7 more radiation treatments to go!

Yesterday, I worked out extra long in the morning - 30 minutes biking; an hour of a class that combines tai chi, yoga and pilates; some stomach and arm exercises, and about 10 laps in the pool. This might explain why I felt completely spent right after my radiation in the afternoon. E and I were both too tired and uninspired to cook dinner, so we went for udon at a nearby Japanese restaurant.

Two things I forgot to mention about this radiation. First, there's my diet. I have to monitor what I eat (no high-fiber foods, not a lot of dairy), but my current food cravings seem to lean towards these particular prohibited foods. Of course, I pay for breaking the rules by having terrible gas pains and increase bowel movements, so I'm slowly learning to "be good". Also, it's best not to go crazy with high sugar foods (i.e., Corn Pops cereal) and fast foods (i.e., KFC and McDonalds, my current cravings). I haven't indulged in the fast foods (yet) but I did overdose on the Corn Pops yesterday and I'm paying for it big time, emotionally and physically. I know that lots of sugar is terrible, especially if you suffer from mood swings or depression, which I do, so I believe the extra sugar consumption was also part of the reason I felt so tired last night and why my stomach feels sour this morning. I have not surrendered to my craving for fast food, though, and I hope I don't. That stuff will definitely make me sick!

The other thing I forgot to mention is that my vaginal opening is starting to feel raw and sensitive. I'm supposed to use a dilator (basically a plastic dildo) for 10 minutes every day, but I've been bad about this because using it because, at least at first, it's painful. The pain is probably a 6 on a scale from 1 to 10. I use a lubricant, but the initial penetration is always unpleasant. Then I have to move it in and out of me for 10 minutes, all the while doing kegel exercises. after a while, though, it's not painful, but I'm constantly looking at the clock, waiting for the 10 minute duration to be over. Wish I didn't have to do this, but according to the nurse at the radiation clinic, it will be something I may have to do off and on for the rest of my life.

Apparently, the vaginal skin is losing its elasticity with the radiation treatments and unless I'm having sex 3 times a week or using a dilator, it can shrink, or the canal gets narrow, and this will make future sex or gyn appointments extremely uncomfortable. I keep reminding myself of this every time I use the dilator. Maybe it'll get to be as routine as brushing my teeth...?