Catia Bitching Cancer

Ok, I’ve been having this pain in my right underarm at night that spreads to the arm and ends in a tingling/numbing sensation in my right hand…and then I have tingling in my left hand, occasionally in my feet too. I’ve been trying to get hold of my onco but we’ve been mostly playing phone tag. Francesca thinks it could be an inflammation of the veins caused by chemo, but says I might need some tests. Right now I am enjoying not seeing doctors, or taking medicines, though, so I refuse to get worried.

I saw Dr. McDorky the other day. He pumped me up with some more saline solution. Now my fake breast contains 440 cc of salt water (I read a cancer survivor’s 8-year old called it ‘tears’) and it’s disproportionately and visibly bigger than the breast remaining. It’s not the first time. It needs to be like that, says Dr. McDorky, in order to allow for the skin to tighten during radiation, and with post-radiation deflation hopefully get soft again. Who knows. McDorky says that the final results are all to be seen: different bodies respond differently to treatments.

Next appointment: radiation onco who insists that I call her by her first name. I’m thinking they are going to give me the famous defining breast tatoos…three or so blue dots tattoed in strategic spots on your chest, that allow the radiation oncos to aim the radiation beams to the same locations every time. Then radiation will start end of May/beginning of June. Five days a week for six weeks.

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