Obviously there is cancer involved. As my nick name suggests, I am a female (FECHO = Female Chauvinist.. :). I am in my 60s. In late 2010 I developed some vaginal spotting, which after imaging and a biopsy turned out to be caused by a spot of endometrial carcinoma, stage 1A. Radical hysterectomy was recommended, the removal of the uterus, ovaries and cervix.
The surgery was remarkably non-traumatic, they have done it by using laparoscopy. Just a few little holes on the abdomen, and I was up and out of the hospital within 24 hours. No major pains, just minor discomfort during the first few eliminations. I was up and about within days.
The bad news came a couple of weeks later when they let me know that according to the lab's findings the tumor was very close to the cervix and entered the glandular area a bit, between the uterus and the cervix. This automatically upgraded the cancer to a Stage IIA, which then results in some recommended post-operative treatment, even if there are no visible signs of metastasis.
I did a CT scan which showed no local spreading, although they remarked that there is a small spot visible in my right lung which can be anything, so we are supposed to keep an eye on it. (Sheesh... fingers crossed...) I reacted to the dye quite badly, though. Two days later I started to develop a bad rash. First it started under my breasts, then it spread all around the chest area and down my spine - that strip looked the worst. Then around my belt area and my lower neck, like a wide collar. And finally along the outside of my arms. I had to take 2-3 Benadryl pills per day to control the itch, which lasted some 4-5 days. After that the itch returned only in the late evening hours for a few more days, not needing pills, but the rash itself was visible up to the 6th week.
Now, with all this behind me, I am ready(?) to face the delights of a set of 25 radiation treatments, spread over 5 weeks. Last week they did the local CT scan and tattooed my belly with three small pinpoints. And today, at noon, I will have my first radiation. I checked the side effects out on the net and I am scared out of my wits about them. So I decided to keep a diary here, both for myself and for the benefit of anyone else who happens to pass by because of his or her search due to similar fears. I very much hope that in the long run this blog will provide more reassurance than causing further anxieties.
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Alright, first day down!
Since the procedure is a standard set of motions to go through, it is apparently rare to have to sit around and wait, they are mostly right on time.
Before entering, they quizzed me about the milk of magnesia and the half quart of water that are part of the preparations. The monster of a machinery is standing alone in the middle of a big room. I did not have to undress, just pull up my dress and push down my panties a few inches as I lied down on the table. The two girls who man the machine (pun intended) just covered me with a large paper towel thingy. They centered me according to my tattoos, and they gave me a large rubber ring, placed on my chest, to hang on to with my hands while staying still.
The big machine goes around the body stopping eight times (the composite photo here shows these positions), administering the rays from those eight different positions. Each time you hear them because the machine emits buzzes of different length, shorter, longer, with the pitch and intensity of a telephone ring. Between 12 and 20 of them from each angle. Overall it is not too noisy. So all in all the whole session is closer to 15-20 minutes, plus the positioning before, and the getting off after.
Naturally, I did not feel anything. They warned me that later I may feel a bit tired but that did not happen. I even went shopping, cooked, all the usual chores. But about four hours later I had a short bout of nausea, about half an hour long. It sort of crept up upon me so I am not even sure if it was caused by the radiation, or the earlier anxiety, or because I ate something funny... In the end it stopped when I lied down.
That's about it. I'll be back tomorrow.
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