Treatments

We finally met our radiation oncologist Dr. W. He seems like a nice guy and I feel comfortable having him as my radiation oncologist, unlike Dr. K. Can you tell I don't like Dr. K yet? ;)

Dr. W discussed in detail what my radiation treatment (RT) will be and even showed a picture how the radiation will target my right breast. Like any other doctor, he had to tell me that there is a one percent chance I will develop a type of cancer (forgot the name) but it is very rare and he told me not to worry about it. I'm not. :)

If my chemo treatment goes on schedule, Dr. W said my last chemo will be May 4th. He expects that my RT will start four weeks after my last chemo cycle. This will allow my body to get a break and recover a little bit in between treatments. Radiation will be done daily, five days a week, for four weeks and one day. A total of 21 radiation treatments. Mark and I also found out that hormonal therapy will begin the same time as the RT. Hormonal therapy will Dr. K's turf.

So what will happen with the RT? I will have another CAT scan that will focus on the chest/breast area only prior to the treatment. Afterwards, Dr. W said he will mark the area targetted for RT with four small tattoos. No, the tattoos are not going to be in the shape of hearts with arrows that say "I love you Mark forever" ;) The tattoos are so small you can hardly see them, it's like the size of a freckle or a tiny mole. Having the four tattoos will help the technician focus the radiation in the same area every time I have the RT. I'll be lying down on a CAT scan-like machine. The machine will be moving around my body so I don't have to move at all. I think preparing for the radiation will be longer than the actual treatment itself. Each treatment will last 5-10 minutes only.

Side effects? Fatigue is the most common side effect of radiation treatment. Dr. W said I might feel weak after each treatment, he suggested that someone should help me during this period, like Mark can cook dinner ;) Dr. W said I might experience fatigue even after the treatment is over. Rest is vital. Skin discolouration will also happen. Dr. W said my right breast will turn red and if it becomes itchy, he said I can buy over-the-counter ointment with aloe to relieve the itchiness. The breast size will change as well and make it a bit smaller. The good thing is I do not have to take any other prescription drugs while undergoing radiation treatment, unlike chemo.

The treatment I will be having will not make me radioactive. Therefore I will not be exposing Mark, our kids, family and friends to radiation at all. I can actually drive to the hospital myself and can go home as soon as the RT is over.

Dr. W anticipates that my RT will go on schedule. He wants to see us again on April 27 to thoroughly discuss my treatment.

After lunch, I tried gentle yoga. Mind-body relaxation is an alternative form of treatment for cancer. Lately I've been irritable and stressed that I was anxious to try it. I stepped in the yoga class, stood there and didn't know what to do. I approached the yoga instructor and told her I'm a novice and had no clue what to do. She said do whatever I feel like doing. I saw the other participants lying down, I did the same thing. Then the instructor started talking about yoga in general and urged us to ask anything we have in mind. So I raised my hand and asked if she can teach me the method of relaxation. Weeeelllll, she told me and I quote "patience is humbling and if you listen and wait, you will know what yoga is all about" Yikes! I was embarrassed I couldn't concentrate. I wished I was an ostrich and shove my head in the sand.

But I didn't go to that class to get more stress. I tried to clear my head. It took me about 30 minutes to finally concentrate on yoga. It was a 1 1/2 hour class and it was only halfway through the class that I felt relaxed. It wasn't too bad, I did feel better after the class. By the way, the instructor told us that anything or everything that happened or were discussed in the class will remain in the class. Uhm.... ;) I didn't, it's just the awkward situation I was at and what my personal thoughts are. I'll see if I can attend again next week. There is another beginners yoga class that I would like to attend on Saturday, but like any other cancer patient, I'll see what I feel like that day.

After the yoga class, I went to a store and bought get well cards for my friends, Sarah and Beth (not real names). Both of them started their chemo this week, Beth was on Monday and Sarah, today. I guess it's my own little way of cheering them up. I'll mail the cards tomorrow.

I met Beth through her brother, Aiden (not his real name), who's a co-worker of mine. I called Beth tonight and wanted to check how she is doing after chemo. Both of us will have six cycles of chemo and the same type of medication, FEC-T. It is short for 5-Fluorouracil Infusion, Epirubicin, Cyclophosphamide I.V. and Docetaxel (more commonly called Taxotere). It is a mouthful that's why I only remember it as FEC-T. Anyway, Beth is experiencing the same symptoms I have. But she is in good spirits. That's good. The way we think will have an impact how our body will react to the medications. Positive thinking means positive results. :D

I also tried to call Sarah but only got a voicemail. I left her a message saying I've been thinking about her and praying for her speedy recovery. I'll call her this weekend to see how she is. :)

It has been a day of treatments, for me and for my friends. But after all these are over, we are getting a treat, an extended lease on life :D