One down, One to go

One down...the radiologist yesterday, and one to go...the oncologist tomorrow. The radiologist appointment was interesting. I learned more about my cancer, for one thing. The cancer had broken through the ducts and had started to spread so it's really good that we caught it when we did. During surgery, almost 40 lymph nodes were removed from the right axial area, 17 from the left axial, and another 9 from behind the chest wall on the right, going up towards my neck. All but one of the right axial and chest wall nodes tested positive. I believe I already mentioned that, but what was "new" news, is that one of the chest wall nodes they removed was up by my neck, and that one had also tested positive. What this means as far as radiation, is that not only are my chest and axial areas going to be treated, they're also going to treat my neck.

Radiation will start a month after my last chemo treatment, and will be 5 days/week for 6.5 weeks. Kind of cool that I will be laying on an air pillow formed to my shape (okay, it only makes sense, eh? That way I won't be rolling around during treatment), and the machine will move around me. Each treatment will last for 15 minutes. So...for 6.5 weeks, I "get to" drive down to Duluth 5 days a week for a 15 minute appointment and then drive back home. Evidently, burning depends on how well a person normally does outside in the sun. I burn fairly easily (not as easily as some, though), so I can expect to have "sunburn" during/after treatment. I will be given different gels and cold packs to use on the burns. In addition, I was told that using a mixture of 50% water and 50% hydrogen peroxide on soft towels will help with burning, and cornstarch in the axial areas will help prevent pain of chafing etc.

One happy thing from yesterday's appointment is that I will be provided with a wig of my choosing at no cost, from the center's wig shop. I have decided to take my girls with when I pick out a wig, and they're the ones who will make the final decision. I just hope they don't decide to give me a purple mullet. Now that would not be a happy thing, eh? Funny, though :-) Blessings!