Radiation--Day 15

Two-thirds done and I am building up quite a radiation skin burn.  A neat little 6 by 6 inch square that is being zapped every day.  No real pain, but it really itches especially at night.  I have a sulfa cream to help the healing process so that I can keep going for another 10 treatments.  I can use aloe vera gel and hydrocortisone cream for itching and a couple other things if I choose to.  I don't want to have to stop for a break so I hope the sulfa cream does it's job well.  Having Saturday and Sunday off should help, but it could get to the peeling, blistering stage with another 10 treatments.  Hope not.....but probably will according to the nurse and doctor.  My scalp is beginning to darken with some hair growth but it is a really painfully slow process.    I saw the oncologist this week and all my blood work is still getting better as my body recovers from the chemo.  I'll start taking tamoxifen once I get through with radiation.  I feel good and am looking forward to having cancer activities take a back burner this fall.  I'll still see the doctors every few months but I'm going to look for a part-time job of some sort to get me out of the house and busy with other things.
It's been a long 6 months looking back but it has gone by very fast.  I don't want a repeat performance.
It would be nice if the hot weather would take a break but that doesn't look like it's happening any time soon so I will continue my jog/walk at 6:00 a.m. for now.  That's not a bad time of the day to get going.

Radiation--Day 10

Nine treatments down, sixteen to go.  No ill effects so far and only faint skin reactions.  Actually I'm not sure my skin is reacting at all, but it probably should be according to what they tell me. :)  I go back to my oncologist next Wednesday for another blood analysis and a quick check-in.  I will probabaly get a prescription to tamoxifin for the next five years.  My head looks like a budding chia pet  with just some darkening fuzz on the top.  Slow but sure.  I have heard that there is some research out there into using those commericial hair products to speed up growth but I don't think I'm there yet.  I'm doing my 4-mile jog-walk every morning.  It used to take me an hour and now I'm down to 54 minutes.  That's probably where it will stay until the weather gets a little cooler.  It's basically just one of those "get 'er done" kind of tasks that I am glad to check off early in the morning.  I am also trying to do some toning exercises in the afternoon, a little abs work, and some upper body conditioning.  I'm not very consistent with those, but it can only get better.  Heat is building this week so you have to get out early to enjoy some morning movement.