I think this might be a newer idea, but I went for my planning session this week, and they are having me take a deep breath, and hold for 20 seconds for the treatment. The therapist did explain the rationale, and it was to do with raising the rib cage away from the heart, thus making it easier to avoid irradiating the heart when treating the chest wall.
I should mention that I had a total mastectomy, involving some of the pectoral muscle, so part of the area over the heart is more or less skin and ribs! (I don’t think I have seen my ribs since I was about 8 years old!)
My concern is how well I shall manage the breath-holding if I am a bit anxious. I am somewhat worried about having the treatment anyway, mainly about the effect on shoulder ROM, and the development of lymphedema, as they are treating the axillary area. I had a couple of mosquito bites on my wrist about two weeks back and my hand swelled, which is not an uncommon reaction for me. The bites have subsided quite quickly on a cocktail of oral antihistamine and local steroid cream, but there is still a little swelling on the back of my hand. Does this mean lymphedema has set in? I do have an appointment at the lymphedema clinic next week anyway.
I also think that lying there, exposed as it were, is quite stressful in itself. I’m sure I will quickly settle down, doing it on a daily basis, but I must confess to a little anxiety about the whole caboodle, especially, as I say, the breath-holding part! I’m sure it will feel like I am going to burst by 20 seconds!
Oh, the other thing that was mentioned at my initial meeting with the rad onc was that they would do the treatment through some “artificial tissue” over my mastectomy site, which would help to concentrate the beam more superficially to protect the organs. There was no mention of thos on Monday. Has anybody had this??