[Fighting Breast Cancer] Radiation therapy costs a lot of money!!
The other day, I went to the hospital for my first radiation therapy session.
I entered the hospital with a sense of curiosity about what kind of treatment would begin.
When I opened the door to the radiology department, there were several people sitting in chairs.
(Oh, fellow patients. I wonder if everyone here has cancer?)
Thinking that, I sat in a chair for a few minutes.
My name was called, and I went into the examination room.
This doctor was interesting.
I couldn't tell if he was trying to be matter-of-fact or if he was doing it on purpose.
He would occasionally throw in some humor.
And since I have a low threshold for laughter, I found it hilarious.
So, the content of the consultation was an explanation of radiation therapy.
I had been told it was to take care of the cancer in my armpit, but
it turned out to be much more than that.
It would cover the entire chest on the side where the cancer was larger (left breast),
as well as a wide area including the armpit and neck.
He said they would do this 25 times.
When the doctor asked if I was okay with it being every day, I replied that I was.
But I imagine that for people who are working, they wouldn't be able to say they're okay with that.
Doctor: "So, when should we start?"
He said, looking at the calendar.
Me: "The hospital will be closed for the New Year holidays, right?"
Doctor: "That's right."
As he said that, he asked a woman standing nearby who was dressed in a way that made it unclear if she was a nurse or administrative staff.
Doctor: "Is the hospital open at the end of the year?"
(Huh? He's a doctor here, and he doesn't know?)
Woman: "We are open until the 31st at the end of the year."
(They work hard...)
Woman: "We start again on the 5th for the New Year."
Doctor: "That means there's only a four-day gap—the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th—so it'll be fine (smile)."
Me: "Then let's do it right away. I'm prepared!"
Doctor: "That's right."
I wondered what kind of preparation I was talking about, lol.
After all, it's probably not the kind of treatment you need to prepare yourself for.
So, it was decided that I would go ahead with it, but
it seems a blueprint is needed to proceed.
Of course, the doctor writes that, but
perhaps he doesn't want to redo it once the blueprint is made?
That's when he asked me:
Doctor: "Is there still fluid coming from your breast?"
No, that way of asking lol
Like asking if I still produce breast milk lol
Me: "I had it drained during my checkup the other day."
Hearing this, the doctor held his head in his hands.
The woman is laughing.
Why is she laughing?
Is she amused that the doctor is holding his head?
The conversation moved on without me understanding at all,
and the doctor, perhaps thinking 'oh well',
seemed to decide to just go for it.
And so, it was explained that some after-effect-like things might occur.
Doctor: "You might get some pigmentation where it's applied.
Your skin will get dry. You might get itchy, and it could turn red.
If that happens, tell me. I'll change the dosage.
Your throat might hurt, or it might become painful to swallow.
Well, I don't hear about that very often, though."
What a vague explanation.
Most of the after-effects were described as 'not heard of often,' 'not that common,'
or 'very rare, it's rare.'
HOWEVER, skin getting dry or turning red
doesn't seem to be rare.
Since the nurse told me later to use moisturizing cream.
Doctor: "Well, it's basically like a burn, yeah."
It's a burn?!
Doctor: "Anything else you're worried about?
I suppose you don't have any, since you haven't started yet.
You don't know anything yet, right?"
Me: "That's true."
The moment I said it (What am I saying, 'that's true'?), I thought,
but,
Doctor: "Yeah, that's true."
We both laughed lol
And so the treatment explanation ended, and then I was passed on to the nurse.
Here came the shocking truth!
Nurse: "Since it's 25 sessions, the schedule means it will take until the end of January."
As I was listening and nodding along to her gentle tone,
Nurse: "There's one day you can't come, right?
Is that a whole day you can't make it?
Can't you come in the evening, or first thing in the morning?"
She asked quite persistently.
Even if there are days the hospital is closed, I thought it wouldn't be a problem if there were days I couldn't come, but then
Nurse: "If you can't come for one day, the treatment will spill into February.
If that happens, you'll have to pay over 10,000 yen per session.
If you finish within January, it will stay within your insurance limit (for January)."
W-wait, it's that expensive?!
I see, the nurse was suggesting I should get it done within the same month precisely because it's so expensive.
Was she worried about my wallet?
The word "resolve" from earlier comes back to me.
This certainly requires some resolve from my wallet, that's for sure.
And I think, if it's that expensive, I want to finish it within the month.
I even feel like, couldn't I start even sooner?
That's the kind of feeling I'm getting.
In the end, we reached a compromise where I would come in first thing in the morning on the days I thought I couldn't make it.
However, I have to undergo a CT scan to create the blueprint.
That means more high medical expenses.
Nurse: "Please don't have the fluid drained at your next breast clinic appointment.
If you have it drained, we'll have to redo the blueprint."
It seems even the slightest change in my body is a big deal.
After that, she asked if I could raise my arm,
and said they would mark my body since the radiation is administered in a 'hands-up' position.
She said once the position is set, I must not erase the marks until all 25 sessions are finished.
She told me to let them know if the position ever becomes uncomfortable, since it has to be the same every time.
After all, it's every single time, and I have to keep the exact same position for all 25 sessions.
Nurse: "When you take a bath, make sure not to wash off the lines on your body.
If those lines disappear, the positioning will be off."
Wait, she tells me not to wash them off, but
won't they wash off when I take a bath?
Nurse: "If they get faint, we'll redraw them here at the hospital."
She said it with a smile, but
I thought, 'Wow, this is quite an intense treatment...'
Well, that's the first day done.
Next up is the CT scan in a week!
It's something I've never experienced, and something you don't get to experience very often.
Plus, it's a radiation machine said to cost hundreds of millions of yen.
I might as well take a good, close look at it! lol