Blossoming Out

Beauty may only be skin-deep, but radiation cuts to the bone.  My left upper torso is far from beautiful with blotchy redness and small scabs from radiation burns.  The flesh feels like it just came out of a toaster oven--and it is cooked medium-well.

I was told that the worst side effects of radiation would follow the last treatmennt.  An oncology staff member called it "blossoming out."  I like it when my flowers blossom, but this is not fun.  It is painful, and I am incredibly fatigued.  It seemed like such a cheerful day when I rang the bell after my last radiation treatment.  Actually, it was a cheerful day, but there's been a predictable increase in my symptoms following that treatment.

Several times a day, I put aloe vera gel followed by a vaseline-type product called Aquaphor.  It's suppose to help the skin, and it probably does, but the burn effects are still obvious and uncomfortable.  The skin stings with raw patches where the skin has come off, especially in my arm pit.  I try to keep my arm out and away from my body.  I sleep on my right side to avoid putting pressure on the sensitive left side.  I imagine the muscles, lungs, throat tissue, capillaries, etcetera, would all look inflammed if they were visible.

Hopefully, I have stopped "blossoming."  I think I may be a little less fatigued than yesterday, but that may be wishful thinking.  The doctor hopes I will be ready to return to work in about two weeks, so let the healing begin!