32. Radiation Therapy, Session 4 of 20 (20%)

September 2, 2022

Update. Radiation therapy session 4 of 20 is done as of this morning (that’s 20 percent!). Here’s my attendance card, digitally edited to show the projected last day. I get to rest for the weekend and then it’s back to therapy on Monday. So far, Rose, there are no radiation-induced superpowers. At least not yet.

I am tolerating radiation therapy well for now, but of course this is only the first week. I’ve been moisturizing my skin and hydrating, in order to help prevent radiation dermatitis. Fatigue is manageable so far (still napping as needed) but I’ve been able to keep up with light cardio exercises and Wii tennis . I do notice that the muscles of the left shoulder and chest wall – where the radiation beams are directed – are a little tighter and maybe fatigue more easily than those of the right. I still have full range of motion but due to this development I’ve been switching up my Wii tennis routine. Instead of playing with the right and left arms equally, I now play 2 games with the right then 1 game with the left. This does not translate to real tennis, which I (used to) play with my left arm exclusively. I am also trying to prevent any excessive skin breakdown from physical activity, which may occur in damaged skin… so I’m “babying” that left arm for a while. I still do gentle stretching for the left shoulder girdle muscles.

With regard to taking the medication Tamoxifen (today is day 9): there are occasional brief hot flashes which seem manageable for now. I may or may not have muscle/joint pains due to the medication – not sure if that was just due to exercise! I also may or may not have nausea, but anyway I’ve been pacing myself with food and drink to prevent that. So overall I haven’t needed any extra medications to help with side effects – doing fine with side effects that may or may not be Tamoxifen-induced.

Here’s Doreen trying to educate herself about radiation therapy. First is a picture of the giant Linac machine from a youtube video. Reference video in the photo caption.

Then an article and photo about radiation therapy tattoos, little blue marks that help the technologists position me so that the radiation beams target the right spots. Jennifer asked me whether I am now red or green after radiation. I said I was blue, because of these pinpoint tattoos. Reference article in the photo caption.

Finally, two photos of a gel thingy called a “bolus” they put on my chest wall in order to adjust and/or even out the radiation dose. It is placed on me intermittently – i.e., it doesn’t stay there all the time, and in some sessions it isn’t even used. Reference video in the captions.