Radi-elation

I'm glad to be looking at radiation because it means chemotherapy is behind us. Here's what the approach of radiation has looked like:

Plan A: When Dr. Science mentioned radiation at my first appointment with him, I swear he said "3 weeks." I figured I'd knock it out soon after chemo and be done by the new year. Plan A lasted until Chemo Round 5, when Plan B was unveiled.

Plan B: 5 weeks of radiation, 5 days a week. He swears he never said 3 weeks. . . So. I figured I'd rest up after chemo, spend 2 weeks over Christmas with Bryan and the kids in Florida, by his parents, then come back and start the radiation in January.

I had gotten pretty keen on Plan B. I liked the idea of being recovered from chemotherapy, and of having a nice break from treatment, and of enjoying the whole month of December without having to use any cancer words.

Then Leslie and I went to my appointment with Dr. X-Ray.

He has a real name. But he is a radiologist. Am I supposed to resist giving him a name with a bit of jazz?

We both liked him. Very down-to-earth guy. Grew up on Long Island. Lived in Hinsdale, IL for many years before relocating to the Springs. We talked suburbs for a while. Very personable fellow.

When he told me the radiation would likely be 7 weeks long, I did not like him any less.

I posed Plan B to him, e.g. waiting until the new year, and his first response was to say that we have no data on how waiting 6-7 weeks affects the outcome. But, he said, if I really wanted to wait. . .

No, no. I'm not here to make medical history. Staying within normal parameters seems like a fine idea, and that means starting within 3-4 weeks of the last chemo treatment. And that means starting 7 December or so. And that makes for Plan C: 7 weeks, 5 days a week, starting early December.

We hope to get down to Florida in late January.

Other notes from the Dr. X-Ray visit: he noted that I am "thin."

I finally said out loud, instead of just writing about it, "I love it when doctors tell me I'm thin."

He laughed at this. But he's got a wife and a daughter, so he knows the score.

He mentioned the side effects of treatment: fatigue, possibility of lymphedemia, sun burn on the skin that will turn into a tan.

About the fatigue--I am hoping it will be of a different sort than what chemo produces. It comes from the body's efforts to rebuild cells, and that seems friendlier than the body's efforts to process poison and all the drugs taken along with them to control side effects.

About the lymphedemia--25 - 30% chance that radiation will trigger it. Let's pray against this. As you all know, it's the one thing I really want to avoid.

About the skin issues -- Dr. X-Ray concluded the description of burn into tan by saying, "So, it will end up looking pretty good."

"You mean, aside from the missing breast and scar running across my chest."

This made him laugh a little, too. "Yeah, aside from that" and then went on to describe what radiation of 20 years ago did to the skin. Ugh. Once again, I am so thankful for the technology that has come before me.

So there is your scoop. To paraphrase the Ghostbusters, shortly before they cross beams and nuke the StayPuff man: "Plan C. I like this plan and I'm excited to be a part of it."