I had about a three week break between the last day of chemo and yesterday when I met with Dr. Donaldson, who is my radiation oncologist. Macy & Cliff went to the appointment with me. We discussed the side effects, the schedule and the preparation needed. Then I got a CT scan to "map out" the area to be treated. They made a body mold that will keep me from moving and keep me in the same position each day during treatments. Now here's the most exciting part... I got four tattoos that show the therapist where to aim the radiation. Getting the tattoos made me feel wild and crazy! I'm going to imagine that they are frogs. (One of my girlfriends has a frog tattoo.)
The first actual radiation treatment will be next Tuesday. Radiation is a treatment that kills cancer cells in the target area, where chemotherapy kills fast growing (cancer cells) in the whole body. Radiation and chemotherapy both reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. I'll have a radiation treatment everyday five days a week until I've had 28-33 treatments. It's only supposed to take about 30 minutes. The main side effects are skin reactions (redness, itching, burning, soreness and peeling) and fatigue.
Sounds like a cinch compared to chemo.
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