Radiation and Surgery News

Well thank goodness I am finally over the hump in terms of the effects of radiation.  The visible ones I mean.  My twenty-eight and final day of radiation was Monday February 4th, yet my skin kept cooking until at least Friday.  The area, which was a bright pinkish purple, eventually began breaking down.  As they had radiated my underarm lymph nodes right to the back with the bolus on, that became the worst with open blisters and wounds forming.  There were a few days where I could not keep the pain away, even with taking dilaudid hydromorphone every four hours.

I also solved the mystery as to why I ended up in hospital on the fifth day after my chemo session last June.  It happened to me again last week.  As it turns out, I am allergic to prochlorperazine (stemetil), an anti-nausea drug.  I had been given it last week to help with the nausea caused by the dilaudid.  After three doses I had the same horrible, unable to breathe reaction as I had had in June.  Thankfully I knew what was happening, so instead of having to call an ambulance, Wade drove me to the hospital where Dr. M took really good care of me.

So, back to the radiation, yesterday was a painful day which was surprising as it had been improving, however I awoke this morning to a much improved skin situation, and I believe I am now over the hump.  Yeah!  I am so relieved.  I hated taking the pain killers and feeling all off kilter.  I imagine in a week or so it will all be healed and my skin although never normal again, will at least look normal.

I have news about surgery too.  I have decided to go ahead with the DIEP flap surgery even though I may have an increased risk of forming a blood clot which would kill the new breast.  The risk is low, and my blood work was negative for any clotting disorder despite having a clotting problem during pregnancy.  If however the flap does die, then the procedure becomes pretty drastic.  The surgeon will have to operate again within days, remove the dead flap and take skin from my back, keeping it attached, they will turn it around to the front and create a pocket that will eventually hold an implant.  This could mean two or three extra surgeries.

I am however, highly confident that my body will behave for me.  It will not clot in any way whatsoever and the entire procedure will go beautifully.  So, the date is April 4th.  Not that far away now.  I am very nervous about the surgery and will probably write more about it in the weeks to come. I will be very relieved though to get this cancer out of my body.

That's all for today folks.
Have a happy hump day!

Michelle