Holly's Notes and Condition

June 19th - Completed 1st Radiation Simulation Appt

I took Tylenol PM last night to be able to sleep - a little apprehensive about my appt to set up my radiation therapy and I have 'lists' running through my head of things I need to do - just difficult to shut down last night. I took my compression bandages off first thing in the morning, as Gina had told me to do. I'm still feeling that mild swelling on the right side of my rib cage, so I soaked in our spa this morning and massaged that side and stretched my arm in the warm water. It felt better. After breakfast, I did my physical therapy exercises. I now have (19) exercises to complete 3 times a day, each time takes 30 minutes. I feel like I'm prepping for a competitive sporting event - mentally and physically. The stretches really helped and I massaged under my arm, as I slowly stretched my right arm up and back.

Dave worked from home today. He drove me to my appt and waited for me.

10 am - At Mission Radiation Oncology Suite - I signed authorization papers, got into a gown, 'David', the radiation oncology tech took me back to begin the intial CT scan, positioning me on my back on the hard flat CT bed, my knees supported by a firm wedge pillow, my right arm up over my head, bent and supported at the elbow on a padded adjustable 6" brace and my right hand holding a metal tube hand grip, my left hand holding my pant waistband at the center and my left arm relaxed, lying on my waist. My head was lying on a hard, cupped, raised neck/headpiece and tipped and turned to the left. My gown only on the left side.
'David', the RO tech then did a dry run to make sure I was centered on the CT bed and that I would fit through the CT tube - which I did. He then called in 'Nancy', the Dosimetrist, the one that aligns the radiation equipment and makes sure that the equipment works properly and that I get the correct dose - she did more adjustments on my head and neck, my right arm and my legs - no crossing my feet. My arm was feeling OK - it was stretching , but not painful - now to be able to hold that position. 'David', the RO tech (he started working at Mission 9 months ago - same time that I was diagnosed, he used to be at Loma Linda University, but really likes working at Mission) started placing 'stickers' on me that would be visible for the CT. Then Dr Chou came in and checked my positioning. He's very pleased with my ability to hold my right arm positioning and complimented Gina, my PT's work. He checked my surgery scar and dressed it and then placed more 'stickers' on my right breast, right side of my chest, under my right breast and on my right side. Then he put special tape and gauze over the incision area under my right arm. Then they ran the CT, checked to make sure they had what they wanted - got it the first time. I felt more discomfort with the positioning of the base of my head and neck against that hard cupped neck/headpiece, than I did with my right arm - which felt stretched but not too bad.
'David', the RO tech, then brought me back out of the CT tube, and took digital pictures of my right breast, axilla, and shoulder and then general positioning photos and a final 'face' photo - so they could reference them to duplicate my treatment positioning. He then told me that he would be giving me (2) small dot tatoos today, to be followed by another (7) dot tatoos, next week. The first one, he did under my right breast, 3" below my sternum and 2" to the right, just below my ribs. He took a drop of ink and pressed it into the skin with a needle. Not too bad - pain wise, quick. (He commented that women do better with the tatoos than men do, he always gets ready to move with men, as they have a tendency to move and lash out suddenly.) The second tatoo he did on my right side, straight across from the first tatoo and straight down the middle of my side from my shoulder, again below my right breast and on my rib cage - OK, that one smarted! But still quick, only a very small dot - a small freckle. He used an ink pen to make horizontal 1/8" lines on either side of the dots, to mark them further - the ink from the pen will come off eventually - not to worry. I got up off the CT bed. He told me they would review the results, Dr Chou would write the Rx and they would call me next week to set up the appt for the final pre-check, another hour long appt, and then I would start the actual day to day doses of radiation the day after that. I got dressed and went out to find Dave, who had moved the car from the '20 minute Oncology Patient' parking spot and picked me up behind the building. I had completed the appt - start to finish - in 50 minutes. I did it!

Dr Chou told me I am having 30 doses of radiation therapy. I am what they call a '4 focus' - right axilla from below shooting upward, my entire right breast, including the underlying chest wall, from my sternum and then my side, which includes 2 cm of my right lung, (good thing I don't smoke!) and finally, the area below and around my right clavicle (collar bone). Each treatment takes 20 minutes. I will have treatments 5 days a week, excluding holidays, Monday thru Friday. So, my next phase of treatment should finish in approximately 6 weeks - so my GOAL COMPLETION DATE for radiation therapy is AUGUST 8th.

Dave and I drove home and I was talking 100 miles an hour - excited that my appt went well and was now done and behind me. Dave was very quiet. Dave was quiet during our lunch together, too. I took a nap in my chair for a couple of hours this afternoon, at Dave's insistence. Dave took phone calls from the office and worked on assorted things. I called and updated my Mom, left a message for my sister, Heidi, talked to my sister, Heather, and talked to my sister, Helene, who again laughed at me because I was so excited to be able to raise my right arm over my head, just so that I could start radiation therapy?! Hey, I can't finish, until I can start - so now I've started - I find that VERY EXCITING!

posted by Holly @ 5:59 PM