20 Weeks of Chemo and 6 1/2 Weeks of Radiation Completed!!!!!!

All treatments completed-16 of chemo and 33 radiation!!!  Certificate of Completion and Sparkling Cider from radiation clinic.  Flowers came with the thought and feeling from Suzanna, Benjamin, and Shannon that they are perfect to represent the beginning of the rest of my life-a new chapter!

3 More Radiation Treatments

Officially 30 radiations completed and 3 more to go.  It is almost unreal that after Wednesday I will have completed all 33 radiation treatments.  The last couple of weeks have been harder in this round of treatments.  I have been more tired, but also I have had more pain with my skin being sore.  However, the alternating tylenol and ibuprofen have helped a lot along with 98% aloe vera, neosporen+ cream, and Aquafor.  Thursday I noticed that the first sore and very red places are now beginning to heal.  That was encouraging also.
I have postponed my last lymphedema session until December.  It was really getting to me with the pain and the sleeve.  My therapist agreed that I needed to get through these last weeks of radiation and heal before we continue, especially since my swelling isn't too bad.  I continue to do the lymph massage and that seems to keep it doing well.

Prayer Answered

This past week has been more of a struggle than the previous ones.  On Friday the soreness or pain from the damaged skin increased.  Interestingly I prayed that I might know how to take care of my skin and myself better (I have prayed for this often throughout the last months of treatment, as I realized I have a responsibility in all of this too.), later as I thought back over the day, I realized that is just what happened.  While waiting a few minutes for my treatment Friday morning, one of the therapists that I don't see every day walked by.  She asked how I was doing and my skin, I showed her.  She said that it looked pretty angry and asked about pain and if they had given me more on Tuesday.  She said that she'd talk to the nurse and they would talk with me after my treatment.  The other therapists asked me to wait when I got dressed and the nurse would come and get me.  We went to one of the examining rooms.  Dr McCallister wasn't in, but Dr.  Harris was. (I hadn't heard of him before.)  She talked with me and then he came in, looked at my skin and then asked me about and shared with me things I can do to help manage the pain and care for the skin.  It was really helpful.  I'm sure I would have learned more sooner, but I hadn't had much of a problem with it before.  I'm so grateful for prayer and the great love that my Heavenly Father shows to me always.

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.  

Two cute baldies

Nathan and I are seeing whose hair will grow the fastest and longest. I'm beginning to catch up with him!

Update: Approaching the Halfway with Radiation

Today was my weekly visit with the doctor.  My blood work was very good, the other things he checks with x-rays, etc concerning the radiation are good, the nurse said that my skin is doing really well for being close to the end of the 3rd week of the radiation treatments.  So all is going really well.  

I asked Dr MacCallister if I would be feeling tired from the radiation treatments ( It seems that several of the things I have asked about they say the radiation shouldn't be causing that.).  He said yes, I would be feeling more tired from them in the 3rd week.  (14 treatments done, 19 more to go.) He explained that they are doing a lot of damage right now.  When I get the treatment each day, it builds up and continues to work for a couple of weeks,  However, in the next couple of weeks, healing will begin to take place too.  By the time I am at the end of the treatments, there will be more healing than tearing down,  So I could feel really tired after treatments are over for a couple of weeks, but I probably won't.  After the radiation is over, I should begin to feel better pretty quickly.

The lymphedema has been bothering me more the last week,  Not in my arm but in my side.  I still haven't gotten the sleeve that was ordered a couple of weeks ago, so I have to go 3 times a week for treatment and wrapping so that it will stay down.  It is supposed to come next week.

I am not feeling sick like I did with the chemo, but I am really tired and have been fighting feeling discouraged at times.  Those are the times I remember how bad I felt with the chemo and remind myself that I am still sick and "this too shall pass,"  Things are really going very well. 

Week 2 of Radiation Treatments

Sunset in back of my house.  10-07-14

What beautiful days we are having here. The days are warm but not too hot.  The nights are cool and the sun is glorious.  I want to go up to Provo Canyon in the next couple of days to enjoy the  beautiful leaves. The problem is I just don't have enough energy and strength to do a fraction of what I would like to do.  I guess I will have some practice in patience happening.  I am really doing well.  My complaints are minor in the whole scheme of things.
My radiation is going fine. Eight treatments down with only 25 left to go. It takes about 15 min, maybe 20 to get dressed and undressed, for the treatment.  They are on time so I am in and out in 20 minutes or so. Tuesdays are longer as I go up to the clinic to have them draw blood through my port. Thursdays are longer because I see the doctor.  My lymphedema is still doing well.  I haven't found a sleeve to fit right yet, but the therapist took measurements today and was extremely happy as the arm was down from the last time and I had had the wrappings off for over 12 hours. My finger nails are growing out and most of the time the finger tips feel pretty good.  There is less numbness in my toes than there was.  My head has more fuzz on it and my eyebrows and eyelashes are coming back slowly.   In general, I feel better.  I don't have the sick feeling I had when I was doing chemo.  I am really weak and don't feel well if I don't get enough rest or push too hard to do too much.
I am grateful.