Radiotherapy
The deal with radiotherapy is currently this.
Normally I would be given 20 sessions.
These are spread daily Monday - Friday over 4 weeks.
There are new trials that show the same sessions can be done in 5 days worth of treatment. As a result, it’s less time spent at the hospital which is good given current Coronavirus guidelines and me self shielding. The recovery, is all the same, However the dosage is much more stronger.
It’s been trialled elsewhere and apparently there is scientific proof the results are the same. However in my hospital it hasn’t been done this way, so I appear to be a guinea pig.
From the previous post about my tattooing and the specific ness of the positioning of me, and the degrees of my body etc is basically done again before the actual zapping.
So here’s a video of my session. It is 15mins long I appreciate that, but up until 9:15 is the radiographers aligning me up. They then have to leave the room. From about 11:35 is when the machine starts to fire up and you can even see bits of radiotherapy like spots (almost like glitter!) The actual zapping is when the machine starts to move. You can see at 12:20 there are two laser lines, a red and a green. These are all over the room and they make sure that I am aligned on my tattoos! The radiotherapy then finishes zapping at 13:38 and then the wait is for the machine to finish, then they come in and release me!
The staff in this department were amazing. I cannot explain how kind they really are and understanding at all times especially on my first go because I was so anxious when I saw the size of the machine!
But that’s it.
That is radiotherapy in a nutshell.
Piss easy compared to chemotherapy and recovery from surgery.
5 sessions done.
Skin changes are noticeable, this photo was from day 3 (taken one the Saturday) and you can noticeably see a red square where the area is being treated. I thought it was a smaller area. It almost feels like really bad sunburn. Irritable and hot. Also my bra is really annoying.
I will update more pictures with my post chemotherapy blogs. Because as I’m writing this today it is much redder.
Such a weird feeling knowing that my treatment at the moment is done. I don’t know how to feel.
The next step in my journey is discussing when I will be having my full reconstruction and my oophorectomy. Which is something that I don’t want to think about.
Words cannot explain how it makes me feel to know that I may not be having more children, because time is of an essence. As a BRCA1 I am at such high risk of getting ovarian cancer as well. So an oophorectomy will remove the ovaries and put me into an early menopause.
The issue is, right now in our situation we are not in a position financially/housing to have another child.
Our wedding is now July 2021, we are still saving and living at James’ mum, how can we bring another child into this? We are ready for our mortgage, and have a deposit ready, yet we are not in a position to go ahead and get a house. Wages are too low currently, so need to wait until we can get a bigger wage in before we would qualify for a house. Then could we consider another child. I know I already have one perfect little girl, but all I wanted was a big family with siblings for Erin. It’s all a minefield. Hurts my head, heart and soul.
But
I’ve beaten cancer. No more active treatments.
Normally I would be given 20 sessions.
These are spread daily Monday - Friday over 4 weeks.
There are new trials that show the same sessions can be done in 5 days worth of treatment. As a result, it’s less time spent at the hospital which is good given current Coronavirus guidelines and me self shielding. The recovery, is all the same, However the dosage is much more stronger.
It’s been trialled elsewhere and apparently there is scientific proof the results are the same. However in my hospital it hasn’t been done this way, so I appear to be a guinea pig.
From the previous post about my tattooing and the specific ness of the positioning of me, and the degrees of my body etc is basically done again before the actual zapping.
So here’s a video of my session. It is 15mins long I appreciate that, but up until 9:15 is the radiographers aligning me up. They then have to leave the room. From about 11:35 is when the machine starts to fire up and you can even see bits of radiotherapy like spots (almost like glitter!) The actual zapping is when the machine starts to move. You can see at 12:20 there are two laser lines, a red and a green. These are all over the room and they make sure that I am aligned on my tattoos! The radiotherapy then finishes zapping at 13:38 and then the wait is for the machine to finish, then they come in and release me!
The staff in this department were amazing. I cannot explain how kind they really are and understanding at all times especially on my first go because I was so anxious when I saw the size of the machine!
But that’s it.
That is radiotherapy in a nutshell.
Piss easy compared to chemotherapy and recovery from surgery.
5 sessions done.
Skin changes are noticeable, this photo was from day 3 (taken one the Saturday) and you can noticeably see a red square where the area is being treated. I thought it was a smaller area. It almost feels like really bad sunburn. Irritable and hot. Also my bra is really annoying.
I will update more pictures with my post chemotherapy blogs. Because as I’m writing this today it is much redder.
Such a weird feeling knowing that my treatment at the moment is done. I don’t know how to feel.
The next step in my journey is discussing when I will be having my full reconstruction and my oophorectomy. Which is something that I don’t want to think about.
Words cannot explain how it makes me feel to know that I may not be having more children, because time is of an essence. As a BRCA1 I am at such high risk of getting ovarian cancer as well. So an oophorectomy will remove the ovaries and put me into an early menopause.
The issue is, right now in our situation we are not in a position financially/housing to have another child.
Our wedding is now July 2021, we are still saving and living at James’ mum, how can we bring another child into this? We are ready for our mortgage, and have a deposit ready, yet we are not in a position to go ahead and get a house. Wages are too low currently, so need to wait until we can get a bigger wage in before we would qualify for a house. Then could we consider another child. I know I already have one perfect little girl, but all I wanted was a big family with siblings for Erin. It’s all a minefield. Hurts my head, heart and soul.
But
I’ve beaten cancer. No more active treatments.
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