Radiation & Life List Update

I have now had 9 radiation sessions (out of 33). I have to go in every day (except weekends and public holidays) for about 20 minutes. Most of that time is set up - they draw on me with marker pen around my tattoos and then turn off the lights and use lasers and "shadow rulers" to line them up according to certain measurements (22.7 then 95.8, whatever that means, then chin to chest of 10cm). They go out of the room whilst the radiation is on progress, as when you get an x-ray, then come back in to reset the machine for the next area - I think I have 5 blasts aimed at various areas each day. I can't feel anything at the time, other than a slightly achy arm from holding it above my head for 20 minutes, but after a couple of weeks the area being treated (neck, breast, underarm) will go red, similar to a bad sunburn, then get worse, eventually getting better about 3 weeks after radiation finishes.

I am also now on a monthly injection to shut down my ovaries, so that they don't produce estrogen. This is because the initial breast cancer biopsy showed the cancer cells there were estrogen-receptive (meaning estrogen helps them to grow). However, yesterday the oncologist called to say that the biopsy on the new nodes in my neck showed that while they look like breast cancer cells (as opposed to another type of cancer) they are not estrogen receptive. This is a bit strange, we will continue with the injection (since I haven't been having any adverse side effects), but I am a bit concerned that the hormone treatments aren't actually going to do anything. A bit more discussion is required, I think...

Life list update: I ended up having a week off between hospital appointments before radiation started, so I decided to make the most of the opportunity and snuck off to an island called Bohol in the Philippines, where the star attractions (other than some lovely beaches) are the world's smallest primates (tarsiers) and the Chocolate Hills.  I didn't actually get to hold a tarsier in my hand but I did get to see them very close up in their natural habitat so I am very happy, as I have wanted to see them since I first read about them (when I lived in the Philippines ten years ago). They are about the size of a fist, have massive eyes and are noctural so looked a bit dopey, but they are possibly the cutest animal ever - I wanted to take one home! The Chocolate Hills weren't technically on my life list, but since they are on the same island as the tarsiers I always planned to see both. There are thousands of hillocks, about 100m high, dotted over the landscape and at the end of summer they turn brown and look like chocolate drops, hence the name. They weren't brown yet (about the end of May is best I believe) but they were still amazing, very impressive. Photos below...