Radiation Week #1

This is a late posting for LAST week. I began my daily radiation treatments on Monday February 9. A radiation treatment takes only a few minutes. It is targeting an area about 4 X 4 X 3 inches near the original tumor. The objective is to kill any cancer cells in the lymph nodes in this area. Each treatment includes six short bursts of radiation. They are all targeting the same are, but come from six different directions. This maximizes the radiation at the target area, while minimizing the impact on other tissue. I feel nothing during an individual treatment. However, there is a cumulative impact to radiation that may lead to some side effects in a week or two, but they should not be as severe as the chemo side effects. With today's treatment on Monday February 16, twenty percent of the radiation treatments have been completed!