Hey, I got a tattoo!
Actually… I got four tattoos!
Actually… I didn’t so much get them, as have them given to me, willy-nilly…
Yep, they are the tattooed reference marks that the radiation therapists will use to make sure I’m absolutely correctly aligned when they zap me with their rays. So they hit only what they want to hit, and not nearby other things like, say, my lungs and my heart.
Nothing cool about them, alas.  Merely four tiny dots, distinguishable from freckles only by the fact that they are a bluish black. Not in locations that I care to display, generally.
We’re still in the prep phase, with a dry run tomorrow. I feel like a NASA mission — all these lovely techno-nerds collaborating to get me launched! It’s kind of cool.
I may be less enthusiastic down the line when the side-effects have built up, and I get the skin irritation and the fatigue.  It’ll be six weeks of daily radiation. I’m sure the novelty will wear off quickly.
In other news: Readercon this weekend. I have exactly one panel, on Friday.  Which is not a bad thing, as I find I still do get suddenly tired, if I have to be out and about. Oh, and a Kaffeeklatsch on Sunday! That should be fun. Other than that, I plan to soak myself in the brilliance and erudition of others, on their various panels.  And schmooze.
In other other news: two freaking hours on the phone with AT&T while they tried to figure out why the heck my new and DEARLY PURCHASED iPhone 5s 32 gig has no service.  With no result.  And then they promised me a callback. And did not call back. Because eventually it became 10PM, when all AT&T customer service reps say goodnight.
July 9th, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Make sure you have pure aloe vera for your skin and a arm pillow, too. Aloe in the plant form, nice and fresh, is the best. These things helped my mom tremendously. If you can’t find an arm pillow, I would be happy to send you one, just let me know.
July 10th, 2014 at 5:30 pm
Actually, they gave me this specific, special gel-type ointment that I am REQUIRED to use before and after treatments — which consists mostly of aloe!
They’re very, very specific about what I can and can’t put on the treatment area. Only certain soaps, only one type of deodorant (must not contain aluminum!), no other lotions, perfumes, moisturizers — nothin’! All sorts of things can react with the radiation (especially aluminum!).
I wonder how long ago your mother was treated (I think you told me once, but I forgot)? Things have changed really quickly in last decade…
I will keep that arm-pillow in mind…
July 11th, 2014 at 8:10 pm
My mother has been breast cancer free for 4 years now. Mayo Clinic was pretty specific about what she could and could not use as well. We live in Florida and aloe plants thrive nicely in our backyard, so they recommended she refrigerate a cutting to use when the area felt heated (you might want to separate some of the aloe they gave you and refrigerate it).
The arm pillow helps keep everything ventilated. It is just a 4-6 inch diameter tube pillow with an attached string to throw over your shoulder. It keeps your arm from rubbing on the sensitive skin. Shoot me a Facebook pm if you would like me to mail you one. They are pretty easy to make.
July 10th, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Maybe you should plan some sort of “victory tattoo” to connect the dots when your treatment is complete. It’s something to think about, anyway.
July 17th, 2014 at 9:40 am
Heh. Only problem is: one is in the center of my chest, one is in my right armpit, and there’s one just above each hip-bone!
July 17th, 2014 at 7:03 pm
you’ve been calibrated!