Surgery Post-Op & Radiation

Mayo Appointments

Linds and I traveled to Rochester on Thursday night for three Friday appointments. We took the long way down, headed east towards and into Wisconsin. Stopped in Red Wing for the cool pottery and antique shop. For those who aren’t familiar with Minnesota, this is where the Mississippi carved our river valley (the closest thing we have to mountains). It’s a really pretty drive. Then we stopped at a local restaurant in Rochester to grab dinner. I knocked off a couple of bucket-list/post-chemo list items: eating steak tartare and oysters.

First appointment of the day was survivor’s clinic. Normally in these appointments you determine the next steps in your treatment program, but since I had yet to schedule radiation, things are a bit up in the air for me. The nurse went over some potential future treatment options – where I’d get 6-month chest-wall appointments (basically a breast exam with no breasts) and future scans. Because I’m being treated at home as well as at Rochester, I’ll need to decide where to get those chest-wall check-ins and yearly scans.

The nurse also went over a list of after-cancer care like wellness sessions (yoga, acupuncture, etc.) and prosthetics, for which you need a prescription. These are more like over the skin implants. You get ones fitted to your body and then a special bra in which to wear them. This is an option I’ll explore. It is strange not to see breasts on your form, but also, I’m not sure you’d notice unless you knew me. I am average size (I think?) so the absence of breasts doesn’t look odd on my frame.

After survivor’s clinic, we grabbed some lunch before meeting with the radiation oncologists (one of the residents and then the actual oncologist). The nurse at the first appointment asked if I got to skip radiation because of the complete pathological response. I didn’t expect that, so maybe I went in with more hope than I should have. The radiation oncologists still recommend 5 weeks of radiation, and specifically to the node that lit up behind the middle of my chest wall (behind the rib cage). It’s an area you can’t biopsy or take out. I’ll get an extra dose of protons there.

I asked what would happen if I opted out, and the resident, with a very serious face, said “We would not recommend that.” A lot has to do with my age since we want to avoid recurrence as much as possible. There are a lot of side effects to radiation (like chemo) – lymphedema (so that’s still on the table!), skin changes/3rd degree burns, fatigue (he suggested I have someone drive me to appointments the last couple weeks of treatment), and, of course, MORE CANCER. But, he said, doing radiation is worth the side effects (the alternative being a recurrence).

Radiation

Mayo is backed up with proton patients, so I’m not the first on the list. The oncologist was able to grab the earlier of the two dates she told me, so I’ll start radiation on April 4th. I’ll be down to Mayo first on March 25th to do the radiation planning. That’s when they figure out the best way to position me and then tattoo those spots with a little dot.

Then its 5 weeks, 5 days a week, of radiation. Because I’m young and otherwise healthy, I get the shit times (early morning, midnight). I can absolutely deal with this because it’s the kids and high-risk patients who get the best timeslots. Plus, it’s not like I’m doing a whole lot else there. I’ll get my schedule on Wednesdays for the following week, so I’ll just need to go with the flow.

My plan right now is to stay at the Hope Lodge, a nonprofit place for cancer patients who don’t live in the area but require regular treatment there. It’s communal – at least the kitchen is. I’m hoping I get my own bathroom. I’ve looked into VRBO and such but the cheapest place I found for $40/night, and that’s not exactly a place I’d feel safe staying. Apartments are a bit more but then you get all the amenities. Not sure it’s a cost I want to incur yet when there’s a free option, but I have to admit some anxiety about staying in a communal space. I’m an extrovert, but I like sleeping at home, so it’s gonna be a bit hard for me.

Recovery

Healing like a champ! ???? All the incisions and holes are healing nicely. There are the two holes where the drains were plus a few holes from the stitches. There’s lots of brushing around my midsection. It’s less painful than it is itchy. There are some new, angry stretch marks where I would call the “underboob.” Skin has definitely stretched in that area (I can even feel the tightness in my neck). I was lucky to get away with minor stretch marks from having two kids (a few in that area), but considering how tight my chest feels, this is pretty minor. And in all honestly, they look like lightning bolts so they’re kinda badass. 😉

I’m stuck in a chest binder until Wednesday. On one hand, it feels kind of good to be wrapped up, but on the other, it’s itchy and annoying. I’m able to move my arm better, but I’m mindful of needing to take it easy. Scar tissue can build up if I do the same movements over and over. I also get little twinges if I move in a certain way but that’s about it. Tylenol and Advil can knock that out. I can now wear non-button-up shirts! Oh yeah.