Scars

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My radiation treatment started on April 25, and tomorrow, June 8, is my last day of therapy. The first 5 weeks were every week day, full left breast and partial chest. The last few treatments have been centered on the breast surgery scar (as opposed to the lymph nodes scar) in a diameter of about 4 inches.

Strange that they took so long to start, as the surgery was on March 7, but I guess that popped stitch really did need some extra healing time. As it is, it's still partially open. And everything (especially that super-sensitive spot) is blistered, red and swollen. Yeah, the treatment itself is not painful, but the burns are cumulative, and here at the end, pretty painful. But it could be worse. And if it ever comes back, at least I can tell myself I did everything I could to prevent it.

I have to say it was pretty discouraging when the results of a British study involving 18,000 women were released last week, that said radiation doesn't make much of a difference with breast cancer, although it does with other types of cancer.

Oh well, as Bones would say, "Good God, Jim, they're barbarians"!

Please excuse all the white, waxy stuff on the video ... that's Silvadene -- a prescription antibiotic and is also effective against yeast infections. The little brown bumps are little blisters. And of course, the scars are not pretty, so please don't look unless you're not squeamish. I put this up here as other people going through the same thing might be curious (I was).Â