Radiation Oncology

We met with the radiation oncologist this morning. The doctor is so very nice and it’s good that she is next door to my oncologist, so they consult each other on every case very closely. They recommend I start with the most painful places like my spine and hips. See how I respond to the treatments and also give the drugs a chance to work for me without unnecessary radiation. They were able to map my spine today while I was there. Radiation treatments start tomorrow, it’s 15-min per session, everyday for 10 days (except weekends of course).

They said the treatments are not painful, I won’t feel anything. It’s not the kind of treatment that would immediately make me feel better either. The purpose of radiation is to kill the bad cells and allow healthy cells to grow in time. So, it might take a while for me to feel the effects of the treatment. Keep taking those pain pills is basically the message. 🙂 There are some side affects such as fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, etc. I get to keep my hair. Every time I expect to lose my hair, they tell me I can keep it! So, friends, please don’t shave your heads yet. 🙂

Tomorrow, I am also getting my first calcium IV shot to strengthen my spine.

All prescribed treatments are now in full swing. I am glad we are done with all the tests for a while. They have collected samples of everything from head to toe… except maybe a hair sample! LOL! Anyway, I am done hearing bad news for a while. Let’s get all these treatments underway and give my poor body a rest so it could heal from within. Sleeping all day sounds like a great solution to my problems!! 🙂