As you know, I am now going through the radiation phase of my treatment. And I can happily report that I am past the half-way point! I am scheduled for 30 radiation sessions as part of my treatment, and I have 17 under my belt. The treatments themselves are pretty easy. It’s painless. I don’t feel or see anything. And I get to lie down during the whole process. It would be a nap-time for me, except I have to do that pesky breath-holding thing. For the curious, here’s a look at the machine that is used to apply the radiation.

The side effects most commonly associated with radiation are fatigue and skin changes or discolouration. The fatigue is really catching up with me. I have a lot less energy than I did even during chemo! Normal activities wear me out more easily so I’m keeping everything, such as household chores and social activities, to the bare minimum. Keep in mind that I am still in post-surgical rehab, so I have a lot of “must-do” activities, such as my physio exercises, which I have to do three times a day! I like to sleep a lot more now, and I have fully embraced the joy of multiple naps throughout the day. Of course, that only happens on weekends, since I’m still working on the weekdays 🙂

The side effects on my skin are starting to become quite apparent. The newest effect is some itchiness. And of course its a no-no to scratch the itch away, so I am now applying a cortisone cream to the irritated skin. The other fun thing is that the affected skin is changing colour. Most of the area looks like I have a mild sunburn, but some sections, like my underarm, are turning quite brown. I think I’m going to tell the technicians to turn me over…I’m done on this side!