Anticipating the next part of my cancer treatment

It’s a huge week coming up for me.

Tomorrow I commerce five weeks of radiotherapy. This is the (hopefully) final part of my cancer treatment – after surgery to remove the tumours and four rounds of chemotherapy.

I know the process thanks to a practice run. I am worried about getting my hydration levels right before each radiotherapy session – I wrote about this recently. I am also apprehensive of the many potential long term side effects, and just hope it’s all worth it. I want a long life.

The anticipation of what comes next has been the hardest part since my pre and post cancer diagnosis. Waiting for results, waiting to experience a new treatment, waiting to see what side effects emerge, waiting for a possible reaction with ichthyosis – and this is the most unknown. It’s unnerving and anxiety inducing. I’ve talked about this with the cancer psychologist and all of the other specialists I’ve seen.

But I’ve been reassured that I’ll be ok from the senior radiation oncologist, and told that radiation won’t feel as bad as chemo was for me by other people who have had cancer.

My Dad has just called me to give me a pep talk. He’s been through it, with skin cancer. The specialist told me because my Dad had a good experience with radiotherapy, and because he carries the recessive gene for ichthyosis, it may mean that I handle radiotherapy better than I expect to.

I’m hopeful with trepidation.

I’ve shared a lot about my family cancer history with my medical team these last few months. Please, talk about your health with your family, if you are diagnosed with any illness. It may help with other family members’ treatment, like giving them access to genetic trials; encourage them to take precautions and get testing; or help them know what symptoms to look out for and expect. When I was diagnosed with Ovarian and Endometrial Cancer, I wrote to many of my relatives to let them know, and encouraged them to look out for symptoms.

I’m also back at work – which is wonderful and a bit daunting after so long.

And it’s Darren Hayes week. I’m very excited to attend two of his book launches. Happy to have joy among the medical stuff.

❤️💗

Image: Carly, a woman with a red face, wearing a pink sparkly turban, a pink and red tiered dress with navy, beige and red flowers on it, over a pale pink top, gold boots. She’s smiling, standing near a grey geometrical featured wall.