Noun:

A treatment using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer therapy to either kill or control the growth of malignant cells. It is normally delivered by a linear particle accelerator.

​

My radiographer descried Radiotherapy as the Belt and Braces, to ensure that the cancer wouldn’t return (there is a whole other story with that…..)

 

After 6 months of chemo, then 8 weeks of recovering from surgery, I found the radiotherapy process to be a walk in the park.

 

The technology may have changed now, but I had to go in to have “target marks” tattooed on, so they knew where to aim the machine.  These are just little dots, but annoyingly the one in the middle of my chest just looks like a massive black head.

Radiotherapy cycles are of varying lengths, but I had to go in every day (Monday to Friday) for 3 weeks.

 

The process itself is painless and only takes a few minutes. 

 

The surprising thing for me was how tired I was.  Not Chemo Coma tired.  Just dog tired, like when you are first pregnant and you just want to sleep.

It’s advisable to keep well moisturized.  A good opportunity for you to get your other half to rub some aloe vera into your boobs.

 

An unfortunate side effect of the radiotherapy for me was that it caused Lymphedema in my new breast.  Which meant it got very hard and lumpy, especially around the scar tissue.  Made wearing a bra very uncomfortable.

 

If I knew then what I know now, I would have had the chemo, then the mastectomy, then radiotherapy, and then had the DIEP flap reconstructive surgery.