Radiation Treatment Decisions: Finding Comfort at Home

Sometimes the best made plans have to change, and in those moments of change, you have a choice; you can be angry and disappointed, or you look to find the positive.

And I…. did a little of both. 🙂

You see, the original plan was for me to complete my radiation treatments in Boston.  It would be something I was going to be doing solo; living at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge in Boston while completing my radiation treatments at Mass General Hospital. In June, when we created this plan with the Boston team, it felt very doable and the right thing we needed to do to tackle this aggressive cancer.

However, post skin flap surgery, this once “in theory” solid plan was slipping away.  We did not realize the level of limited mobility I would have on my right leg a.k.a. the donor site for the skin flap.  To give you perspective, two weeks ago walking 25 yards to the mailbox and back in my driveway felt like I had completed a marathon and navigating Mass General Hospital for post-op appointments still required the use of a wheelchair. Oh, and let’s not forget that even as I write this today, I still require help putting on my socks and other things.

So… navigating radiation treatments in Boston solo was looking more and more like an impossible task.

And at the same time, the universe was dropping little hints that perhaps completing radiation at home was exactly what I needed.  

Obvious things like getting a green light to do physical therapy on my leg, an OK to resume working with my acupuncturist, chiropractic doctor and massage therapist (in areas away from my surgical sites), and being about four weeks away from getting off a waitlist to work with an oncology-focused mental health counselor, etc.

And there were plenty of not so obvious things; things like sleeping in my own bed, the good belly laughs you get from being around family and friends, and being home to see the beauty of foliage in Maine. This list could go on and on.

Last, and most importantly, being home for radiation treatment would mean I would be home every day and that that stability for my daughter would mean a lot for both her and me.

So… after my husband and I made the decision to re-examine radiation up here in Maine, it was full steam ahead and advocating with my Boston team that doing radiation at home was exactly what I needed.

Thankfully, I am advocating to work with a radiation oncologist, who trained with and under some of the doctors on my Boston team and this past week, we got to meet with him.  We learned radiation treatments would not look much different than what I would get in Boston and that he was willing to consult with the Boston team to ensure things like vectors and laser placements would be as close to identical as what the Boston team would use.

And with all of this information, we felt comfortable completing radiation treatments at home. I also think it’s important to note here that the Boston team is also supportive and understanding of the need to change this part of the treatment plan.

Well, it will still be as intense and hard as if I were completing my treatment in Boston, I know, at a level that I can feel in my bones, that being home to do radiation will be the best thing for me.

Thanks for all the well wishes and continued support! 

Much love, Natalie

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