Radiation Field 4.28.2008

Today was Radiation Treatment #3, and I asked the technician Lynn if the axillary wound bed was included in the treatment field. She thought it was, and offered to mark it for me when they "set the lights up". (that means when they line up the laser lights with the tattoos) Ok, thanks!

So, this is what she did.



You can kind of see the purple dots that she put on. If you start mid-sternal, between the breasts, the middle one is the tat; then follow the dots down around and below the breast, the mark at the bottom of the rib is a tattoo. Then I don't think she put another mark until just above the incision under the armpit. The other marks on my side are more of the ones God put there, and there is the scar from the drain, too. Then go back across to the middle.

My concern is how the lymph bed will be affected by the radiation. Hopefully, not much, as it looks like there is just a corner of it caught in the field.

I am glad to have this photo documentation to be able to follow.

New Hair 4.15.2008

These are pics taken on April 15, 2008. I have been feeling these hairs for a week or so, but the last couple of days, the colick (how do you spell that sworly thing on your head??) has been more noticeable to my hand, kind of rough feeling.






These are before and after makeup, thanks to the Look Good Feel Better program. Notice how thin the eyebrows are--they shed just last week. So, How can new hair be growing when other hair is coming out? I don't know--the last of the chemotherapy was March 19, 20.

Radiation Markings 4.10.08

Today I had the Planning Session for Radiation Treatment. These are the pics of the markings that were put on me, and also the permanent tattoos.

The front, center or sternal markings, and the left side markings. X marks the spot for the tattoo on the sides.

Right side marking. The blue smeared X is the mark for the tattoo.

Center tattoo, and left side tattoo.

Hair and Breast 4.9.08

These are pics taken on Day 22, Treatment #4, the last of the chemotherapy, and the day before I went for the Radiation Planning Session. It looks like there is new hair growth on my head, but, interestingly, the eyebrows shed just 3 days before. I don't get how you can lose the hair on your head and have new growth, and lose eyebrows without losing any more hair anywhere else. You can see that the inner ends of the eyebrows are patchy and thin. I didn't lose the eyelashes. The longer hairs on my head are what's left of my original hair--I chose to not shave my head. Notice that there is no hair under my arm, either.









Under my arm, I developed this cord, which was very sore, a
burning sensation when it was touched. The sensation went from
about an inch above the incision, which was numb, through the pit, extending almost down to my elbow. I went to see the surgeon, Dr. Sanchez, who said it may be a nerve or a lymphatic channel that was full. She massaged it, and it went down, but it made my eyes leak when she did. We went home with instructions to continue massage several times a day to soften it. My concern was that there was something going on that radiation might harm more. She didn't think so, but we'll find out, I guess.

This is what my breast looks like now, the end of chemotherapy, and before radiation. The axillary incision (armpit) is still reddened, and almost lies flat with my arm up, but with my arm down, I have a crease there. The incision on the breast is still slightly reddened, and still has some puckering. The areola is stained from the dye that was injected during the first surgery, November 23, 2007. The dye is injected in the lymph nodes in the areola, along with radioactive stuff, and when they check for the sentinal lymph node, it will be the most radioactive, and also have the dye in it. That area of the nipple is still ouchy sore/tender when pressure is on it--like when you lean on something, or bump up against something. Sometimes I have to reposition myself if I'm lying on my side or abdomen. The drain site is the lighter red dot on the left-side picture. It has healed pretty good.









And this is what I'm left with, at this point. Definitely a little uneven, the incisions are puckered, and the nipple kind of folds in on itself. Dr. Sanchez was saying that with breast conservation, a change in appearance is the sacrifice we have to keep our breasts, as opposed to having a mastectomy, where the breast is completely gone, with the scars remaining.