Radiation Oncology

So far the longest consultation I have had was today, with Radiation Oncology. And that is because Alan and I kept pressing her for more answers then she could give us. Here is what I know (or understand):

1.       Radiation will increase my chances of a progression free life by 10%

2.        They will radiate my entire right chest wall, the lymph nodes under my right arm and the lymph nodes above my collar bone on my right side.

3.       The only way they would say “no, you don’t need radiation” is if I have surgery to remove all my remaining lymph nodes and have them studied in the lab. If no cancer shows up in them they wouldn’t do radiation.

4.       My 0.35mm micromets is bigger (by how much I forgot to ask) then they would consider a micromets to be “not worrisome”.

5.       I am too young to die.

Here is my take on the above:

1.       I will take any increase I can get for a progression free life.

2.       Well, that sucks as I have these expanders and was hoping they would only radiate my under arm and not the area where the expander is. I seriously think this will push back my surgery to switch the expanders for the implants back by months and months. And I absolutely refuse to have another surgery in the summer time. I will just keep the damn expanders until next Sept. if I have too. They will have to radiate that whole area “just in case”. As a matter fact, radiation will be completely “just in case”, see #3 below.

3.       No way in hell am I going to allow them to remove all my lymph nodes and then face a possible life time of lymphademic side effects; elephant arms, compression sleeves, etc. Look at it this way; they could remove ALL my remaining lymph nodes, find no cancer, decide I don’t need rads and I have a life time of possible lymphadema problems OR they do find cancer, radiate because of it AND I still have a life time of lymphadema problems. You know my lifestyle is active; lymphadema problems would KILL me, really. Just kill me.

4.       Everything is worrisome, to me.

5.       I am too young to die.

So even tho I don’t know if rads is right for me or not, I will do it. I will throw the kitchen sink at this cancer, and then I will use that sink to wash my hands of this whole stinking mess.

Stupid cancer.