Next Hurdle: Radiotherapy
Having 'stayed the course' (well, six courses) of chemotherapy with highly poisonous cytotoxic chemicals, I now start five weeks of radiotherapy with doses of X-rays planned to wipe out any blossoming remnant cancer cells which survived. Went in to 'planning appointment' to set up series and determine where & what will be zapped. The previous lot of radiotherapy in 2002 only needed three pinpoint tattoos, I suppose because they were just aiming to triangulate onto the tumour itself. To mark out the field this time, they've put on five — making a total of eight tattoos! (Is this still cool? Or are they pretty passe now?)

Photo shows the text markings from the preliminary set-up.
(Earlier post-op photo at April 27 - Pathology)






This therapy wil involve irradiating my left chest from just above the base of my throat down to below where my breast used to be, and around under my left arm. It usually causes a effect rather like sunburn, and fairly severe fatigue. Depending on how my oesophagus &/or trachea get hit by it, I may also get a very sore throat.

Stocked up on some canned soup, congee, and other food & meals that don't need much preparation and won't hurt the throat. I also found a cheap hand-mixer that will help make puree of vegetables & so forth. Today I used it to make a cinnamon tea-cake in my new proper sized cake-tin (um, if you can call a soft silicon mould that) and it worked out really well. My friend & I ate half of it this morning. <burp>, but made healthier sandwiches for lunch, as well as going for a nice long walk. Have to strengthen the body to get ready for the new assault.
[permalink][comment] - posted by Mez @ 9/17/2006 07:28:00 PM