Moving on with the Radiation Treatments

 As of today, I have completed 23 radiation treatments with only 10 to go!  They are going fine.  The treatments themselves are pretty low key.  I lay on this table and the therapists move me and the machine until we are lined for the proper treatments.  I lay there for about 10 minutes.  There is no pain or discomfort at the time.  However, the areas where skin is against skin gets pretty sore from the treatments.  My skin has held up pretty well considering, but it has been more sore this week.  I am putting aloe from my aloe plant on the pink/red skin several times daily and using Neosporin+ cream on the raw places and on the sore skin.  I just learned yesterday that last 8 treatments are what they call "boosts" where the radiation will be only the area where the lumpectomy was and not the whole breast and lymph nodes under the arm and nearer the neck.  The lumpectomy area isn't the most irritated.  Yeah!  The interesting thing is that the radiation keeps working for a couple of weeks after the treatment, so some sore times are still ahead.
Today I went to a cancer support group which is held every week on Wednesdays.  I had heard of it when I first was diagnosed with cancer, but once I started the chemo, I didn't feel like going.  Yesterday I was not feeling very good physically and a bit down emotionally.  The therapists noticed it and asked if I was OK, of course, I had a little "melt down" and began to cry.  They were really good to me and asked the nurse to talk with me.  That was good because she gave me some good information on several things.  One of those was that she mentioned this group.  I had been thinking about going, but I didn't remember when they met.  Today I was impressed and agreed with the beliefs and thoughts of the facilitator.  He is really good.  There were 10 of us besides him.  He teaches a lot of good, helpful things and especially the philosophy that we are the one who directs our lives.  I will see how it plays out in the weeks to come.  It is sponsored by The American Cancer Society.  They do some wonderful things here for cancer patients and survivors.
I am still very weak, but I usually do something extra each day which I hadn't been doing before.

This is the brush in full color last week on one of the
walls leading to Rock Canyon on the east of Provo.