I don’t know that I really have that much to add about the radiation. After chemo, radiation is a piece of cake. A slightly over baked, crispy pie, maybe.
Every week day morning at 9:45, I showed up to the basement level of Methodist Hospital in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I put my blue appointment card in the little box, changed into very fashionable hospital gown/robe, said hello to my fellow morning session radiotherapy patients, and settled in to watch an amusing “Let’s make a deal,” as I waited to be called by my wonderful technicians. After the 11 minute treatment was done, I ran to the car where my dad was awaiting me and he drove me to work. They were pretty busy days but it was perfect since I didn’t want to have too much time to just sit and think and feel sorry for myself.
The first 5 weeks of radiation went smoothly. At the end of week 5/beginning of week 6, I had a small tiny dot of peeling skin under my arm. It stung a teensy bit but was fine otherwise. Mrs. D, who I mentioned in the Prospect Park post, went through her treatment about a year ago. We spoke a little during the walk and she told me about her burn from radiation and offered me the fancy cream she used. (Thank you!) Well, due to this (and my uncanny ability to turn anything into hypochondria and anxiety), I started to worry that my burn might get really bad. I was due to see Dr. R that day, anyway, for my weekly visit with him. He reassured me that no two people are the same and hence no one else’s experience could predict that mine would follow suite. He brought me over some fancy cream (desitin diaper cream + Iron + other fabulous stuff) that was mixed right in his department, which I used generously over the next few weeks.
The following week, my skin peeled a little more. I freaked out of course and broke down at my appt with Dr. R, but he jokingly asked me if I had never peeled from a sun burn before to which I replied that yes, I most definitely did when I used to tan when I was younger, but I got to have fun in the sun and beach or pool first!! In hindsight, he was absolutely right. I guess I just got scared to see my skin peel off in large pieces. (Sorry about the too much info!) Dr. R wasn’t worried because underneath the peeling, I had already grown fresh, new skin. This is what is supposed to happen.
I’m not going to lie and say it didn’t hurt at all, because, yes, it stung like crazy!! I managed all right because it only really hurt when I moved my left arm or when the cloth of my shirt touched the sensitive crispy bits and I was super careful not to let that happen. I didn’t end up taking any medication- even though it was suggested that I take even a Tylenol or ibuprofen. And for some more tmi, I had to stop wearing a bra for over a week. Talk about awkward. But during the week and a half of my “booster” radiation (which is when they aimed the radiation ONLY to a small radius surrounding the lumpectomy site, instead of the entire area like before) my underarm and underboob healed real quick! I was fully healed within a week of my last radiation, and today- 2 weeks plus one day after my last treatment- I feel really good. The peeling even lightened my scars a lot. They’re so barely noticeable now.
A bunch of thanks to Dr. R, and to my technicians Iris and Thien. I can't believe I am thanking people who attacked me with radiation! But, in all seriousness, thanks for taking great care of me and making me feel comfortable even though I was lying there topless!! (I might give them the URL to this blog at some point. ha ha)
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