Cancer Snobbery

I sense a tendency for cancer patients to size up other cancer patients by the extent of their disease. Or maybe its just me, a-hole that I am. I silently mock the tribulations of those stage-nothing, hormone receptives, who need only a quick shot and some radiation before they're "cured." That's barely cancer at all. I am, in turn, completely humbled by the stage four metastatics who are in it for the long haul. They are the mac daddies of my world, the kings and queens of endurance, the Guiness Book record holders.....for them, I have utmost respect.

Christmas Week

I made it into the hospital every day this week in spite of Arctic Blast 2008 (TM). Didn't see any of my usual waiting room cohorts. But all the staff were there, so I was served by up to four nurses at a time every visit. Remember my Formula One pit stop analogy from the lumpectomy? It was kinda like that.

I got a break on Christmas Day. Nice to lie in for a while before heading up to the home of Rhett's Aunt where we experienced the heaviest snowfall I've ever been in. V. romantic, actually. Especially when it was followed by a burst of sunshine making the scene truly Alpine and Christmas-y.

Yesterday I only left the house to go to radiation. Then I sat through three movies consecutively: Howard's End, Kinky Boots and Calendar Girls. Yes, I was watching BBC America.

My hair is growing back - and much to my disappointment its coming in the same old color. I was hoping for red. And, I do, in fact, have a bit of burn going on under my left armpit but I've only four treatments to go. Hurrah!

OK, No Breast Mask

I got that wrong. They don't put anything on me. But the attachment for the radiation machine that they use to administer the electron beam looks like something straight out of an Austin Powers movie. I had to ask whether Dr. Evil will be in attendance for the rest of treatment.

Holiday Fun

"Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" was the musical accompaniment to treatment this morning, which led to a discussion as to whether the red nose might have been caused by some kind of radiation accident. The nurse technicians were quick to point out, however, that they don't actually make body parts glow.

Waiting Room Updates...

Cancer Girl finished treatment today. What will she do now? Also, I found out that Bobbie does in fact have a husband currently who is very much alive. Funny that she mostly refers only to the dead one.

Port Still In.....

Sadly Dr Lim canceled the port removal because most of his staff didn't show up yesterday due to the snow. I would have showed up. Sigh. But for now the port remains under the surface of my chest skin until the new year.

In better news I am, apparently, very good at radiation. Not only do I hit my marks on the machine almost every time, but the burn really is minimal. The nurse technician told me today that at this stage many others have blisters and open sores from treatment. All you can see on me is a faint pink tinge.

I have four more regular radiation treatments then we go to the "boost" phase. This will be seven treatments of an electron beam that is focused only on the tumor location to make absolutely sure that there's no more cancer around the margins. I think they have to create some kind of breast mask to ensure the beam hits its mark every time. Neat.

Snow Stops Play?

I'm supposed to have the port removed tomorrow. I'm pretty anxious about this. As my dedicated readers may recall, port insertion required general anesthetic, a half hour of surgery and a chest x-ray. Dr Lim informs me that he can whip the thing out in his office. I mean, this port is a) long, b) held in by stitches and c) very close to my lung. And I'm supposed to be awake?

Blimey.

Current arctic conditions, however, may require that surgery is deferred until some later date which is, actually, annoying since I'm trying to get as much medical stuff done in this calendar year as possible before my insurance deductible kicks in again.

Separately, the breast is definitely turning pink with burn now. Its a very geometrically precise burn which, I suppose, makes perfect sense given that light travels in a straight line and all.

Side Effects?

The truth is that I still don't really seem to be having any side effects from radiation and I'm now over half way through treatment. The tingling and discoloration I noticed a couple of weeks ago may have been more to do with the bra I was wearing at the time. And while I am pretty tired, I suspect that's the result of burning the candle at both ends. I could test that theory by working minimal hours and curtailing all social activity....but its the holidays and that would be boring.

Of course, this time next week I'll probably be complaining of agonizing breast burn and chronic fatigue. But until then......

And just when my eyelashes were starting to grow back....

......my eyebrows fell out. Its a cruel, cruel world.

Updates

:: Bobbie's weight is down to 100lbs. She's most comfortable around 110 or so.
:: Cancer Girl's hair has grown in - although its still sufficiently short that she looks like she's in the army. Turns out she and I had the same drug regimen during chemo but her hair started coming back before that treatment had finished. Mine didn't. Am somewhat paranoid - what if it doesn't come back? I'm already tired of the whole turban business.
:: The nurse technician spent all yesterday putting up holiday lights (timed to illuminate automatically at dusk) outside his home.
:: My breast is beginning to burn. Definite discoloration and tingling. Stocked up on all-natural, colorless aloe vera gel this evening.