Red! What were you thinking?!?  Yes, I said red. That’s about the number of different shades of skin colour that I had simultaneously. This all occurred about a week after my radiation treatments ended. Part of this collage of colours was due to the blistering that occurred in my underarm. And yes, that was pretty uncomfortable…I had quite the skin care regimen during this time!

My six weeks of radiation treatments ended back on February 7th, and I do realize that it has been a long time since I published an update. But, I have a very good reason for this…radiation is very, very tiring! The main side effect of radiation, other than the skin changes, is fatigue from the treatment itself. Further to this, let me give you a rundown of my typical day: wake up, do a saline soak on my skin that is receiving the radiation, apply up to four different creams to skin, do physio exercises, get ready for work, go to work, leave work around 3:30 pm, go to Princess Margaret for radiation, go home, do a saline soak, apply creams, do physio, eat dinner, do a saline soak, apply creams, do physio, and then go to bed. Wake up the next morning and repeat. For six weeks. Needless to say, this was exhausting. And did I mention that I had to make my own saline solution? Every night I had to make a batch of sterile saline solution! So yes, I’ve been pretty tired!

Now that I am approaching the three week mark after radiation, I can happily report that my skin is healing nicely. There are still some sensitive areas, but no more blisters, no more saline soaks, and no more application of four different creams! I’m still working on recovering my energy, but at least my daily routine requires a lot less energy now, so that will help immensely 🙂

Since radiation is completed, I get to move forward with my maintenance treatments, which are all part of the plan to ensure that I am cured. As you may recall, I still go to Princess Margaret’s chemo centre every three weeks for an infusion of Herceptin, and this will continue until August of this year. I have now also started my 10 years of tablet therapy with a pill called Tamoxifen, which I take every day. This one concerned me a little as the information sheet says that “small amounts of alcohol may be tolerated”. So my oncologist and I had a chat to define “small”… and we’re good…I can still have wine with dinner, or a couple of beers while watching the Jays game!

The one surprise from my recent oncology appointment was that the Medical Oncologist wasn’t thrilled with the fact that the post-surgery pathology report indicated there was cancer in the lymph nodes that were removed. He had expected the chemo treatments to have eradicated all of the cancer. Because of this, I am at higher risk for recurrence, so the Oncologist has started me on an ovarian suppression drug to try and reduce the amount of estrogen produced by my body. I will be taking this drug for three to five years, and this drug does not come in a pill form. The drug is administered with a giant needle…as in I had my first injection over a week ago and I can still see the needle mark! I will have to have this injection once a month. For three to five years. My tummy is going to look like a pin cushion! But that’s okay. I will happily get this injection if it means that I never have to go through any of this again 🙂