Chemo Done
The final chemo treatment was a little over two weeks ago, and now I'm feeling much more like my normal self. I can't tell you how exciting it is for me just to feel normal. Chemo is such an invasion of the whole system, and I'm ready to be left alone. I'm also very grateful that I avoided some of the side effects I was most dreading, such as neuropathy (which can be permanent).
Radiation
But of course there's more to go. Yesterday I had a consultation with the radiation oncology team and learned about the plan.
Many times women who've had a mastectomy can skip radiation, but if there is lymph node involvement and/or the tumor(s) extend beyond 5 cm, radiation is advised. Well I could check both of those boxes, so radiation it is. Plus I'm young and healthy (I know, 45 isn't exactly young, but in the cancer world it is), so I think that means I can take it and am at low risk for getting some things that could bother older or sicker patients.
I go in on Monday for a "planning session" where they scan and x-ray the area and there's a lot of set-up. I get three tattoos that look like pen dots (and being tattoos, will be permanent).
Then 1-2 weeks later I'll start the daily radiation appointments. I'll go in every weekday for six weeks. The radiation treatment itself takes just five minutes, but counting travel time it will probably take a little over an hour out of my day to attend to this.
The main side effects are fatigue, which is cumulative, and getting a "sunburn" on the skin that's being irradiated. For me that's the whole right chest wall and lymph node area.
I'm not sure how uncomfortable the skin is going to get or how much peeling there will be, but it sounded like most people aren't restricted from moving their arm or have to take major pain medicine. I'm also not sure how tired I'm going to get, but I was told that walking daily (which I'm already doing) helps significantly. So I'm going to go into this assuming it's all going to be manageable.
Plus, it's not going to be as hard as chemotherapy! Everyone seems to agree on that. It's good to have the most arduous chapter behind me.
There are other possible side effects that aren't nearly as common, and I'm just not going to worry about those. I was told that the big studies have shown that the benefits (namely reducing the chance of the cancer coming back in that area) outweigh the risks for patients like me, so I decided to trust that and go ahead with it.
How I'm Doing
While I'm not exactly looking forward to radiation, I've accepted that it's what I need to do. My perspective on what is "difficult" has changed this summer! That can work to my advantage. In fact, my perspective on what constitutes a "problem" or something to worry about has also shifted this year.
I need to guard against doing too much too soon, as I don't have all my energy back and won't for some time yet. This is not what I do best.
The Return of My Hair
I'm looking forward to watching my hair grow back. Not all of it fell out, but enough that I look pretty darn bald. It's supposed to start coming back in a couple of weeks. At first it may be downy and/or curly. I don't know when it will be long enough for me to feel comfortable to color it (oh so much gray!) and wear it short - I'll just have to see how it goes.
In the meantime, Mavis is on the clock.
