I'm no sure I understand why you were so upset that your Doctor told you the diagnosis over the phone? Especially that you were upset enough to not seek treatment for a year after?

The treatment can be horrible, but dying from this demon is not very palitable in my mind. You've been lucky to have had minimal effects from radiation, but to stop with 4 treatments remaining because it's starting to get uncomfortable now would be foolhardly. Trust your Doctors, get pain medication to deal with the pain issues and remember always that this disease will KILL you if ignored
Wayne