One down, fifteen to go. Not bad so far. It was much faster than the last time I had radiation, which surprised me. When I reflect on it, it makes sense. To hit a tiny, targeted area just outside of where the first tumor was, they had to move both me and the machine multiple times, to zap in exactly the right spot. This round, the table never moves, other than raising me up to shoulder-height to start off, and the machine that emits the beam goes once from straight above, and once from the side, kind of aimed up at the lymph node part of the scar. That's it. It takes longer to get in and out of the gown than it does to get the treatment.
When they were helping me off the table, I asked what I forgot last week: Am I able to put on Aquaphor right after my shower, or do I need to wait until after treatment, when I get home. She said, oh, please wait. It's like baby oil in the sun. Wow, there is an evocative description. My BFFs and I laid out in the sun in high school, slathered in baby oil, or maybe Coppertone SPF 2, just because it smelled good. I will comply. I will wait to grease up when I'm home.
I am trying to decide whether I'm already feeling the effects. I definitely had some sensitivity and fatigue, but I've had that off and on since the surgery anyway. It seemed stronger than it ought to have been, but I'll give it more than a single day before I draw any conclusions. Even with a solid chair nap, I feel like I can sleep tonight just fine.
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