My Summer

So, I was realizing, I have to update more often, if I want this blog to mean something. Or be an accurate picture of my life.

Anyway, so, I think I left off with the not having chemo, but having to have radiation. Well, they set me up, tattooed me, three tiny dots, so they can orient the laser grid, like a laser leveler. The initial meeting took an hour and a half, with lots of consultation, drawing with sharpie and the like, I got two of the tattoos then. After that, you wait for two weeks for your first appointment. The first appointment takes a bit of time too, as the technicians line you up, and consult orders and it's signed off on by the doctor. About 25 minutes maybe, but you have to lie in the same position and not move till they are done or they have to start over. Then, it's a quick 15 minutes Monday thru friday, 5 minutes to change, 5 minutes to get zapped, 5 minutes to change back and you are done. I had 30 treatments, 25 in a large square in my chest, and 5 on the scar, it was fine for the first four weeks, then where it had gotten dark pink, it changed to a purply brown, then the brown started to peel, unfortunately, it peeled like a purple sunburn, painful, pink and crusty, everyone reacted like it was pretty normal, and my guess is I was in the middle range of reactions.

The last week was just the scar, so, they made a crazy lead alloy plate about an inch and a half thick. This plate has a cut out 3 centimeters wide and 6 or 7 inches long, it looks a bit like a worm, and its been cut specially for my scar, to radiate only the scar and 1 1/2 cm on either side. I didn't get to keep it. I asked. The regular radiation set up was pretty pedestrian, on a table and away you go, the scar part was alot more space agey, the table you raises some four feet off the ground and they add this 18 inch holder thing for the plate. It pretty wild. I have a strange photo of it, but my phone will only do one photo, so next time.

Never mind, I don't think it will let me load any photos