverse effects of menopause. He suggested that I wait and then he give me a shot to suppress estrogen in my body and see how I do. But then he also flipped the coin and said that since I am BRCA+ it's a little different. To me, I know that I am going to get my ovaries taken out. Whether I do it now or later, the effects are going to be the same. With the shot to suppress estrogen, that's more for the women who can elect to have it taken out.... ones who aren't genetically disposed. In any case, it's something I'll have to discuss more. We also talked about if I do get my ovaries taken out, Dr. Luoh had said that he would put me on a different drug. The drug is for post menopausal women. Dr. Chui said that that drug is far superior [then tamoxifen], but it does cause bone loss. He said that with my age and my race, I am at a higher risk of osteoperosis. Tamoxifen actually helps with bone density. However, I could go on tamoxifen and switch it out with this other drug for a series of years - back and forth. Then I could get benefits of both drugs. All I said was "sign me up." I knew the risks and the benefits. I will trust my doctor because I know that they keep up with the latest and greatest information. I knew I'd have to go on tamoxifen for a couple of years so let's start now! In another few years I can ask about new drugs or switching to another. And Dr. Chui said that they have now started a new study - 31,000 people - to see if the effects of staying on tamoxifen for more than 5 years works. The initial study, which started in the 70s was a double blind study: tamoxifen vs. placebo. That was a year long study. They found that women who took the drug fared better, so they asked them to continue on for another year and another year and so on and so forth. That's how researchers came to the conclusion that 5 years of tamoxifen was good. But as the study went longer, the base size of participants shrunk. So that's why the study isn't very conclusive after the five years. But we shall see in five years. By then there may be a totally new drug out there. Or researchers will have discovered how to repair the DNA fix. Five years is an eternity.
So, yesterday I picked up my tamoxifen prescription and I took it last night before I went to bed. Some side effects: hot flashes, tiredness (goes away), flare reaction, mood changes, nausea, vomiting, blood clots, endometrial cancer, vaginal dryness... the list goes on. Now we wait and see.
Tomorrow I have a follow up appointment with Dr. Naik. See how my boobies are healing. November 5 I have an appointment with Dr. Thakar to see if I can get the tissue expanders out and the implants in. November 7 I have my follow up with Dr. Marquez for post radiation. Then... it's wait and see.
Following my last radiation treatment, it took about a week and a half for my skin to feel better. My skin was really red and mad. It wasn't so much the skin on the breast itself, but what really hurt was where the blister had formed and then peeled. I was putting silvadene and aquafor on the blister. I was also putting it under my breast as well because that was the next area that hurt. After the first week and a half, things calmed down. My skin started to crisp up and then peel. I was peeling like a snake molting. Some of the uncomfortableness was because the skin was drying up and when I went to stretch, the skin would crack. Think of chapped lips. My skin cracked the most right under the breast. The skin on the breast itself was fine. It just peeled like having a sunburn. The skin under my arm cracked like the skin under the breast. I had a two week check up on Oct. 2 with Dr. Marquez and she said I was looking good. I now have a final check up on my skin on November 7. My skin is feeling good. It no longer feels like paper. It actually feels like healthy skin. I have been spreading Eucerin Intense Dry skin lotion on it. It absorbs really quickly and also has an exfoliant in it. It works really well.
I've been stretching my arm out every day. I was told by my physical therapist that I want to continue to do my stretches every day for a year after my radiation. I can understand why. With my skin being less elastic, it helps to stretch. Plus the radiation also damages the muscle. So my body is repairing everything. But I have great range... I didn't lose any of it.
Work continues to go smoothly. I got the shift I wanted 4a-12.30p Monday through Friday. However, since the shift bid, we have been required to work a mandatory 45 hours a week. I don't think I've ever worked just 40 hours, but to make it mandatory really sucks. Plus you have to do it when they schedule it for you. But hey, at least I have a job. And last month my team did really well, so I will get a really nice bonus. Hooray. Just in time for Christmas and the cruise. Remember, if anyone wants to go on the cruise with us, I'd love it. :)
On Friday, I met with Dr. Steven Chui. He's my new oncologist. He's nice. I like him, but he's no Dr. Luoh. I really miss him. Our appointment was at 2.30p, but we didn't get into the office until 3.40. He apparently had an emergency procedure and that's why he was running late. Oh well, it happens. I did end up getting a little nap in while waiting.
So he was very pleasant. He knows his stuff. He didn't want to insult my intelligence and said so from the beginning because he (apparently) knew that I knew my stuff. He started off talking about studies of tamoxifen. He said that five years is good, but what he's found is that having younger women on tamoxifen may fair better in the long run. He said that hormone positive cancers have a recurrence of coming back later rather than sooner. So for me, he said that studies show that the cancer would come back ten years or more. He cited an example that a woman had breast cancer and 31 years later she has a brain tumor that is estrogen positive and has the same exact characteristics as her original breast cancer. Whoa! And I just want to let you know that I am paraphrasing all the stuff he talked about because he talked A LOT. So he didn't want me to be opposed to being on tamoxifen for more than five years. We also talked about getting the ovaries taken out because I am BRCA positive. He said that while I am eager to get things taken care of... I may want to wait on that because it puts me on instant menopause. In addition, I could get adverse effects of menopause. He suggested that I wait and then he give me a shot to suppress estrogen in my body and see how I do. But then he also flipped the coin and said that since I am BRCA+ it's a little different. To me, I know that I am going to get my ovaries taken out. Whether I do it now or later, the effects are going to be the same. With the shot to suppress estrogen, that's more for the women who can elect to have it taken out.... ones who aren't genetically disposed. In any case, it's something I'll have to discuss more. We also talked about if I do get my ovaries taken out, Dr. Luoh had said that he would put me on a different drug. The drug is for post menopausal women. Dr. Chui said that that drug is far superior [then tamoxifen], but it does cause bone loss. He said that with my age and my race, I am at a higher risk of osteoperosis. Tamoxifen actually helps with bone density. However, I could go on tamoxifen and switch it out with this other drug for a series of years - back and forth. Then I could get benefits of both drugs. All I said was "sign me up." I knew the risks and the benefits. I will trust my doctor because I know that they keep up with the latest and greatest information. I knew I'd have to go on tamoxifen for a couple of years so let's start now! In another few years I can ask about new drugs or switching to another. And Dr. Chui said that they have now started a new study - 31,000 people - to see if the effects of staying on tamoxifen for more than 5 years works. The initial study, which started in the 70s was a double blind study: tamoxifen vs. placebo. That was a year long study. They found that women who took the drug fared better, so they asked them to continue on for another year and another year and so on and so forth. That's how researchers came to the conclusion that 5 years of tamoxifen was good. But as the study went longer, the base size of participants shrunk. So that's why the study isn't very conclusive after the five years. But we shall see in five years. By then there may be a totally new drug out there. Or researchers will have discovered how to repair the DNA fix. Five years is an eternity.
So, yesterday I picked up my tamoxifen prescription and I took it last night before I went to bed. Some side effects: hot flashes, tiredness (goes away), flare reaction, mood changes, nausea, vomiting, blood clots, endometrial cancer, vaginal dryness... the list goes on. Now we wait and see.
Tomorrow I have a follow up appointment with Dr. Naik. See how my boobies are healing. November 5 I have an appointment with Dr. Thakar to see if I can get the tissue expanders out and the implants in. November 7 I have my follow up with Dr. Marquez for post radiation. Then... it's wait and see.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Day 270
Really boring here...
Nothing to report. My skin is almost done peeling. It's looking more and more normal. It still itches. But it's all good! Enjoying life again with very few doctors appointments.
Nothing to report. My skin is almost done peeling. It's looking more and more normal. It still itches. But it's all good! Enjoying life again with very few doctors appointments.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Day 263 - Radiation Check
Wow... today was a busy day. Started off with going to work at 4a. Halfway through my shift, I developed a nasty headache. Who knows why. In any case, I took some ibuprofen and that helped just a little. When I got home at 1240, I knocked down another one. I grabbed Emmy and was off in the car again.
I just made it to my appointment at OHSU radiation. Today was my two week check up. I got there and got all checked in. I didn't even sit down to wait before I heard Dan in the hallway. He saw me and came over to give me a big hug. :) I like Dan. He's great. Then I went and saw Rebecca, Andrea and Linea... who was at lunch. Rebecca is finally without her boot. Yay! Dan was going to take me to see Linea, but then Nicole grabbed me to do my weight and blood pressure. She was accusing Dan of stealing her patient! Love it. Once I was in a room, I waited for about a half hour for Dr. Marquez's new resident to appear (the new three month rotation occured on Oct. 1, and Dr. Siddiqui is now on elective rotation). Dr. I-forget-his-name, but his first name is Joe came in and talked to me and then went to get Dr. Marquez. She finally came in... but I could hear her down the hall. I heard her ask where my room was because she knew that I would be fast. She came in and asked how I was doing. I said I was doing great and my skin was healing really well. I lifted up my shirt and showed her how great it was. Right now my skin is just doing the normal peeling process. I told her that I am slathering Eucerin lotion on me. She said that's great. She looked under my arm where the blisters were. She said that was looking good and then wanted to see me in 4 weeks instead of 6. When that happens she'll release me. So I guess she's happy with the progress and that I am right on schedule. And that means that I'll most likely be able to get my final reconstructive surgery before the year is out! Wahoo! Following the quick check up, I went to say hi/bye to Linea. I gave her a hug. I wanted to schedule my follow up appointment, but Dr. Marquez is all booked up, so I have to call her Beaverton office. After that... I ran back to Linac 1 and said bye to Dan. He said that he'd walk me out, and then he gave me another hug and told me to see him again. Yup. I'll definitely stop by. :) Those guys/gals were great.
So then after my doctor appointment, I ran with Emmy for her doctor appointment. I took her to the vet to get her rabies vaccination. She's 16 pounds and Dr. Berger says she's doing great. Then it was time to fly to pick up the girls. And now I'm home. Yay!
As you can see... it was a full day. My next appointment is with Dr. Chui on Oct. 19. I have a follow up appointment with Dr. Naik on Oct. 22 and then we'll see when I'll get an appointment with Dr. Marquez since she's all booked until Nov. 27. Her scheduler is emailing her to see if she can double book me. Hopefully in early November... er, next month (I like the way that sounds) I'll be able to schedule an appointment with Dr. Thacker for the tissue expander exchange.
Oh, and I got another radiation fact. Fact #29: Radiation boost... that is an extra dose of radiation. It's more for women who get a lumpectomy. What they do is target the area just where the lump was moved... so it's more specific and concentrated. Interesting.
I just made it to my appointment at OHSU radiation. Today was my two week check up. I got there and got all checked in. I didn't even sit down to wait before I heard Dan in the hallway. He saw me and came over to give me a big hug. :) I like Dan. He's great. Then I went and saw Rebecca, Andrea and Linea... who was at lunch. Rebecca is finally without her boot. Yay! Dan was going to take me to see Linea, but then Nicole grabbed me to do my weight and blood pressure. She was accusing Dan of stealing her patient! Love it. Once I was in a room, I waited for about a half hour for Dr. Marquez's new resident to appear (the new three month rotation occured on Oct. 1, and Dr. Siddiqui is now on elective rotation). Dr. I-forget-his-name, but his first name is Joe came in and talked to me and then went to get Dr. Marquez. She finally came in... but I could hear her down the hall. I heard her ask where my room was because she knew that I would be fast. She came in and asked how I was doing. I said I was doing great and my skin was healing really well. I lifted up my shirt and showed her how great it was. Right now my skin is just doing the normal peeling process. I told her that I am slathering Eucerin lotion on me. She said that's great. She looked under my arm where the blisters were. She said that was looking good and then wanted to see me in 4 weeks instead of 6. When that happens she'll release me. So I guess she's happy with the progress and that I am right on schedule. And that means that I'll most likely be able to get my final reconstructive surgery before the year is out! Wahoo! Following the quick check up, I went to say hi/bye to Linea. I gave her a hug. I wanted to schedule my follow up appointment, but Dr. Marquez is all booked up, so I have to call her Beaverton office. After that... I ran back to Linac 1 and said bye to Dan. He said that he'd walk me out, and then he gave me another hug and told me to see him again. Yup. I'll definitely stop by. :) Those guys/gals were great.
So then after my doctor appointment, I ran with Emmy for her doctor appointment. I took her to the vet to get her rabies vaccination. She's 16 pounds and Dr. Berger says she's doing great. Then it was time to fly to pick up the girls. And now I'm home. Yay!
As you can see... it was a full day. My next appointment is with Dr. Chui on Oct. 19. I have a follow up appointment with Dr. Naik on Oct. 22 and then we'll see when I'll get an appointment with Dr. Marquez since she's all booked until Nov. 27. Her scheduler is emailing her to see if she can double book me. Hopefully in early November... er, next month (I like the way that sounds) I'll be able to schedule an appointment with Dr. Thacker for the tissue expander exchange.
Oh, and I got another radiation fact. Fact #29: Radiation boost... that is an extra dose of radiation. It's more for women who get a lumpectomy. What they do is target the area just where the lump was moved... so it's more specific and concentrated. Interesting.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Day 258 - Peel & Heal
Sorry that I haven't posted in awhile. Following my last post, I got busy with trying to get ready for a long weekend trip. Yay!
Last weekend the family went to Nevada for my Dad's wedding. We left for Reno on Thursday... so all the days leading up to it I was busy packing and doing last minute stuff. Then we were gone Thursday, Friday, Saturday (wedding day!), Sunday and then back Monday. Then it was just trying to get back into the swing of things.
So here's what's happened in the last 10 days. First off, my skin is starting to peel and heal from radiation. The part where the blister was under my arm is now nice and pink... like a good healthy pink. Before it was awful pink - like hot pink. Now it's a nice healthy light pink. Each day my crispy skin is peeling. The bits and pieces of skin look like Thanksgiving Day turkey skin - tan and crispy. I'm not too sure about taste, though. Not going there. In addition to the peeling under my arm, the skin right under my boob is also peeling in big crispy chunks. The rest of the breast is doing good. It's turning tan and then peeling like a normal sunburn would. There's no discomfort anymore. I was putting silvadene under my arm last week. But now I am putting lotion all over to keep it moist and not dry. I do believe the worst is over.
Next week (Tuesday) I have my two week check up with Dr. Marquez. I am certainly impressed with the way things are healing and I have a feeling that I will be able to get my tissue expander exchange surgery done this year. I want it all on one deductible. Anywho, I'll let you know how that appointment goes. My arm did get a little stiff because of the peeling under my arm. But I am back to stretching it every day. Doing my finger crawls along the wall and such. I am just happy that I am able to sleep on my left side again.
I finally got an appointment with my replacement oncologist, Dr. Chui. My appointment is October 19. So that will be good. I really want to start Phase 4 of my treatment.
As for work... it's been crazy busy. We just went through shift bids again. I got my same shift. So I work 4a-1230p Monday through Friday. I don't like waking up that early, but hey, it's a weekday shift.
Other than that... not much else to update you all on.
Just Congratulations Dad and Karen. We enjoyed the three hour cruise! Can't wait to cruise again next year!
Last weekend the family went to Nevada for my Dad's wedding. We left for Reno on Thursday... so all the days leading up to it I was busy packing and doing last minute stuff. Then we were gone Thursday, Friday, Saturday (wedding day!), Sunday and then back Monday. Then it was just trying to get back into the swing of things.
So here's what's happened in the last 10 days. First off, my skin is starting to peel and heal from radiation. The part where the blister was under my arm is now nice and pink... like a good healthy pink. Before it was awful pink - like hot pink. Now it's a nice healthy light pink. Each day my crispy skin is peeling. The bits and pieces of skin look like Thanksgiving Day turkey skin - tan and crispy. I'm not too sure about taste, though. Not going there. In addition to the peeling under my arm, the skin right under my boob is also peeling in big crispy chunks. The rest of the breast is doing good. It's turning tan and then peeling like a normal sunburn would. There's no discomfort anymore. I was putting silvadene under my arm last week. But now I am putting lotion all over to keep it moist and not dry. I do believe the worst is over.
Next week (Tuesday) I have my two week check up with Dr. Marquez. I am certainly impressed with the way things are healing and I have a feeling that I will be able to get my tissue expander exchange surgery done this year. I want it all on one deductible. Anywho, I'll let you know how that appointment goes. My arm did get a little stiff because of the peeling under my arm. But I am back to stretching it every day. Doing my finger crawls along the wall and such. I am just happy that I am able to sleep on my left side again.
I finally got an appointment with my replacement oncologist, Dr. Chui. My appointment is October 19. So that will be good. I really want to start Phase 4 of my treatment.
As for work... it's been crazy busy. We just went through shift bids again. I got my same shift. So I work 4a-1230p Monday through Friday. I don't like waking up that early, but hey, it's a weekday shift.
Other than that... not much else to update you all on.
Just Congratulations Dad and Karen. We enjoyed the three hour cruise! Can't wait to cruise again next year!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Day 248 - Radiation #28: Last one!
PHASE 3: COMPLETE!
Hooray, I am happy to report that I just finished my radiation treatment. Today was the final day and I am over the moon happy that I don't have to go in.
So... I now know what it feels like to be the Thanksgiving Day turkey. I feel cooked and ready to be served. My skin is turning a nice toasty tan/brown and feels so crispy. Ha! The thermometer has popped.
Yes, treatment is finally over for phase 3. This phase was pretty easy compared to Phase 1. Nevertheless, I am just happy it's over and this is all behind me. I went in this afternoon bearing goodies for my favs! I printed out the radiation treatment blog entries and my freshly baked cookies for Dan and Linea. I'm so glad that they were both there for my last treatment. They both came in to get me this afternoon and asked if I was ready for my last treatment. I said heck ya. I also told them that I came bearing gifts. They know I don't bake... and I made it a point to say I only bake for people that I like. I really do like them and I will miss them terribly. They made my treatments so bearable... and when I say them, I mean Andrea, Beth and all the other radiation therapists who I came in contact with. They were all so nice, accommodating and fun to be around. They are the type of people that I wouldn't mind hanging around with outside of OHSU. Dan... I'm taking you up on your offer to go out on your boat next year! :)
So Dan noticed that I am taking more time getting my shirt off. I have been wearing two shirts. One shirt is a little more snug fitting and is very soft. Then I put a normal shirt over that. He looked at my side and said that it's looking a lot better than it was last week. It does look better, but the skin feels so chapped and feels like it's going to crackle at any moment. But now that I am done with treatment, I don't really care because I know the my skin isn't going to get the brunt of radiation anymore. So then I got on the table... they shifted me and then Dan applied my aquafor. Before he touched me I said "Ouch!" I love doing that. It's fun to play around with Dan because he's such a good sport. Then it was time to get zapped. Five - zap. Dan came in twice to fix my wedge. Four - zap. Dan and Linea came in to put my bolus on with the tape. Three - zap. The machine moves around to get my tangent field. Two - zap. I hear the MLCs moving. One - zap (5 seconds). I hear the door open and I am done! You read that D.O.N.E.! I bet you can't tell that I am excited!?
I hopped off the machine. I asked Dan what he does with the bolus when a patient is done with it. He said throws it away. (Actually I asked while I was on the machine.) I asked if I could have a piece. He said sure... I could have the whole thing. I told him I just wanted a little piece of it. Then somehow it got to be (I think it was Linea) that he takes the bolus home and hangs it on the wall. How creepy would that be??? I was laughing so hard... and it's hard not to laugh and not keep your body still (reminder, I was still on the table in between zaps). I told him I could sign mine if he wanted. Anywho... back to after the last zap... he came out with scissors and cut me a piece. It feels rubbery and reminds me of balistic gel.
Before I left, I got to see my radiation fields. Pretty cool. I saw how the x-rays are matched up with my plan to make sure they are getting the right areas. It was so cool... and this has been such a learning experience for me. They do say that OHSU is a teaching hospital. And teach it did. Dan, Linea, Dean, Beth, Rebecca, Andrea, Andrea... you were all great teachers and I am so glad that I could be your pupil. I'll be ready to take my boards next year! :) And yes, you do get CE credits from me.
I also got to see Beth before I left for the day. She gave me a big hug... cause I told her it was my last day. Dan and Linea gave me a hug and told me to stop by when I come in for my two week check up. I told them I would come and see them... most definitely. They thanked me for the treats... sugar cookies (I took into account that chocolate gives Dan headaches) and Dan said he was going to read the blog stuff that I printed out. I told him it wasn't the whole thing... just my time spent in radiation. I'll more than likely print this last entry out for them and give it to them when I see them again.
Then I was gone.... texting my support group... letting them know that I was done with Phase 3. I love all of you for being great cheerleaders and my never ending support group.
And of course... I leave you now with Fact #28: Bolus. I asked Dan if I could take some bolus home. I wanted to know if it was okay because the early founders of x-rays and radiation had complications later in life. They took home radium and other radioactive materials in their pockets or they studied close to the sources. For instance, Marie Curie's papers are contained in a lead box because they are radioactive. I didn't know if taking my bolus I would inadvertently be taking home a radioactive substance. Dan said no. So here I am with my bolus.
 |
| My bolus. It's about 1/4" thick and allows the radiation to be more at the surface. The radiation was getting my skin rather than penetrating deeper into my body, thus hitting organs it shouldn't be zapping. |
Friday, September 14, 2012
Day 245 - Radiation #27 (one more!)
Today was a good, fast day. It started off with work. If you haven't heard by now, Apple has announced that it will sell the iPhone 5. Honestly, I don't know what all the fuss is about. Apple is making big bucks - funneling jobs out of the U.S. It costs $8 for Apple to assemble the phone. Meanwhile the company sells them for $500-900 a pop. Yea. So today was a busy day because today was the first day for pre-orders. All those people who are trying to keep up with the Joneses. Makes me laugh.
Anyway, so it was back to back calls today. But it was a good day. I was running a contest trying to raise one of my stats. It worked. I saw lots of people vying for the prize... a candy bar. Hey... whatever works, right?
After work, I high tailed it to radiation for my second to last treatment. Nice! I was in and out. Didn't see Dan, but got to work with Andrea and Rebecca. I even saw Linea. I haven't seen her in FOREVER. Whenever I get my treatment, she's been at lunch. My blisters are getting better. Where I ripped off the skin, the new stuff is growing back. One side effect of radiation is the red skin. It's very red - like a bad sunburn red. And now it's getting itchy. Besides being itchy, the skin is getting tighter. So I am stretching my arm a lot. I'm stretching to keep the skin on my chest loose. That's the only thing that's preventing me from having full mobility now. The skin is just so "dry" and tight. The other arm is good.
Following radiation, I picked up Amelia and took her to the doctor. I needed to get her shots that I put off at her four year check up. The doctor didn't feel comfortable giving her the vaccination since I was just coming off of chemo. Amelia got two... DTaP and chicken pox. In another three months we will go back and she will get her MMRV and be all caugh up. They didn't have the MMRV shot. I wanted to spare her of more needles. She did awesome, too! Hardly a tear shed, however she did scream out "ouch ouch ouch!" We got a milkshake afterwards.
That's about it.
Fact #27: To become a radiation therapist, it requires courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology (think Gray's Anatomy, not the tv show), physics-radiation physics, patient care, treatment planning and radiation oncology (studying all radiation treatments that go with cancer patients). Rebecca said that when she went through school she had to create a treatment plan for a "patient" from start to finish. I also found out how the radiation oncologist prepares treatment. In my case, Dr. Marquez talks to a dosimetrist and tells them exactly what she wants. The dosimetrist then calculates the best plan for radiation... figuring out the angles and how to get the best results with the least amount of radiation to the other body parts. Once a plan is figured out, Dr. Marquez will look at the plan and either say yay or nay. That plan is then moved over to the radiation therapists who then enter it into the computer and, the rest as you say, is history. A dosimetrist is responsible for the radiation dose distribution and dose calculations.
Anyway, so it was back to back calls today. But it was a good day. I was running a contest trying to raise one of my stats. It worked. I saw lots of people vying for the prize... a candy bar. Hey... whatever works, right?
After work, I high tailed it to radiation for my second to last treatment. Nice! I was in and out. Didn't see Dan, but got to work with Andrea and Rebecca. I even saw Linea. I haven't seen her in FOREVER. Whenever I get my treatment, she's been at lunch. My blisters are getting better. Where I ripped off the skin, the new stuff is growing back. One side effect of radiation is the red skin. It's very red - like a bad sunburn red. And now it's getting itchy. Besides being itchy, the skin is getting tighter. So I am stretching my arm a lot. I'm stretching to keep the skin on my chest loose. That's the only thing that's preventing me from having full mobility now. The skin is just so "dry" and tight. The other arm is good.
Following radiation, I picked up Amelia and took her to the doctor. I needed to get her shots that I put off at her four year check up. The doctor didn't feel comfortable giving her the vaccination since I was just coming off of chemo. Amelia got two... DTaP and chicken pox. In another three months we will go back and she will get her MMRV and be all caugh up. They didn't have the MMRV shot. I wanted to spare her of more needles. She did awesome, too! Hardly a tear shed, however she did scream out "ouch ouch ouch!" We got a milkshake afterwards.
That's about it.
Fact #27: To become a radiation therapist, it requires courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology (think Gray's Anatomy, not the tv show), physics-radiation physics, patient care, treatment planning and radiation oncology (studying all radiation treatments that go with cancer patients). Rebecca said that when she went through school she had to create a treatment plan for a "patient" from start to finish. I also found out how the radiation oncologist prepares treatment. In my case, Dr. Marquez talks to a dosimetrist and tells them exactly what she wants. The dosimetrist then calculates the best plan for radiation... figuring out the angles and how to get the best results with the least amount of radiation to the other body parts. Once a plan is figured out, Dr. Marquez will look at the plan and either say yay or nay. That plan is then moved over to the radiation therapists who then enter it into the computer and, the rest as you say, is history. A dosimetrist is responsible for the radiation dose distribution and dose calculations.
Only ONE more treatment left!!
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