Well, no news was definitely not good news this time. I know it has been a long time since I have updated the blog, my radiation burns got pretty bad. I am finally healed enough that I am not taking copious amounts of Vicodin to be able to deal with the pain. I still have a fair amount of healing to go, but I am finally improving. (I spent about three days crying from the pain and then Kathleen, my nurse practitioner, gave me "the lecture" as she calls it about taking enough medication to keep the pain under control. I did much better after increasing my pain meds.)
The radiation continued to express itself in my skin for some time after my last post. I felt a little like I was on some sort of Sci-Fi horror movie as my skin was sort of melting off in globs in the areas where I received the intensive bolus treatment. The area was pretty large. It started at my sternum or breast bone and extended horizontally across my left breast, under the arm and around the back a couple of inches. Vertically, it started just below my collar bone down to about an inch or two below my breast. The area under my arm was incredibly painful, but has healed very well, it is just red and feels like a sunburn now. The area that is still pretty bad is right on the front of my left breast. It is an area about 3 to 4 inches by 3 to 4 inches. Hannah and I agreed it looks a little like the Grand Canyon. The whole thing is still raw and oozing with two very deep pockets. It seems to be healing very slowly. The deep areas are right in the spot where some of the skin had died after my double mastectomy. I think the skin that grew back must have still been pretty delicate and so burned more than the rest. At least that is my best guess as to why that area is so bad.
[For those of you with cancer who are reading and still have to go through radiation, the good news is that most people don't burn this badly. It is very likely that you won't experience what I have...I pray that is true for you! I am putting a couple of ointments on the burned areas that seem to be helping. Biafine seems to help the most. Just having the burn open to the air is also very helpful.]
Thank you for your prayers. I have so needed them and know that I got through this rough patch, as my Dad used to say, because you were carrying me in prayer. I am very, very thankful for you!! I have heard from several of you that the Lord had really put me on your heart over the past couple of weeks. Thank you for your faithfulness to respond to His leading by increasing your prayer coverage over me. You are amazing!
Please continue to pray for the area that is still so burned. It hurts and I will be very glad when it is healed. Also, today I have started feeling like I am coming down with something. It has gotten worse as the day has progressed. I am achy, have a headache, swollen glands and am a little stuffy. Please pray for complete and swift healing! Thank you so much!! lovingly, Leslyn
2 comments:
Prudy and I have been praying for you, my friend, and we will continue to pray for speedy healing on the severe area that you mentioned yesterday. May the Lord's supernatural touch be manifested in that burned area. I am so very thankful for the way the Lord has extended His grace to you through this all. I have been praying that the grace He gives you in the morning increases as the day goes by and more increased grace is new the next day and next and so on. Love you lots, Linda
Oh my friend, I am so sorry! I had hoped you were turning the corner, but it wasn't so. Ken and I are sending you lots of "air hugs" and kisses.
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