We miscalculated my treatment calendar. Instead of 34 days; including my free weekends, the 27 radiation treatments take a total of 37 On Friday, I crossed the half-way point of my chemo/radiation treatment!

The docs tell me everything so far is going as planned. Last weekend and throughout this last week, the fatigue hit me. My white and red blood cell counts are really low which explains my extreme lack of energy. The low levels are expected as a lingering side effect from the chemo. I know my skin is normally a lighter shade of pale, but this is a whole new level, definitely no rosie cheeks…on my face.😉

Last week the radiation also started kicking in a bit, affecting my other cheeks.🍑 They have a little more of a blush tone and my skin is getting more sensitive down there as well. I’m at the stage where things are supposed to start getting interesting so I’m slathering on moisturizer all day long. The doc said this week she’s going to check my skin status. Hopefully, the burning and peeling will hold off for a while with my constant care.

Here’s a video of the room I’m in five days a week for radiation. You enter a hallway with recessed lighting that changes colors. It’s almost like walking into Da Club when the DJ presses play on their first song. Nobody is dancing. I lay on the table and stick my legs in this hard yellow mold of my legs and feet. I’m all tatted up now with THREE tattoos, one on each hip and one on my pelvic area. No pretty flowers or animals, just three dots the size of a pinhead. They’re easily mistaken for freckles. There are lasers on the walls and ceiling in the room that make sure the tattoos and mold are aligned properly so they only hit the target zone with radiation. The table then slides me into the tube for a quick CT scan to make sure I am definitely aligned properly then the table slides back out. The CT takes about a minute but I have to remain still while the doctor gets paged to check the scan. If something looks off the techs and doctor come back in the room to adjust me. Most of the time it’s fine. When they need to make an adjustment, it’s usually just a few millimeters. Once I’m clear for the radiation to begin, the table starts rumbling. The tube makes this loud rattling sound then the table slides me back into the tube. Some of our friends call me by the nickname “Rocket” and I feel like I’m entering my rocket ship!

The radiation itself lasts 7 minutes but I don’t feel anything during the session. It’s like a long X-ray. I do have to lay super still from the moment they line me up on the table, have the CT, check the scan, then administer the treatment. I’ve had pain issues afterward in my hips and thighs from lying in the mold for over 15 minutes or longer in total. It feels like I have done 100 squats once I’m finished! This gets very painful at the end of my weekly visits. 

They do play music on speakers during the session which helps the time go by although sometimes it’s a bit challenging when a good song comes on. I have to force myself so I don’t tap my foot to the beat of a song by Michael Jackson, resist the urge of a hair whip to AC/DC, or sing loudly with my arms during Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. At least they play the good stuff!! Once the scan is finished, I’m all done until the next day.

I do have to mention my fashion wardrobe or lack there of.🤣 During the 1st week of radiation treatments, I was so cold I was severely shivering. That room is cold down in the basement! We had to wait until I warmed up because I couldn’t be shaking during the treatment. I found my warmest sweatshirt, wool mittens, added booties that Travis had bought me made from Llama fur, and then one of the techs said, “It’s too bad you don’t have any leg warmers”. I turned and replied, “Oh, I sure do!” They were obviously just getting to know me and unaware of the clothes stashed all over our house and my Mom’s basement. I wear my rocket outfit every day and they also add 3 warm blankets on top of me. Thank goodness I don’t shiver anymore.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend.