A Path Through

November 10, 2022 marked the day I stepped onto the final portion of my cancer treatment path. Yes it was time to join the ranks of those who proudly hold a radiation therapy badge of honor!

So, first things first. Why am I having radiation at all considering I am cancer free? Well, the answer is that very simply, we are throwing all we can at it to stay that way. With that in mind, we are radiating the whole right breast to assure that any rouge cancer cells are zapped into oblivion.

As I shared in an earlier post, I was signed up for a total of fifteen radiation sessions. These sessions would be delivered over a course of fifteen consecutive business days. Yup, every weekday (I got weekends and stat holidays off for good behaviour).

Below is a bit of a run down on what radiation treatment looks like for breast cancer at with the BC Cancer Center at Surrey Memorial Hospital. It is a bit of a read, however it think it also shows how things can be beautifully run!

So here it goes…

When your first appointment is confirmed, you receive an email with a link to a fascinating (yes I am exaggerating) YouTube video on radiation therapy with BC Cancer. Now, with all humor aside, the video is a great step in preparing you for what is to come and removes a little stress due to uncertainty.

The first radiation session will be the longest simply because it includes the introduction, walk through and treatment. For me, the session was an hour in total.

Through your initial registration, your information is confirmed and a photo is taken to keep on your file. This photo is verified at the start of every treatment session to confirm that the right person is being radiated. Yes, you get a radiation mugshot. My assumption is that they must have had a rash of people trying to get in to the fun world of radiation therapy by stealing identities!

In addition to your photo, you receive a new patient ID card. This card is yellow and has a bar code attached. Both of these items are different from the normal white and plain BC Cancer Patient ID card. In addition to the bar code, the radiation pod that all your treatments will be in is identified. There are six treatment pods in the Surrey site, and I was assigned to lucky number four.

With my ID card in hand, I was brought to the check in kiosk and had my first of many giggles associated with the process. You see, there are many patients going through radiation in a typical day and in order to make the process smoother for everyone, you simply scan your ID card at the kiosk to let them know you are here. Yes, it is like what you do at the self scanners at the grocery store. It even beeps. So, for fifteen sessions of radiation…all I all could think was that I was a bag of groceries!

Once scanned in like grapes at the market, you will be brought to the pod where your radiation sessions will be held in order to be introduced to a member of an incredible group Medical Radiation Therapy techs who will guide you through the next steps.

In this first meeting, you will sit and discuss the type of radiation you are having, frequency, side effects, emergency contact information, etc. Once this is done, you will be handed a lovely brown bag complete with handles. Why you get this bag comes next.

Next you will be brought to a change area that has shelves of hospital gowns. You will be provided two gowns, the first is to be worn normally, the second is intended to be a “robe”. For my treatment, I could keep on everything below the waist. The brown bag was to put my clothes into during treatment, but for another reason as well. You see, it is highly recommended that you wear the same gowns through treatment. Yes, that means you are bringing these lovely frocks home and back with you. Why? Well, you are in them for a limited time per day. They really don’t get dirty and there are so many people coming in each day that the laundry would be out of this world…and who doesn’t want to save a little on laundry! Very honestly, I liked the idea of having the one set of gowns and proudly toted mine back each session. For those of you who have asked the same question as my husband…NO there is no residual radiation sneaking around in the material after treatment. Then again the light green glow from the bag may have been reason to question that statement (just kidding….maybe).

Once you have bag and gown in hand you are shown the final step associated with your radiation check in. This is the drop area for your patient ID card. The card is dropped in to the area once you arrive in the pod so they know you are physically in the area. The ID card is returned to you when you enter the radiation room and will be updated with appointment times (and frequent updates to those times).

With that, it is time to change into the fashion statement that is a blue and white hospital gown, taking a seat in the pod waiting area, and get ready to get your “ZAP” on!

The radiation area is restricted and you will be escorted when they are ready for you. The first indication of what is about to happen is when you walk through a door that is heavy metal and almost a foot thick. Leaves you with the feeling that there is something they do not want to escape the room…that YOU will be locked in with. After walking through a hallway, you make a quick turn and there it is, the most entertaining machine you will encounter in your cancer journey. Seriously, who could not love a machine with sunglasses, eyebrows and a smile! As soon as I saw it I laughed and asked to take a photo for my kids.

The body cast that is taken from the CT mapping session is already on the table and this is to support you being in the same position each radiation session. I will say that by about the 5th session I knew exactly how to lie down for quick placement making my sessions that much quicker….yup I am a bit of an over achiever in somethings!

The radiation room also has four large computer screens. Your photo is on one along with several numbers associated to lining you up for treatment delivery.

Once on the table, the area to be radiated is exposed. For me, it was the right breast and the three tattoo markers. The two techs who will be with you through treatment (well actually they escape to a safe room behind the metal door and watch you by camera once the fun starts), will start to line you up based on the markers and the numbers. They will confirm each move with each other to assure accuracy and safety.

Once they have confirmed all is good to go, the area to be radiated will be covered up and from this point onwards the patients job is to lay there, relax and not move. As mentioned, the technicians leave you and the friendly looking machine and the last thing you hear before treatment starts is the “BEEP BEEP BEEP…” warning sound as the big metal door closes behind them. On a side note, they play some pretty great music and in the ceiling above you there is an awesome picture to look at.

The actual radiation treatment time frame for me took less than five minutes and I never moved…the machine did that for me.

The length of sessions was dependent on whether they were taking general imaging as well. For the first three session, additional x-rays were taken to assure that the correct line up was being done. After that, I had imaging every five sessions. You can tell if you are having imaging done by what the machine does as panels will move in and out with small pauses as pictures are taken. It is relatively silent and quick. Once done the panels fold up.

Once all the imaging is done, it is on to the main show, radiation. At this time the machine will start to move around you into position. For me, I had three points of radiation. The first was on the side under my underarm area and this received a fifteen second stationary “zap”. My second zap was 45 seconds in length and the machine moved while the radiation was being applied, starting under my arm and ending at the opposite side of the breast. The last zap was fifteen seconds and focused on where the initial tumor was found. There was no pain or feeling associated with the treatment. Actually in the scope of all my cancer treatments, this one would be the preferred by far!

So with three zaps in, the treatment is done. The big metal door opens and you are helped down from the table. Then it is off to the change room to switch back to your street clothes on and head back to life…until the next session!

For me personally, this final treatment step is by far the easiest in the journey I am on. I am thankful for this as I know my body is tired and just trying to come back from the beating it has had. Knowing that we are continuing to battle to assure I never have to return for another fight provides the final bit of energy needed to move forward and I know that as easy as it seems, there are impacts and they are starting to emerge. However, when got home from my first session I sent a text of a bottle of wine and a glass to a few in my inner circle with a message “Radiation is a breeze”…and that breeze was coming from the clearing that I can now see at the end of this path.