First week of radiation is done! So let’s take this time to reflect back on the week and the Friday before. Let’s start with the Friday before treatment started. I went in for my ‘dry run’. They set me up just like I was going to have radiation to make any last minute changes to my positioning. Next, I got my tattoos. So I have three tattoos that are, let’s call them, ‘art’. These tattoos for radiation would not to make a statement or have ‘art’ in anyway. They were markers. I have three tattoos, I didn’t know what I was expecting, but what I got was not it. I now have two black dots. One under my left arm and one in my cleavage area. If you didn’t know what they were, they would just look like a mole. These tattoos hurt! Again, I have three tattoos. All hurt to some degree. So it’s not like I didn’t know that tattoos hurt. But these ones really hurt! It only lasted a minute. But again, not what I was expecting, although I didn’t know what to expect.

I started off feeling fatigued. Fatigue is a side effect of radiation, but not before treatment. I used it as a preparation. I would go home and take a nap after treatments if able. This will be an essential tactic in weeks 3 and 4. By the third treatment, I was feeling fine regarding fatigue. The skin was another matter. My lumpectomy scar was reacting quickly to the radiation. After the second treatment, my scar was red and hot. I put lotion on after every treatment after that. Which again will benefit me in the later weeks. Thursday is ‘Doctor Day.’ Every Thursday, I will see the doctor. I told him about my scar being ‘mad this past Thursday.’ He said he had never heard it put that way before, but it was all normal. On Fridays, they take X-rays to ensure everything is lining up and looking good. Starting week 2, ready to be halfway done!