Anyone out there need a boost? Well, maybe, but probably not in the sense that I mean. Yesterday started the "boost" phase of my radiation. Apparently, radiation likes oxygen and works best with oxygenated tissue. Scar tissue does not have much oxygen in it. So, the last 7 treatments of radiation is called a "boost" and they direct concentrated radiation specifically to the incision site. Cancer is most likely to recur near where it was before, and I can attest to the truth of that first hand. So they want to be sure that area gets good and irradiated also. While they are radiating the whole breast area and lymph nodes, the scar area doesn't absorb as much because it's not as oxygenated. So they zap the scar area with some extra super gamma rays (probably not gamma rays, but that sounds cool) to bring the dose of radiation up to what the rest of the "field" (another term I've learned during all this) has already gotten. So I am in day 2 of my boost and will be done with radiation NEXT WEEK! July 26th to be exact. Seems crazy that it's already almost done. The boost is kind of weird because they made a mold to support my upper body so that I lie in this wonky position and the machine has an extra gizmo on it and it comes REALLY CLOSE on my chest. The funny thing is, with all this high tech wizardry they have, they still draw on my chest every day with a sharpie to outline the field where they want to send the radiation so it's the same each time. The field is projected from the machine and they trace it. Really, a hand-drawn sharpie outline is guiding this whole massive machine that is sending radiation into my chest?? I know it's way more technical than that, but I get a chuckle out of the sharpie.
The other news is that I don't need a PET scan right away. I thought they would want to do that at the end of radiation to see how it worked, see what's happening (or NOT happening) in my liver, and to check if anything else is cooking but the oncologist today said no, not for 3-4 months. I was a little disconcerted by that at first but he explained it based on two reasons. One is we have to give the Femara (hormone suppressant) time to work and I've only been on it for a couple of months. Two is that radiation is a gift that keeps on giving. I thought when it was done it was done but he said it continues to work for months. Radiation damages the DNA in the cancer cells so when they go to divide they can't and then they die (yay!). Your cells don't all divide all at the same time so over the course of treatment and a few months after that, as the cells try to divide, they won't be able to and they'll croak. So that made sense and made me feel better about waiting for the PET scan. Gotta give the Femara some time to work on the whole system and give any remaining c-cells time to try and divide in my chest only to be denied by the effects of the radiation. I'll see him once a month and he said at each visit we'll re-evaluate the timing of the PET but most likely not for a few months. So, nothing else to do but relax and enjoy a few treatment-free months!!! I'll keep up with all my supplements and meditation and the things I can do to take care of me, but it will be nice to be sort of normal for awhile too and not going in for daily or weekly treatments other than keeping up with my physical therapy. Oh physical therapy......
I love PTs. They are magical and miracle workers. They don't mind touching people (I could never be a PT or massage therapist or anything like that!!) and they know just where to poke and prod and stretch to make a person feel better. They cause momentary agony too, but all for a good cause! She makes me hurt, but it's amazing how right after poking, digging, or pushing on an area I can move my arm without any pain or pulling. Amazing! The effects aren't lasting super long since radiation causes all those muscles to constrict right back up again but I can't imagine not doing PT. Once radiation is over, we should see more lasting progress on the left side. But the progress even with radiation has been amazing. So hug a PT if you see one. They are awesome.
On a non-c note, Emily came back from France last week and it's been wonderful to have her home. She left again today for Chicago, but will be back again on the 28th, with two Frenchmen in tow. Her boyfriend and his friend will be spending some time with us before they move on to LA. So I am looking forward to hosting them, enjoying the rest of my summer, getting back to work, and just getting back to life. I've come a long way these last few months.
No comments:
Post a Comment