Taking the break since last Wednesday has not really helped the red, itchy and peely skin on my chest wall. It is actually deeper red and more painful, feeling not just sun-burn tender but sore all the way through the chest muscles.
When I returned to Radiation Oncology today, I asked for the radiologist to check on it before any treatment. Dr. Spence took one look, said I needed an antibiotic and not to return for radiation again until Thursday. He’ll look at it again then and decide if the skin is healed enough to continue.
Since this will be my third break in the treatments, I asked him what effect taking these breaks would have on the efficacy of radiation therapy. He said very little if any, but discontinuing radiation altogether at this point would have a negative effect. Thus we needed to do whatever we could to keep the skin healthy enough to finish the treatments, taking whatever breaks we need to take.
There are nine sessions to go but only the next three are full treatments, the last six are “booster” doses administered only to the scar itself.
Please pray with me that the antibiotic will have good results and that I can get through the rest of the sessions without so much trouble! Thanks.
Standing with you for His Life and Healing balm for this area. How is Joe doing?
Gentle hugs,
Diane