After I was done, I was handed a card to remind me to come in every day, Monday-Friday for 3:00 appointments for treatment. On the card, they spelled my last name "Hofman." That annoyed me. I was ready to run out of there screaming when the nurse pulled me into a room to go over the side effects I'm going to be having. She said it is expected that my skin will be irritated, like a sunburn. I can't scrub my skin with any rags or loofas, only use my hands to barely wash the area with fragrance free, sensitive skin soap. I need to avoid lotions or perfumes. It is also expected that I will experience shooting pains in my breast. Well, that side effect should be nothing new, thanks to the expanders already providing those. She said I should also expect to be tired. This nurse also happens to be someone we know on a personal level, so she tried to make me feel better (since it was pretty obvious I was upset), and it only made it worse. I started venting to her about how pissed I was that the doctor wasn't in on Wednesday. And how Dr. West still didn't know my treatment plan, even though it seems like Dr. Washington made my plan a long time ago. And how I am just so sick of over paid doctors not taking the time to truly know their patients. I mean, the nurse misspelling my name on a card when they are supposed to be giving me radiation that is accurate to the millimeter? Really? How am I supposed to trust that anybody is paying attention to the details when they can't even spell my name right? Ugh!
After my vent session, Dr. Washington came in to see me. She said that not only was she intending to give me a boost (we knew that dreadful news was coming) but that she typically gives a boost for the last 5 treatments to the scar area. That area is where a recurrence happens most typically. Then, she made the news even worse (did you think it was possible?) She reviewed my surgery biopsy report with me. It shows that the invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC-aka active cancer cells) were found 5 ml from the margins they cut. They also found ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS-aka non-invasive, super early stage cancer cells) only 1 ml from the margins. Because that was cutting it so close (literally) she intends to actually give me 8 boosts. Yes, that means not only am I to get the "boost" that Dr. West so feared (because it can potentially make my entire reconstruction go kaput) but I am supposed to get MORE than the average cancer patient. Great. Needless to say, I didn't leave in the best mood ever.
Today I went in for treatment #1. They had to take yet another picture, but hopefully that was the last one. They tried to tape my right breast down more gently, but ya, still hurt like hell. The appointment took 1 hour, which is half the time of Friday's. And this time I actually got a treatment. It was like getting an x-ray. You know when you go to the dentist, and they walk behind a wall and you hear a short "beep" when you get your x-ray done? It sounded almost just like that, only the beep lasted more than a second. It was several seconds each time. The best way to describe the experience is like laying down for an extended x-ray. I didn't feel a thing. The machine moved around me and continued it's beeping process from a few different angles. They had to wrap my breast in a wet towel, and made a joke about it being a fancy spa treatment. Ha. Ha. If I ever go to an actual spa treatment, and am subjected to old school country music while I'm strapped to a table in an awkward position in pain, someone is definitely getting fired.
What was weird is when I was done, my skin was already a little red and irritated. Strange considering I didn't feel anything. Oh well, we knew it was coming. I am really sad that my husband works so far away. I need him here. I have to get 2 kids ready every morning, work all day, come home and feed them, bathe them, pack lunches, and get them ready for bed. Tonight, just taking the trash cans to the street seemed like a major chore. I am definitely looking forward to 7 weeks from now when I can say this part is all in the past...