I am officially half way through radiation therapy and not super red yet! Woot Woot! 
My patch of folliculitis continues to grow with a new little bump every day. I can deal with this. I chalk it up to all the lotion and creams I am using.
On Friday I received the copies of my set up pictures and I got pictures of the set up room and the treatment room and a picture of the set up CAT scan room along with Jen one of the techs who not only was part of my set up but she also steps in for treatment.
Set up was a month ago. There were stickers and pen marks and CAT scans and more pen marks and movement of the stickers, then another CAT scan.
Once I was done, and all the measurements were confirmed and OK’d by the doctor, my tattoos were applied, pictures were taken, and all the stickers were removed and the most of the pen marks were wiped away.
My mother was told by her Radiation Oncologist that at her set up appointment that she would be sent home with stickers and tattoos. When I ran into Jen on Friday when I was taking the pictures of the scan room, I relayed the information that mom received about the stickers.
Jen told me that every place is different. At the Torrance Memorial Radiation Oncology group, they choose to set all the measurements based on the set up, and then as the doctor reviews everything and refines the measurements to get the maximum effect of radiation therapy without irradiating areas that do not need to be treated; the doctor then notes the changes to the original positioning. That is what they do with me every day in the treatment room when they are lining me up with the laser grid projected on me. They use my horizontal and vertical incision intersection at the bottom of my breast along with my two tattoos to adjust my position to the correct location based on the doctor’s notes and I am treated. 
Other facilities use a more waterproof based adhesive sticker and send the patients home from the set up with the stickers in place to be used the next week on the review of the set up plan and if everything lines up, the first treatment. The doctors do not want a treatment plan that requires “negative” adjustments, so they insure that the positioning is always the same without the adjustments I go through every day. Jen even said some facilities never apply the tattoos, they only use the stickers and if the stickers come off or move the patient has to come back into the facility and go through the set up procedure again and have the stickers re-applied to the correct measurements.
This was interesting to learn, and I relayed this information to mom. We also had a small conversation over my last post. She said it was difficult to read and she is not ready to respond to the post yet. I understand that one. It was a hard post for me to write. Writing it makes it real. Writing it makes me actually take the thoughts that run through my brain and acknowledge them, admit them to the world. The thoughts that scare me, the thoughts that stir my dragon, those thoughts that once written, once published now take on more weight. So yes, that last post was difficult. (This one here)
I must say now that I have it out there, I feel better about starting to plan my life celebration, and working on updating my will. I just told Robert yesterday where he could find the letters for Joseph, just in case. My advance healthcare directive is done as well. I will outline what I want done with my electronic profiles (Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn). I am getting ready for my future no matter what it holds. Moreover, I feel at peace with this, I feel like I am prepared for whatever comes next.
I took myself to a free concert on the Pier tonight. 
Robert was sore and tired from working in the yard. The worn gas line has been replaced, and the ditch refilled. The plumber that did the work recommended we run the dryer through 4 or 5 cycles to get any air bubbles in the line out. Robert is running the dryer and will wash all his work in the yard clothes tonight to make sure everything is all-good, and then I can do my load of laundry in the morning.
Tomorrow is a bridal shower for one of our “kids from another family”. I am looking forward to this little celebration and then we celebrate Kelly and her new job! She has requested Chinese food for dinner. That works for us! Easy to accommodate. I was willing to cook for her, but this is what she wants. I can hardly wait.
Life is celebrating each little step in our journeys