So now that I have returned to the blogging world fuzzier than ever, I shall not waste time in making excuses like I had radiation, work, homework and a lot of nap time, because that would not excuse my neglect to this blog. What I shall do instead is just tell you about my radiation. Basically the only way to fully have you understand is to watch this short clip from A Bug's Life. It describes what happens perfectly. I am convinced that they put this part into the movie for the sole purpose as to explain my situation. Plus it is very funny. Watch and then continue reading....
So now that you have watched the short little mosquito zapping clip, you now understand how I have felt every day for the last month. Just kidding. It is not that serious, do not be afraid. I cannot feel anything when I get zapped. I just lay still on a table, the radiation technicians line me up with marking lines according to my tattoos, and put a mask on my face so I stay still.
Then they leave the room. I then hear a buzzing sound twice which means they are "zapping" me. (In between the two zaps they put a steel plate on the machine where the radiation comes out so that it levels out the dosage more.) Then the top of the machine revolves around me while they raise the bed I lay on, and it starts again. See? Nothing to it.
This is what I look like every morning. My ensemble includes the lovely hospital gown and robe. They have dressing rooms with lockers and a separate waiting room for the patients. Basically I am part of the VIP section. For my radiation I have to pull down the top of my gown so that they can line me up exactly. Kind of embarrassing and revealing, but they are very respectful and keep me covered up with a sheet.
Now this next picture may freak some of you out, as I look like I am in a horror movie. Don't worry though. I am not being hurt at all. This is just an angle of me on the bed and the technicians doing all of the technical stuff to make sure that I have the right dosage, and that I am line up correctly (See the red lines on me? That is how they can tell I am lined up exactly.)
Here is a close up of my mask. They told me I get to bring it home. I plan on either hanging it on my wall as a trophy, or using it as a spaghetti strainer. The green line on it is to help them know that they are lining me up correctly. (There is the white sheet I was describing that covers me up.)
This next picture is me laying on the the table under the machine. The bottom part of the machine that is right above me, is where the radiation comes out. There are little "tong like" things that fit together and move according to what my dosage is. Where the opening is at is where the radiation comes through onto my body.
As the machine rotates underneath me, the bottom part of the machine swivels so that the dosage is correct on the other side as well. (I lay on a glass type bed so the radiation can get through and hit my body.)
If you look closely at my feet, you can see a large rubber band tied around my shoes so that my feet stay still. If I have learned anything through out this whole process, it is that I need to stay perfectly still all the time when being treated. I have gotten very good at it if I do say so myself.
This has been a really watered down version of what radiation is like. I apologize, but at least you have an idea of what is like.
Now regarding the side effects, all I really have experienced is being extremely tired. I lay down way tired, close my eyes for a second and I wake up two hours later feeling like only a second has gone by and still feel really tired.
They told me that I would experience slight sunburn effect in the treated area. I hadn't really noticed anything until the other day when I noticed that my skin was tender and itchy. Then I noticed after a non lady like itch to my under arm that I had a HUGE massive red mark in my pit! That freaked me out a bit, I'm not going to lie. As I have never had a sunburn in my arm pit (I doubt you have either) I thought to myself, "Great, now I have leprosy on top of cancer."
But instead of fretting about it, I asked one of the technicians about it and they said that it was because my arm is creased so that the radiation hits it more (At least that is what I heard.) I guess this is a good thing because that is where I found the cancer in the first place. Get it double good so we can be done with it I say!
So basically I am going to have a tan in my arm pit, which is another thing to go on my advantage list. I never thought I would be putting aloe vera in my arm pit, or scratching it like a monkey on a regular basis.
Tomorrow is 20/20 for my radiation. I will be 100% done with all treatments. This brings much relief. I am very excited that my cancer will be all gone. I am terrified that it will come back again, but I cannot live in fear. I am going to go forward with faith and do all in my power to keep myself health and cancer free.
