Page 169 - She's One Crazy Lady!

the radiotherapy planning – whatever that entailed.
The elation didn’t last too long for the terrible aches and pains started
again – as did the isolation. There wasn’t much to look forward to now – just 20 sessions of radiotherapy so, in my madness, I decided I would decorate my lounge and get rid of the black MFI furniture I had in there – now wanting to have a bright and cheery room – my brother lending me his sledgehammer so I could smash it up. I remember Mairead coming to see me the morning after I’d done this. She was early so I’d had no time to tidy up. Her look said it all – yes, she thought I’d lost it!
Radiotherapy Planning Appointment
As with surgery, as with chemotherapy, as with breast reconstruction, I had no idea what to expect with radiotherapy. Greeted with a very warm welcome by the receptionists I was told Dr Matthew would be overseeing the planning session with a team of other radiologists. I was led into a room where there were loads of machines and a metal looking trolley that I was told to lay on after I’d undressed to the waist, with my head to one side and my arms in stirrups behind me. I was told not to move an inch. All the team had a job to do – machines were pointed at me, I was drawn on, tape was stuck on me and dozens of mathematical calculations were being read out so they could pin point exactly where I was to have the radiation. Once the spots had been located Dr Matthew then stepped up to the table and felt the areas in question saying the radiotherapy would be targeted around my collar bone and chest wall. He gave 5 injections – tattooing me for life with little blue dots. Afterwards he came in to see me to explain everything and I found him to be much more relaxed and friendlier, even saying he thought I hadn’t lost my hair, the wig looking so good! As well as talking about the radiotherapy he told me he wanted me to start taking Tamoxifen tablets straight away – for five years, possibly ten, with the opportunity to change to a new drug, Arimidex, if the tamoxifen didn’t suit. I asked what the side effects of these were – and wished I hadn’t! Weight gain, hot flushes, fluid retention and all the symptoms of the menopause with a slight risk of ovarian cancer so to be aware of any unusual discharge or bleeding. What else was my body to endure?
There were more horrible side effects from the drugs! So much so that I had to return to the hospital several times with a high temperature and neutropenia and was so close to being admitted again – Fiona even ringing the ward telling them to expect me. I didn’t go in – not that day anyway.
A few days later I had offered to cook lunch for Marilyn and Mum and would have put it off but didn’t want to let them down. My reason being I had a very sore rear end! Very sore, where sitting down was excruciatingly painful. On the following day I was due to ring the Chemo Suite to let them know how I was. I didn’t mention my bum problem – I was too embarrassed. Little did I know that just a few hours later I would
“Weight gain, hot flushes, fluid retention and all the symptoms of the menopause with a slight risk of ovarian cancer if
there was
any unusual discharge
or bleeding. What else was my body to endure? ”
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