Radiation Week 6

I thought I would give you all an update on the latest stuff that's been happening with me. As the end of my radiation approaches, there have been a few changes.

First of all, I wanted to share something with you that I've been holding back until I got more information. I now have enough information to share. About a week ago, I noticed two little lumps on my chest near the incision. One was a little harder than the other, but both had me a bit concerned.

So, when I met with my radiation oncologist, he examined them and indicated that they didn't feel like cancer to him. They felt more like lipomas, which are benign tumors composed of fatty tissue. These are very common and have no relationship to my cancer at all. But, to be safe, he decided to measure both of them. He will measure them each time we meet and if we notice a change, then we'll take further action. However, he said that he felt that there was nothing to worry about. He said he wasn't worried and as long as he wasn't worried, I shouldn't be worried.

When I met with my oncologist last week, I also pointed out the lumps to him. He was in agreement that they weren't cancer but said that felt more like some of the post-surgical anomolies that occasionally occur but are nothing to be concerned about. The next time I met with my radiation oncologist, I mentioned this to him. He measured the spots again and found no change in size. He told me that he's still not concerned, but just to make the opinion unanimous, he wanted to get my surgeon's opinion as well.

I met with my surgeon earlier this week, and it was definitely unanimous. He agreed that one felt like a lipoma and the other felt like a post-surgical thing that he compared to scar tissue. Apparently, these lumps are fairly common post-surgery and no one feels I have any reason to be concerned. So, I'm taking this at face value and am not concerned.

Throughout my radiation, I have always been treated on the same machine. My radiation configuration was set up for use on this machine, and I am scheduled at the same time everyday. However, starting next Tuesday, I will go on a new machine for my last 6 treatments. This machine is a kind of booster that concentrates heavily on my incision area. Yesterday, they performed the setup (called "simulation") on the machine.

It's hard to believe that I'm already in my 6th week of radiation. It took four months for 8 sessions of chemo to pass, and yet I will have received 35 treatments of radiation in less than two months.

Back when I started all of this, radiation seemed so far away. Back then, when I got to the end of radiation, I would be almost done. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case as I will have to receive more chemo. But I still feel like I'm in the home stretch. Even though it takes longer for the chemo to pass—and who knows how many treatments I'll receive this time—it should be the last thing I have to do before reconstruction.

Although reconstruction is going to be a harder surgery to recover from (because they have to cut through muscle), I'm looking forward to it as it will mark the beginning of the end of this journey. Although the reconstruction is not the journey's goal, it is the road sign that tells me that the journey is nearly complete.

This experience will always be with me, and it has changed me inexplicably, but I hope it's an experience that I never have to repeat. I know I'm talking like it's over when I still have several months of this, but I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. And, I'm ready for it.