The Beginning of the End of Treatments - Radiation is finally here

A cousin of Rick's would like to have this
tattoo in honor of her nonna (grandma)
who died from breast cancer when
she was a little girl. 
I'm not advocating for tattos, but I
love the picture.

Wednesday was Simulation Day for radiation - the last phase of the intense part of my breast cancer treatment. 

Simulation is the beginning of the radiation process.  The radiation oncologist draws with a red permanent marker the area on your chest that needs to be radiated with shallow radiation.  In my case the area includes any place that used to contain breast tissue and the area where the lymph nodes were taken from - so it goes from my collar bone to the bottom of my ribs (below where the drains were after my surgery), to the center breast bone, and in to the arm pit.  This area will be radiated with the shallow radiation.  After the doctor does her drawing, the radiation tech taped metal pieces over the surgery scar and on the edges, then does a CT scan.  This gives them an idea of where everything is, heart, lungs, etc... they use all of this data to design the radiation plan.  I came home with the red box on my chest, and little pieces of tape that need to stay on until after they tattoo me :-).  They will also radiate along my collar bone with the deep type of radiation.  It's a really interesting process, a little scary, but interesting.

Monday is Day 0 in the radiation process, after taking all of the data from yesterdays' scans and pictures, they set the radiation machine up, and make templates, tattoo me (only the size of pin heads, nothing cool or pretty), and do a test run through of the radiation process.  Then the real thing starts on Tuesday. 

Since the radiation will be 5 days a week for about 6 weeks, I'll be staying in Eugene during the week and coming home on the weekend.  Katrina will be with me most of the time and we will be staying at the Children's Miracle Network Guest House. Kind of like a mini vacation - well maybe?

I'm also getting stents in my tear ducts next week - hopefully it will help with my eye issues and I will be able to drive again!!!!!

Check out the Army of Women widget that I added, it's a pretty amazing project, dedicated to finding a cure for Breast Cancer. 

I received a great Breast Cancer magazine from Joanie at Ladies First Choice Breast Cancer Boutique in Salem, it's called Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine, they have a website, breastcancerwellness.org, order your free subscription.  It's is a very informative and interesting magazine, it encourages you to go beyond being a Breast Cancer Survivor to being a Breast Cancer Thriver!

More from Eugene next week (hopefully).

Love and God Bless you,

Linda