Feb 13th 2019 - I feel like London and I have become best friends, gosh I'm there more then I would like to be but I know it's what needs to be done to help with my journey.
On Jan 31st 2019 I yet again am making the drive down the 402 to London, and guess who's tagging along with me... you got it, Dad. Dad has been such a trooper through this whole journey, he and London have become quite acquainted too!
We are headed to the post surgery radiation appointment, at the London Regional Cancer Centre at Victoria Hospital - this appointment will confirm radiation and it's length as well as the planning to "map" out where I will be receiving radiation on the breast.
It's a very cold day out, when those doors open up to the LRCC there is a instant warmth and comfort feeling that pours out..."this will now be my second home for a while, I think", I say to myself and dad.
My appointment is for 930am at clinic 4, but my name is called and we are in sooner then expected. As we wait for the doctor, dad and I go over the memories of bein visiting the LRCC during my first go about with cancer. We can't believe how long it's been and how much we still remember - not much has changed in this place.
The doctor comes in and right away starts to go over the pathology report, this time it's not a shock, seeing as I know already what is going on... but it's still hard to hear.
Based on the lymph nodes that were infected and the size of the tumour after chemotherapy treatment, the doctors are recommending radiation treatment. Knowing how well radiation worked on my arm and how good the results ended up, I'm very confident with the treatment.
They explain the treatment plan; I will be doing 6 weeks (30 days) of daily radiation in London at the LRCC, I will be doing treatment for 5 weeks focused on the full left breast (chest wall) and lymph nodes in the armpit up to the collar bone, the 6th and final week we will focus the treatment only on the breast where the tumour was. This will get the margins where the tumour was growing and treat the chest wall for anything that may have latched on.
The plan makes sense and the doctors are very hopefully just like I am. It didn't take me long to decide; I am 100% going with the radiation treatment.
The biggest thing that has to be carefully concentrated on during the daily "zap" will be where my heart is located while laying on the table during breathing. They will have me take a very deep breath and hold it for 15 seconds; doing so, my lungs will push my heart back just enough that they should have a problem.
Today I was also sent down to the nurses in the radiation department for planning. I was "marked" for the area that will be radiated and placed on the table for exact measurements of where to lay and how during treatment.
The "marks" are actually tattoos; I had to get 5 more dots on my chest and around the left breast to match the 4 I already had on my arm from radiation treatment at 16yrs.
I was hoping for a different tattoo to be my next one, but I guess these 5 will have to do for now.
The side effects won't be as bad as chemo had, but there will be radiations' own effects I will have to watch out for. The first couple weeks won't be too bad, the side effects will show up over the course of the treatment.
My skin will look like it has a sunburn, it'll be sensitive and I can develop blisters and sores. The long term effect will be a harsher reaction to the sun (sunscreen will be mandatory) and there will be hardening and shrinking in size of the left breast where I had the reconstruction.
I know it's going to be a long haul daily for 6 weeks, but I have so much support and offered company for the drives, that it won't seem that bad.
Positive Note: The time has flown by so fast, I am already done chemotherapy, made it through surgery and now on to the final step of radiation for the breast cancer. Its been a "fun ride", but I made it.