SEPTEMBER 2008 rads group
Comments
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I just finished my 28th and final regular whole breast rads. Immediately after the treatment, they told me to stay in position so they could do the set up for the boosts. They moved the machine directly over me on a slight angle and put a special fitting on that had a cutout of the boost design uniquely made for me. Once they got me all lined up, Dr. Weiss came in and checked everything. She was happy with it. So next they drew the outline of the boost field on my breast in magic marker and took a couple pictures. So tomorrow will be the first of 8 boosts. I am so thrilled to be at this point. The boosts are different from regular rads as it's an electron beam that only penetrates a couple cm into your tissue. One quick zap a day for this. They also said the sore spots under my arm and on my chest should not get any worse and will start to heal. Hopefully, the boost area will not burn. That has been one area that so far has not even been pink. It's on the underside on my breast so it doesn't really rub against anything too much. Keeping my fingers crossed for that.
I felt some stabbing, stinging pain through my breast & nipple today during and after treatment. I don't know if they gave me a little something extra on my last whole breast rad, or if it's just a coincidence, but it was definitely real pain.
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Good afternoon, y'all.
I've finished my 21st treatment, 12 to go!
OH! BTW, CONGRATS NancyD!!!
My rad onc said I will be getting 5 boosts. I'm just looking forward to getting all this done, SO I CAN GO HOME!!! I'm so homesick right now! I can't wait to see my boyfriend and our dogs again! I can't wait to see my mom again!
Anyway, seems like my skin's getting a bit tighter everyday, and more itchy too! It's also getting a bit uncomfortable for me to lay on my right side at night.
After all the rads are done, how long is it going to take for the skin to heal?
Well, I hope y'all had a great week!
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TexanCupig-my skin starting healing under my armpit as soon as the boosts started. Once they got out of my armpit and I continued to slather on the Silvadene, it got better.
I sleep on my left side which is the treated side, and oh boy, was it uncomfortable. I had to take Tylenol PM to help me sleep at night. But no more-only 4 boosts left and I'm done. You'll feel relief very soon!
Nancy D-I'll be joining you with that drink next Tuesday!!
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Jean - sorry your throat is so sore. Mine seems to be good so far. I do get the burps from time to time with the treatments.
Nancy258 - congrats on being finished the regular radiation and onto the boosts.
NancyD - how long did it take before you started getting itchy. We have had about the same treatments so I'm thinking I might be closer to you in reactions.
TexanCupig - I so feel for you having to be away from home to do this. Another lady in the waiting room was in the same boat and her last one was last week. Can't tell you how glad she was to get to go home.
Only 11 more to go for me and I'm red but not itchy yet. Has anyone else put their cream in the fridge? That was suggested to me today to help and I thought it sounded like a good idea.
Yah it's friday tomorrow.
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Im officially 2/3 of the way through this- treatment 22 out of 33 was today! Tomorrow is my herceptin treatment also so the rads techs gave me an early appointment to get it all done in one trip and to finish rads before the chemo room- seems they dont like hauling people into rads with their poles!
I celebrated two milestones this week- making it into the 20s and hitting the 2/3 marks- I will celebrate anything!
Kristy
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Makraz: I have noticed something in my lung as well-- when cycling, or sometimes on a deep inhale. They tell me not to worry-- that it is just irritation. It's not too bad, but hard to describe.
I haven't been on the site for a bit, how's everyone? I went to October rads, then saw that Sept. was still active.
I start boosts on Tuesday-- I am nervous about that as my nipple is pretty toasty now, and will be in the boost field.
However, I get to take 6 days off!!!! My rad onc OK'd a few extra days for the Breast Cancer ride I'm doing in California---- so I'll be off on the 23rd, riding on the 25th, and relaxing at a SPA on the 26th and 27th!!!!! I can really use that. Then, back to reality.
Deb
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Thanks for your prayers and kind thoughts - my huge blister is alittle better. Silvadene has helped so much. Hopefully I will get through work tomorrow and can get this blistered area completely under control this weekend.
Today was my last boost! This sounds strange but I'm going through alot of emotions this evening - happy but kind of sad.
Weekend's coming!! Hang in there everyone! I'm praying for you all
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Roberta, I can't remember when I started itching, but I do remember noticing the tightness of the skin first. The itching started soon afterwards when the little blisters first appeared. The tightness came and went, depending on the condition of the skin. Keeping it "lubricated" helped with that a lot.
Sharon, it will be over very soon. When you get to the last day you'll be surprised that it really went so fast...not like chemo that drags on for months.
Here's to Rose!
CONGRATULATIONS!
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Hi, all. I'm DONE! I finished my seven boosts today. The boosts were definitely harder--more painful--but my skin never broke. I was surprised, since I'm a redhead. I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up very well with everyone. I want to take my time and go through and read to see how everyone's doing, but I'm whipped right now. I'll be celebrating this weekend!
NancyD, I'm glad you're done for real this time--Congrats!
Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Ace
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redheadace1-Congrats!!!!!! I'm finding the boosts easier than the regular zaps. I guess everyone reacts differently. Hope you are able to get rested up and relax, it's over!
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Midsum - Sorry to hear about your lung too. Mine lasted about a week and then just went away. I hope yours is short lived too.
KristyAnn - Congrats and celebrate whatever you want. We deserve it!! You'll be done before you know it.
Congrats to Rose and Readheadace1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NancyD and Roberta - I remember when I started itching. It was the 3rd week of rads. VERY itchy. I remember reading here that someone else (I forget who) was very itchy and wanted to take their nipple off and put it in their drawer until they were finished. Wouldn't that be nice if we could.
7 more boosts for me. I can't wait for it to end. Tomorrow's Friday so we can give our boobs a break!
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Congrats to all the ladies finishing up. I'm quite pink but doing okay. I just finished #20 and have 10 more to go. We're only doing 30 total, not the regular 33. Doing okay except for crashing so early at night. Next week I'm going for occupational therapy. The rads has made my side swell up and they want to teach me massage techniques. Sounds like I'll have some ultrasound massage as well. Sounds very soothing.
Have a great night all, Mary
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Congrats to all that are finishing . . . great news that keeps me hanging in there!
Nancy - They have checked my blood weekly for the past three weeks. Congrats on being finished & hoping you get your energy back soon.
Susan - The rads onc hopes that I will get red (via IMRT) but not peel. Tumor was a 1.2, grade was a 2. The doc is a young guy just of out school - trained and worked at the Mayo Clinic. Again, plan to ask next week. Thanks again for the info.
Tired and headed to bed. Wishing everyone a great night.
Jean
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Congratulations to all those finished!! Way to go Ace!!!
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I send my congrats to all finisher too....go celebrating. Jippi...
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ace, here's a raspberry champagne cocktail for you, in honor of your redhair!
Who's next to finish? I'll try to come up with a special "drink".
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It's me--on Tuesday!!!! I can't wait to see my drink. Something extra to look forward to!
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I had my last treatment yesterday! The staff took a picuture of me ringing a bell that tx was done and had a quick mini celebration at the cancer center, the girls wher so nice to me during all the treatments I brought them a big basket of chocolate candy to thank them for their positive attutudes. I am red, itchy and have a few tiny blisters that I did not know of until I scratched them open this week. My underarm is the worst - but I have the red burn line - burned only bottom half of my arm pit - so the top that is still growing hair is rubbing it (per the rad tech's) I am looking forward to healing. I just want to say to keep your chin up to the others that are halfway thru or getting close to the end, it will happen and we will survive this! I will check in later to see how everyone is doing. Congrats to Nancy who started the Sept thread, and other that have finished. Thank you for your support.
Holly
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My appointments have been going back and forth between 7:45 am and 4 pm. Well I went for #17 this morning, and when I got there, the computer check in said my appointment was for 4 pm. I mentioned something to the lady at the desk and she said it would be OK they would know I was there. When I got back to my area, they came out and asked if someone had told me to change my appointment to morning - I said yes, and they said it was OK they would normally do my treatment then, BUT the machine was down.
I am still scheduled for 4:00, but I am supposed to call before I go to make sure the machine is up (unless they call me first). I hope it is running because I don't really want to tack one on to the end because I really wanted to get past the halfway point today. No big deal about having to go back - it's only about 10 minutes from my office, I'm just a little mad at myself because I didn't double check when they told me to come in the morning today (apparently it is supposed to be next Friday that I have to go early). My sister is getting married tomorrow and the rehearsal dinner is tonight, so getting out of work "early" would be helpful, maybe I will just have to leave for my treatment even if the machine isn't working yet. 
Have a great weekend!
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midsum, my nipple is in the boost field also. Very nervous about that. I start the boosts today, so I'll let you know how I make out over the next few days.
Congrats Rose, Ace & Looneymom!!! It's so exciting that many in our Sept group are finishing. A couple burns here and there and plenty of anxiety, but we're all getting through this without major problems. It's going by fast, and I don't feel like I'm going through this alone. I owe all of you for that. Sharing this experience with people who truly understand sure makes it easier.
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Looneymom, here's a picture for your rad graduation!
Hope you celebrated (but not THIS much!)
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NancyD, you are too cute with all the pix! Congrats on being done! Sharon & I both caught resp infections during rads & I felt like a truck had run over me until they put me on keflex, so check that out. I had a lot of trouble getting comfy in bed, too, for a while & did the same thing you did, took Tylenol PM. Still sore in bed now, but more from the combination of post-slab-ectomy & post-rads lumpy-ness & tightness I think.
Holly, Ace & Rose, & anyone I may have missed, congrats on being done!!
I've finally gotten to the itchy stage myself, altho's still getting a few new red dots of folliculitis, but the armpit is finally not burning! We should have a collective celebration of when our armpits stop bothering us!
Here's a goofy revision of my avatar for my blog. My radiation team made me promise to send them a copy of the previous version, which is the "Boob that Glows in the Dark." I guess this is the "SE's that Glow in the Dark." LOL:
Kathi
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Congrats to all who are done or finishing up. I had my last treatment on Wed. and started the boosts Thurs. Will go until next Thursday! Yeah!
Right now I'm very tired and sore. Has anyone had a bad burn like reaction under the arm? The lower half of my right armpit is dark reddish brown and really sore, kind of like a bad burn, but not blistered. I've been using radiplex and aquaphor, but nothing seems to soothe it. Only cool cloths, which of course I can't do a work!
Today is a feel sorry for me day. My dry cough is annoying and tiring too.
I hope the weekend is good for eveyone and that we all get the strength we need to get through this. Congrats to all who have already made it.
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Pattyk, check back through the posts on this thread & you will see that most of us have complained about our armpits!! NancyD's explanation that it is "virgin skin" as far as previous exposure to sun or other burns is a good one. Silvadene I found very cooling, but I'll tell you, I put a soft-gel coldpack on mine for about 20 minutes at a time when it was at its worst. That helped a lot. And it helped calm down the swelling I got there, too. And I didn't blister! Good luck.
Kathi
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Congrats to all those who are finished! I'm quietly reading through all your posts in anticipation of what I might see. I'm 1 day shy of being half done. I'm surprised I am as tired as I am because I have not worked since just before my bi-lateral in August. Maybe I'm just getting lazy. I feel guilty reading about how most of you are commuting to both rads and work. It is all I can do to get to the hospital M-F (about 40 minutes away). Tuesday I was there all day as I had my Herceptin infusion, heart scan, labs and doctor appointment in addition to rads.
Your posts help me get through the day. Thanks for all the information and support.
Love and prayers,
Jane
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Jane,
I didn't work through my rads either, at first because my surgeon wouldn't let me go back to work for six weeks because I have to lift people in my job sometimes (I'm a PT), but I stayed out an extra week till after I was all done with rads & I'm glad I did. I was totally wiped out during rads about halfway through as well. I got that 3-week protocol so each treatment was about twice as strong as the 7-week protocol. Then I caught a cold & that about finished me off! All my healthcare colleagues who deal with cancer patients getting rads tell me that everyone is different & that most people get fatigued & about half of us get REALLY fatigued & that it's normal. My rad onc seemed to downplay all the potential SE's beforehand, telling me I might need an "extra hour or so of sleep each day" when in fact during the last week of rads, I was asleep more than I was awake, I was so tired!
Plus, I had friends that helped me a lot, but I still did most of my own driving, cooking, shopping, housework, laundry, etc., etc. If you have kids, too, that's huge. So, just be nice to yourself & get as much sleep as you seem to need. After all, we're basically getting poisoned during rads (not to mention chemo!), so I think a little fatigue is a reasonable response!!
Good luck to you & congrats on being halfway there.
Kathi
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NancyD, that is so funny!
pattyk, I was as miserable as you yesterday. Since I was starting my boosts today, I decided to try some different things on my armpit last night since it isn't being radiated anymore. I tore a leaf off my aloe plant and put the gel from it on all my sore spots. It really took the sting out of it. An hour later I took a vitamin E pill, poked a hole in it and put the oil on all the sore spots, then just before bed I topped the whole thing off with some Aquafor. I have the same reddish brown area on the bottom half of my armpit, plus some other raw spots in the same area. I do feel much better today. I brought another leaf of aloe with me to work today and put it on right after my boost treatment. Very soothing.
The oil from the vitamin E pills has always cured sore, raw noses in the past for me overnight. I didn't exactly get those results overnight with my underarm, but it is much better.
Here's hoping for some major armpit healing over the weekend!
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Nancy258, thanks for the tips. I will certainly try it when I get home today. My boost is at 3:30 pm and then off for the weekend!! I have this dry cough which is really getting annoying (nothing like being a complainer) and I think I will ask the nurse today what to do. Throat lozenges don't seem to help much.
I love the picture of you with your grandson. What a doll. Thanks for taking the time to post an answer.
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Thank Kathi:
No kids at home unless you count my 50-year old husband - LOL. I'm an empty-nester. The last couple of Wednesdays I have picked up my grandchildren (2 1/2 & 4 1/2) after school and made dinner for them and their parents. Wow! Kudos to those of you fighting cancer with small children. I go to bed as soon as they leave and they are very, very good children.
My house is going to heck in a hand-basket. Oh well. Maybe I can get it clean by Thanksgiving when my youngest two (20 and 23) come home for the holidays.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Jane
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Good afternoon, y'all.
CONGRATS!!! on those that are finished! I can't wait to be done and back at home!!!
Well, I've finished 22 treatments, with 11 left.
It was pretty rough for me last night, because I noticed a fairly big blister close to my armpit, and that kind of freaked me out. Needless to say, the 'unprofessional' doc saw me this morning, and she said that if my skin isn't looking better on Monday...I may need to take a couple of days off from rads.
She said to slather on the silvadene, which I will definitely do! One of the techs said I should walk around with my hand on my hip, like I have an attitude, so that area can get air...lol...me with an attitude...Besides the blistering, my skin feels tight and more burned, and I can't believe how dark my armpit got!
My shoulder blade also hurts a bit...GEEPERS! I just wish I could be home already.Anyway, I hope y'all have a great weekend!
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