Twenty days of radiation: A photo essay

Abstract

After my partial mastectomy, I became obsessed with counting down the days until I was finished my 20 days of radiation treatment. My life had careened so far out of control when I was diagnosed with breast cancer that the countdown gave me a wee bit of agency back. I'm a writer but I struggled to write when I was in treatment. My journal was a rambling mess. I felt a burning desire to document my time in radiation. I was unable to form coherent sentences, so I picked up my camera instead. For each of the 20 days of treatment, I took two photographs. One was in black and white. This photo was inside the cancer hospital, as life felt devoid of colour there. The other photo was taken every day after my treatment was done, as I emerged into the sunny spring day to rejoin the world outside of the hospital. This photo is in colour. These photos are a symbol of my pain from the dark cancer treatment time. I took them to remind myself that the horror of cancer is real. The colour photos serve as a symbol of hope that there is life beyond treatment. These pictures helped me start to heal. I could not begin to find peace in my heart until I recognized the trauma that cancer had inflicted on me. I want to share them with you. Please encourage patients to document their own stories in ways that work for them. This can be beyond journaling. Stories can be told through poetry, music, dance, or visual art too. Most of all, please take the time to honour patient stories when they are shared with you.Fig. 2A and B. Beautiful cityscape v. ugly hospital mirror view.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Fig. 3A and B. Vibrant flowers v. dreary hospital waiting room.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Fig. 4A and B. A corridor with trees and a peek-a-boo view v. the window-less hospital hallway.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Fig. 5A and B. New bird life v. hospital cafeteria with coffee.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)