Well, I have two, well, actually two and a half weeks of radiation left. At a higher dose of radiation too.
The skin in the area of radiation is a bit tender, feels drier, and looks redder and scratchy/dry. What is the real pain in the butt is the fact that not only do I have the little "tattoo" dots, but they also mark around the dots with Sharpie, black sharpie, and make an "x" on the center of the spot of radiation as well as draw a circle around it.
Sounds funny doesn't it? This wonderful technological treatment, has use of a black Sharpie marker to line up the area for treatment. That really isn't so bad, but the fact that the damn marker rubs off on your clothes is a pain in the ass.
That stuff doesn't wash out, and I really don't have that many clothes that fit right now! Beige, white bra's, the strap is turning black. (Remember the area being radiated is under the right clavicle bone - collar bone).
Oh yeah, and the black circle they draw shows unless I am wearing a high neck shirt, even a modest scope neck makes it look like I drew lines on myself in Sharpie. Seriously. And yes, I catch people looking at the black lines. They get all embarrassed when I say, yes, that is a black marker line. My technicians like to draw circles and x's. Of course they don't know I mean the radiation techs. Not the phone techs.
Get to see Doctor Flynn the 27th. I can tell you already about the whole appointment, we'll discuss the up coming "procedure" - getting a new port put back in on the 4th of November. How I am doing, which really is fine other than a bit of tenderness. My ability to find great bargains. (Found a Ralph Lauren purse at the Good Will for $0.83, yes eighty three cents, and a Prada - for real one - for $3.99). He'll also tell me I will need to go for a CT scan of the main portion of my body to make sure the cancer is all at bay, and he will be a bit concerned about the tenderness in the abdominal area. Then I'll go for blood tests, and what ever pre surgery thing I need to. Get my port on the fourth and start chemo on the 7th.
Doctor Vaughn, oncologist, is going to try to give me less of a dose of the chemo meds this time around considering how I reacted last time. He'd like to keep me out of the hospital. If I don't react well, I'll end up having to be hospitalized for chemo treatments. Four days in and a week out. Not something I would look forward too, but I did that routine in 2003 and survived, so I can do it again if I have to.
The biggest thing I was worried about was a wedding cake I wanted to do for a gift for Kristen and John Q. And it got done, and they liked both the Bridal and Groom's cake. I was worried about it when they said I had to do chemo again. If they had started chemo first I wouldn't have been able to do it, but the doctors listened to me and my bitching about I really needed to do this and it meant a lot to me. So I won. :D
Any who, here are some pictures of my hobby.
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| Wedding Cake |
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| Groom's Cake |
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| Cupcakes for the Bride's Sister |
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| Going Away Cake for Sgt. Dean |
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| Baby Shower Cake for Debbie |
