Rx = booze!

Yes, it's true -- it has been scientifically proven that a glass of wine a day is beneficial during radiation treatment:

Radioprotective Effect of Moderate Wine Consumption in Patients With Breast Carcinoma International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, Volume 74, Issue 5, 1 August 2009, Pages 1501-1505
Alessio G. Morganti, Cinzia Digesù, Simona Panunzi, Andrea De Gaetano, Gabriella Macchia, Francesco Deodato, M. Grazia Cece, Massimo Cirocco, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Licia Iacoviello, Vincenzo Valentini, Numa Cellini, Giovanni de Gaetano

Woohoo! I am so going to put this into practice. Apparently, it minimizes skin toxicity (i.e., nasty sunburn from the radiation).

Please note that the abstract specifies results for 1/2 glass, 1 glass, and 2 glasses daily (those Italians provided plenty of subjects, I must say) and results were best with ONE glass, so my WW training as to proper portion sizes will be called upon again. So hey, a glass of wine a day may keep radiation sunburn away!

When I mentioned this to my radiation team today, one of them asked me to send him the article (ha!) since he is still a student, so I will be happy to do that, both because (a) it's from a reputable journal, and (b) I am a reference librarian and can't help myself.

So yeah, today was my simulation visit, where they aligned me with the CT machine and gave me tattoos for future reference points. So right now I have Sharpie marks all over the left side of my torso, making me look like one of those targeting displays in a big, dumb, summer action movie.

I also have several little pin-sized tattoo marks (instructions prior to punctures: "this will hurt a little but DON'T MOVE") so they can quickly set me up for each radiation dose. Treatment will probably begin on Thursday, Sept. 3rd (I'm not sure if that's another prep visit, or the actual radiation) and go one for 6 weeks, 5 days a week.

It's a good thing I've gotten used to arranging my life around medical appointments because otherwise this constant lack of control over my schedule would make my head explode. Granted, they did say they will eventually be able to slot me in somewhere in the 5:00-7:00pm range for my daily dose, so atleast it will have minimal disruption to my work schedule. The radiation team warned me though that the first week I will probably have odd hours until someone else finishes their treatment regime. (It is truly frightening how many people are being treated for cancer at any one time.)

I have to say though that I am not looking forward to the daily slog as the hospital is nowhere near anything except buses, which go nowhere fast during the inappropriately named rush hour (67th & York... oy). While on the bright side, there is no nausea or hair loss associated with radiation, the cumulative fatigue (there's that word again -- the body's revenge against constant targeted poisoning) of the radiation and schlepping makes me tired just thinking about it (or that could just be the effects of the last chemo round).

Oh well. On to more pleasant topics...

Last night, I took my friend Jane out for a much belated birthday dinner (ah, the joys of scheduling conflicts) to Robert DeNiro's new restaurant, Locanda Verde. I kept getting gridlocked between different dishes, so I resorted to my reliable falback: ask the server. My indecision was vindicated because each time she hesitated and said, "Ooh, those are both GOOD." Okay, she may say that about everything, but it made ME feel better, ok? ;)

All of these were damn tasty! The usual food porn follows:

Crispy Artichokes with yogurt and mint (me -- may not look fab, but it tasted gooood; also had some roasted red peppers scattered throughout)

Grilled Octopus with spicy almond romesco and local fagiolini (Jane -- that octo was soooo tender and yummily charred)

Gigantone with sunday night ragu and provolone picante (J -- I think the ragu was with lamb)

Porchetta sandwich (me -- pork with pork cracklings: you should have SEEN the pool of grease it left behind! Yum! thank goodness for the tart vinaigrette of the salad to cut the grease between bites/halves)
Lemon Tart buttermilk gelato, limoncello granita (J)

Toasted Almond Semifreddo bing cherries (me)