New mapping

So here's the short of it,
My new mapping has been done for my radiation boost.

And here's the long

This morning I reported for my new mapping for the radiation boost.  The purpose of the boost is to radiate the area of surgical excision as a insurance against any of those left behind cancer cells.  I had two areas of cancer.  One was the small tumor which was Invasive Ductal Carcinoma; the other was a much larger area which was Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. My surgeon used the metaphor of a watermelon slice to describe the area which was removed.  It is situated on the inner area of my left breast.  So the boost is only to that area. However, it is a fairly large area comparatively, I understand. 

The same kind of machine that I've been using will be used for the boost. The image shows it turned to one side.  For all of my treatments up to now it was turned to one side and then to the other.  For the boost, it will remain straight up and they will attach a what they call a cone to it. The cone is not really cone shaped, but a long rectangle contraption which holds a metal plate about 5 X 5 which has a cut out in the shape they are going to radiate.  The cut out is about the size of my hand.  Today during the mapping, they traced the shape they will radiate in permanent marker on my breast.  This time around, instead of lining me up with the lasers they just line up the light coming through the plate with the lines they've got drawn on my breast.  Then it is only one radiation burst instead of one on each side of the breast.  I'm counting down.  Unless something keeps me from getting a treatment, I'll be done next Wednesday!

Right now my breast tissue from my upper chest to my under arm and to the bottom perimeter of my breast looks like I have a pretty good sunburn. I have no blistering right now, and my upper chest area is not hurting with my continuous use of the hydrocortisone cream.  The smaller boost area will get 4 large doses and 4 smaller doses of radiation.  I understand that I won't really even be able to tell the difference.  I've heard horror stories of women who suffer terrible blistering and pain with the radiation.  I am grateful that I've come this far along with my treatments and I'm really in pretty good shape.