Good doctor reports today

So here's the short of it,
I only have two more large area radiation treatments. 

And here's the long

Today I had treatments and doctors all afternoon, so it was another 1/2 day sick leave.  My herceptin treatment went well.  I'm tolerating the IV in the hand or arm just fine.  It's a bit more painful for a few seconds going in than the port was, but it's certainly doable!  I had to go in earlier than usual for my treatment today, because I was scheduled late in the radiation rotation.  Usually there are not many people at all in the infusion center when I'm there late in the afternoon, but it was probably half full this afternoon.  I enjoyed visiting with the wife of a gentleman who was being treated.  He has had two episodes of brain tumors, the second one being inoperable.  He was treated by my radiologist in a technique that his wife described as a radiation surgery.  He was put in a halo to keep him from moving even a millimeter and then the radiation beam was very carefully planned to hit only the tumor and he was radiated for 30 minutes.  He is now receiving a new drug which has only been available for about a year, which is designed specifically for tumors that appear in the brain.  He was very quiet and seemed tired.  His wife seemed to be such a support for him.  It was really nice to chat with them and have a little small window into their lives. 

My radiation appointment today included my weekly visit with Dr. Gefter.  Both machines were working so it went very quickly.  I had Alan, the technician who is known for his cold hands, as one of my team today.  I can't see who is touching me because of the position my head is in, but both of them were positioning me.  I said "Alan, are you touching me?  That can't be you; your hands are so warm."  Both of them chuckled and said that every single patient today had commented on how warm his hands were today.  He said he was so cold in the workspace that he wore long underwear today and he thought that had kept his hands warm! 

Dr. Gefter is extremely pleased with how my skin is holding up.  With the exception of the area on my upper chest, I seem to be doing much better than most.  This skin on my breast is turning quite red and very dry, but so far it's not really uncomfortable.  I only have two more regular radiation treatments!  I am very excited.  After Thursday and Friday my next 8 treatments will be what is called the "boost".  It is much more narrowly targeted so it won't involve such a large area.  Dr. Gefter says we won't really know until Monday when the new area is mapped and planned, but he thinks the area on my chest that is currently so irritated probably won't even be in the radiation field for the boost.  I'm feeling really grateful that I've come through this so well this far. 

By the way, all my blood counts are looking good, including the PT/INR which monitors my coumadin. I'm still a tad anemic, but I'm way closer to normal than I've been in many, many weeks, which probably explains my renewed stamina.  Dr. Gefter thinks the winter break probably gave me some much needed rest after the blood clot crisis as well.