Done with Radiation!

Radiation is complete!! Done! Finished! This morning I was able to take the boys to school and then come right back home. I have my whole morning to myself. And it feels good. :o) Now I just need to decide what I am going to do with my mornings.

But maybe not for a little while. For a couple weeks I think I am going to take it easy – or at least try. My body needs the time right now to heal. This week the fatigue has been present quite a bit. I’m not sure if it is the cumulative effect of radiation or if the boost caused it but I am tired. Even right now in the morning I’m tired. I hate the dull head feeling of fatigue, but I know it will get better.

I’m also pretty sore and tender. I was told to expect the skin to continue to get worse for a week after radiation. I actually think it will take longer because some of the area that stopped being treated last week is still continuing to get worse. It is weird to not be getting radiation but every morning to wake up to a larger area that is intensely red. It is like the deep red is just marching right across my chest. And once it gets intensely red and painful the next step for me is for the skin to gray and peel off. I know that sounds really gross and painful. Sorry if it does. It is worse than a bad sunburn peeling, but at least for me I can say that once the old dead skin comes off I am healing pretty quickly. The areas that this has already happened are easily irritated but they do not hurt very much at all. So it is kind of a relief to see the old skin go if it has to so that I can get to the next stage. I’m guessing that I will lose half of the skin in the treated area. I’m not sure how normal this is or not. Each woman reacts differently. The good news though is that the nurse said my body is doing a good job of healing and that everything appears within what would be possibly expected.

There is one more positive. I’m happy that I was able to get through all of radiation without needing to take a break to let my skin heal. My skin didn’t start breaking down until right at the end. I know a break in radiation sounds like a good thing, but I prayed that I wouldn’t need one. It’s the daily hammering at the cancer cells that will kill them. If my skin gets a break to heal then so does the cancer. So I’m very glad that I was able to get through the whole process.

One more thing – I wrote a little about the skin reaction because it is a common side effect of radiation. Everyone is different though. Some will have more or less problems than I had. I do not want to scare anyone off from getting radiation. That is not my intent. Cancer treatments are not easy. It is not always pleasant but it is doable. Radiation is easier than chemo. The side effects usually do not even show up until almost the end. And when they do the nurses are wonderful and can offer help.

And one more thing – I have thought about this often but I don’t think I have ever written about it. I am always open to talking with women who are going through cancer. I have met some really great women that I would not have met had I not had cancer. These women that God has put in my path are wonderful examples of Christians dealing with this disease. God has used these women and our friendships to make me a stronger Christian. I know it would be much harder to go through this without having these relationships. So even if you don’t know me very well, it is OK to just call or email me out of the blue. You have my permission! I would find great joy in being there for you! After all that is what God gives us each other for right?