Mapped and Tattooed - Brother Steve is Sick

So here's the short of it,
I'm mapped and tattooed for my radiation treatments, and my baby brother, Steve, is sick.  

And here's the long

I had my appointment this afternoon to get mapped for radiation.  The purpose of this appointment was to determine just where the radiation beam should be pointed and to have me in a position that I can replicate every time I visit.  It was a long appointment!  So here's how it went.  My nurse this afternoon was Johnna - only the second Johnna I've ever known.  She was very meticulous and talkative.  Of course the first thing was to get clothes off from the waist up and a hospital gown on - opening in the front.  If I ever had any modesty I can assure you that the minute I walk into a doctor's office it disappears.  Next step was to get on one of those narrow tables that slides into a CT machine.  I presume it's also the radiation machine they'll use for my treatment, although I didn't ask that question.  Johnna spent quite a bit of time getting me on the table in just the right position including getting my head tilted just exactly the right way.  The next step was for me to put my arms up above my head and grab onto these handles.   Then she actually made a form of my upper body - every time I get a treatment, I'll get into that form and it will help my body be in the same position as it was today when they made the map.  After the body mold, I started to have a cramp in my back - of course, my arms were still above my head and it had probably been 30 minutes. The solution for that was to put extra supports under my knees, and a support under my back.  That helped enough.  It's not a pleasant position, but it was tolerable, and when the treatments actually start, I'll only have to be in the position for a short amount of time.

So after the body mold was made it was time for the doctor to come do the mark up.  Since my head was tilted up and to the right and the cancer site is the left breast, I couldn't see a thing that was going on.  But Dr. Gefter began palpitating the surgical site and the margins of my breasts, where the chest starts.  I could tell he was putting dots all along the area where he was palitating.  In the meantime, I'm stretched out on the table with my arms up over my head, holding onto these handles, not comfortable.  As soon as he was finished, Johnna used this plastic tubing which will show up on a CT scan and taped it all along the dotted area.  This allows all the margins that the doctor marked to show up on the scan.  (and I still had my arms up over my head!).  Next, the table slid up into the scanner and I had to stay very still (with my arms up over my head), and I got scanned.  I didn't add up all the time, but it seemed forever with my arms up over my head.  I can tell I need to get back into some of my stretches as soon as I have enough energy.

After the scan, Johnna removed all the tape and allowed me to put my arms down while she went and planned the treatment.  I don't really know what that means, I guess that's why she went to school to be a radiation nurse.  While she did that work and I got to have my arms down, I drifted off to sleep.  I must have been so tired to go to sleep on that little narrow table in that cold room with just a sheet covering me up.  Next, Dr. Gefter came back, and I got back into arms over the head position fitted exactly into my upper body mold.  He apparently had checked the plan and came in to put more marks, especially along the center of my chest.  After he agreed that the plan was right he left, and I got one more chance to put my arms down and  rest - I think I drifted off to sleep again.

Johnna came back with a tattoo apparatus.  I didn't really see it, because I had to be in my arms up head to the right and tilted up.  She used some solution to remove some of the previous marks, but put several other marks on my chest and at the margins - she also put 5 or 6 very small tattoos on me.  There are three running down the middle of my chest and two on the outside margin of my left breast and at least one on the outside margin of my right breast. They felt like a bee sting, and tonight, they actually do sting just a little.  I also have marks made with permanent black marker.  They look like a plus sign about an inch and a half big. They are at the tattoo sites, so I can't even see the tattoos yet.  She showed me one that accidently hit her finger when a patient jumped, and it will be a very small but permanent reminder of the treatment.   It's become somewhat of a statement for some women who have had a mastectomy to have tattoos. Johnna said they only do the little marks, I'll have to see a tatto artist if I want more!  My surgical procedure is called a partial mastectomy.  I still have a left breast, but I've been told that the radiation will make it smaller - we'll see.  After all the marks and tattoos, it was picture time.  She took several pictures of me.  They will help them make sure I am exactly in the same position every time I have a treatment.  She even took a picture of the support used under my back to help with the cramping.

Here's another oncology office where the people are just wonderful and caring.  I'll be going every day Monday through Friday for 36 treatments, with the exception of Christmas and New Year's Day.  I start the Monday after Thanksgiving.  So by the middle of January, I'll be done with the radiation part of all this.

I'm home now, and I'm pretty tired.  I spoke with Mom just a little while ago and she told me that Steve has been sick for a bit.  He's got a mild case of shingles, and last night ended up in the emergency room where he was diagnosed with pancreatitis. When he asked the doctor what caused that, he learned that alcoholics often develop it.  Well.....since there is no way that Steve has had enough alcohol in his life to cause a problem, there must be a different answer - maybe it's the medicine he's taking for shingles.You can find more details about him at Mom's blog.