#17 RADIATION PREPARATION
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Welcome back to Faith Walk with Debbie. After Thymoma Surgery recovery it was time for radiation. In this episode, I will explain the radiation preparation process.
I had no idea what radiation was. Basically, it kills cells hopefully decreasing the risk of cancerous cells continuing to grow. It can kill some good cells but they will come back in time. They told me that skin irritation and fatigue could be side effects.
In preparation for radiation, I had to go for what they called a “Planning Session”. This is where they take lots of pictures with a Cat scan. Then a team uses the pictures to determine the radiation treatment plan. During the Planning Session, I had to lay on my back on this special table. My arms were above my head and my hands grabbed a hold of two posts sticking up from the table. I was in a hospital gown from my waist up. However, it was open in the front and my breasts were totally exposed. This was embarrassing. Closing my eyes helped me not think about what others were looking at. I had to lay extremely still while they used the Cat scan machine. I realized later the position I laid in that day was the exact position I had to lay in for all of the radiation treatments later. After the tech was done, the radiologist had to come in to verify some things. He had to ask me where the incision was from my lumpectomy. That made me feel really good a doctor could not even see the scar from the surgery.
After the Cat scan was done, the tech had to give me two tattoos. I did not like the thought of that. She put 1 tattoo dot on each side. The tech took a needle with ink in it and pushed it in my right side. When she injected the ink, it HURT!!! I had been told it would barely hurt but this REALLY HURT!!! I think my reaction startled the tech. She was new and had not been doing this job for very long. It even stung for quite a few seconds after she was done. She said we did not have to do the other side that we could just mark it with a marker but then I would have to be careful it did not get washed off. Eventually I gave her permission to do the left side. Thankfully the left side was not near as painful. However, I realized later you can barely see the left side which means she did not insert as much ink. I did not wat a tattoo. I felt like my body was invaded. At least I am old enough that people won’t see them.
Each radiation session they had a green laser light coming from the walls on each side of me. The tattoos on each side of me, had to line up with those laser lights. They did this in order to make sure my body was in the exact position each time.
The team took a little over a week to decide the specific radiation treatment plan for me. Then I returned for what I will call the second planning session. During the second planning, they verified all the measurements were accurate. Again, I had to lay on the table exposed. Then I got another tattoo on the upper portion of my right breast.
After I was done something very unexpected happened. As I was walking to my car suddenly, I started crying. I got in my car and cried and cried. These emotions came out of no-where. I really did not understand where they came from.
I called someone I knew that had previously had radiation. She said that she cried after the first planning session as well as several of the actual radiation treatments. That made me feel better that it wasn’t just me. Evidently emotions regarding all I was going through erupted.
The Radiation Plan was to have 30 radiation treatments. Typically, it is only 20. Because the cancer had moved into one lymph node, I had to have an additional 10 treatments. The radiation area was from the middle of my body to the right side, just under my breast and up as high as the collar bone. The collar bone area was included because that would be the next area of cancer progression after the lymph nodes under the arm. After day 23 of treatment, they stopped treatment in the collar bone area. After day 25 they stopped treatment everywhere except the exact original area of the breast cancer.
The planning was done in January 2020 while I was recovering from thymoma surgery. The actual radiation treatments started January 25, 2020.
Thank you for following this journey. The next time, I will explain the actual radiation process as well as the side effects.
I know I shared Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) with you before but it is so true. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Even though I did not totally understand why God was allowing me to have to go through radiation, I just had to trust in him.
Next time, I will share the actual radiation process. Hope you will join me!
