WEEKS 29-31 - Radiation Begins

So the Radiation Era begins. The thing I really, really did not want to do! 5 days a week for 7 weeks - away from home. Life will not be normal for a while. On August 17, I had my first Radiation treatment. The first one was much longer than the rest will be. First I went in the dressing room and put on the lovely "cape" on my top half. Then I laid on the table on my own personal "bean bag" pad. Two of my Therapists, Melissa & Bryna drew all over my chest, ribs, armpit, & even up into my neck with Sharpie permanent markers. This was so they would have targets for the beams that come down from the ceiling at all angles. All that just to get me perfectly positioned. They took a few X-rays first, then they did the first treatment. That great big arm you can see on the machine rotates all around. I get dosages from 3 directions - from over by my left ribs, then from straight overhead, then from over by my right ribs. Each dosage only lasts 15 - 20 seconds. Melissa took a picture of me when the machine was lined up ready to go on the right side. When they do the 2 side shots, they lay a "bolus" over my chest. They explained it acts like a 1 cm layer of extra skin to bring the radiation closer to the surface. I guess they want to thoroughly fry my poor skin. The bolus is a weird material made out of gel that most closely has the properties & densities of human skin & tissue. Funny, I watch some of the CSI shows a lot, and they use blocks of that stuff to shoot at or stab when trying to solve crimes. Hmmmmm ....... interesting! After they were done with the treatment, then they tattooed me with 5 little bitty tattoos: (1)Right in the middle of my chest on my sternum (2)Directly below that about 8 inches (3)Right above my right breast (4)Over on my right side on my ribs (5) On my ribs on my left side. Those tattoos are what they will use to line up the beams in all of the rest of the treatments. I am now a tattooed woman! I kind of expected them to have one of those tattoo guns with the little needle that kind of "rat-a-tats" the ink in. No, it was more like a push pin with ink , jammed into each spot just once, but OUCH! that really stung!

I spent the first week staying with Stan & Brenda, and just running back and forth between their home in Rexburg, and the Cancer Radiation Center in Idaho Falls - about a 35-40 minute drive. One good thing about this center, they usually get me right in with no wait. I go straight into one of the little changing rooms, put on my cape, go to the sub-waiting room & watch the TV for a few minutes where they generally get me right away, then down the hall to the Radiation room, I lay on the table, they get me perfectly lined up using the beams on my tattoos, the machine moves around for the first "field" as they call it, the Therapists leave the room, shutting the 1 foot thick metal door, and they watch me from a TV screen in the "control room" while I get the first dose, then they come back in, set the bolus on my chest, tape it in place with a little masking tape, move the machine to the next field, leave the room, give me the next dose, then they come back in, re-position the bolus, tape it, re-position the machine, leave the room, give me the next dose, then the lights come on, and my Therapists come in, they push the button so my table moves on a rail back to the middle of the room , they take off the bolus & tape, help me up off the table, I go change back into my shirt, and I'm outta there! WHEW! That was a mouthful! My appointments have been at 11:45, and it's not unusual to be walking out of there at noon.

That has been my routine for the last several weeks. Tuesdays are a little longer, cause I see the Doctor then, but not for very long. On Friday after my treatment I drive straight home to Dillon where I get to spend the weekend. The weekends go by terribly fast - then Monday I drive back to Idaho Falls for the new week, and back to the routine. I have alternated living with Stan & Brenda for a week, then Russ & Maxine. They have been a lot of fun to get to hang out with. I've had a few other procedures in these last few weeks. On August 25 I ran straight from my Radiation treatment, to the Hospital across the street for an Echo-cardiogram. They want to monitor my heart since the Herceptin can occassionally cause heart problems. (Nice!) I got kind of a kick out of the Cardio Tech who did it. He was a native of Mexico, and he talked my leg off the whole time and told me his whole life story. He was pretty

sweet. On September 1, I had an appointment at Teton Oncology in Rexburg for my Herceptin treatment. Here's a pretty nifty photo of me - back in the chair again, an IV back in my chest! (Notice the fun, soft little beanie that Jamie's mom Cathy made for me) Yeah, I know, I look like I've been drug through the ringer, and believe me, I feel like I have. As soon as that appointment was done, I made the mad dash to Idaho Falls for that days Radiation treatment. Then back to Rexburg. I am so road weary, plus I'm still anemic, plus the Radiation causes

fatigue - so I am still feeling like an 80 year old woman!

Labor Day weekend was nice cause I got to spend an extra day at home for the weekend. Cynth & Ray came up to spend the weekend, since that's our "big" County Fair weekend. On Saturday we walked the Fairgrounds checking out the pigs, sheep, etc., watched my little niece Laura ride in a few horseback competitions - she even won first place in the Keyhole race! - and then the Rodeo that night. Monday was the "big" parade. Lots of candy! It was fun having Cynth & Ray for the weekend. Nice little break. Tuesday it was back to the grind - dashing to Idaho Falls for treatment, then back to Rexburg to spend the week. Three weeks down, four to go!