MAY 2009 Rads

Anonymous

Yay to Lisa - you certainly have been a busy girl!  Glad you are doing well!

Debonthelake

Lisa may you recover now.  You've been through a lot.  Hey Chelev I'm liking that head of hair.  I'll post a new picture of mine soon.  It's full but very gray.

lisalisa

Chelev, I like the hair too!  Mine is really coming in as well.  If I can remember how to post a photo, I'll change my avatar or put a photo here when the Biggest Loser is over LOL!

lisalisa

[IMG]http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj232/lisalisa_1212/lisahaircutandcolorAug09.jpg[/IMG]

darn...i can't remember how to add a photo.   any tips?

lisalisa

this was taken in late August....just before I left for my trip to NY and PA.  I had my hair trimmed (can you believe it?) and highlighted a bit.  It's grown a lot since this photo.....I'm so happy to have hair again!

Texas357

Wow! You have a lot of hair -- it looks great! Mine is only about half that long and still only a few stragglers for eyebrows. Eyelashes are thin and not as long as they normally are, but they are coming in.

jrgolomb

Wow Lisa-  You are beautiful!!!!  I don't have that kind of control over my hair.  I mousse it up and it just won't cooperate.  The cowlicks love my scalp!  They dance over my head whenever they want!  Sigh.  Hugs to you all

seagan

Hey there, May Rad Sisters!  Question for anyone still following our thread:  am I the only one still battling fatigue?  I am tired so much of the day, even though I'm exercising regularly, eating well, and and sleeping fairly well at night.  Could this still be recovery from the rads?  Seems like a long time for that (I finished on June 22, nearly 5 months ago!).

Thanks and I hope everyone is well!

Bold

Interesting that you should ask. I was at the onc three weeks ago discussing that very thing. I am still on herceptin and was blaming it for my terrible fatigue. She explained to me that it takes time to recover. Some people it takes about a year others it can take about a year and a half. Can you believe it. The sad thing is that it makes you nervous as you feel bad. I want so much to be back to normal!!! I wish you the same. Our new normal.

americanpinay

Just want to say hello to my rad sisters!

Seagan...it's getting better and better but my legs still feel kind of fatigued sometimes...gotta be from all the treatments I had in the past 12 months...I guess I just have to be patient and learn to take it easy while my body heals...

What sucks is that I just read a study that says 50 percent of BC survivors have chronic pain even three years after TX...argghhh...there's a spot in my back that started aching when I was on Taxol and it still flares up every now and then...sigh...

I am soooo thankful though that I am still here to post and rant.

Be well ladies.

Texas357

I'm still not back 100% either. Pre-cancer, I could ride the exercise bike for 30-40 minutes no problem. Now I still battle to get to 15 minutes. Slow and steady -- we'll get there!

Anonymous

Hi, rads sisters!  I am not dealing with fatigue, but have noticed a little bit of cording under both arms - my daughter, who is going to massage therapy school, showed me how to do some lymphatic drainage which should help - she said I had a golf ball sized lump under the non-bc side due to drainage backup on the bc side.  Huh.

Also dealing with a painful nipple and discharge - saw the onc last week and they think it's an infection in a duct, so have been on antibiotics 3x a day and am following up on Friday with them - it is STILL painful and tender to touch.  Just one more thing to worry about!!!!!

Otherwise, everything seems to have healed well from rads and am feeling really good - except for this stupid pain.

seagan

So good to hear from you all -- thank you.  I'm sorry to hear that others are still feeling so tired, too, though it makes sense.  Ivorymom, I love your theory about how craving sleep may be our subconscious needing us to process things -- I say that's quite plausible!  And it may explain why I've often craved sleep even pre-BC...I think I've had a lot of issues needing processing!!

I read somewhere that radiation is the gift that keeps on giving, and it occurs to me now that's true for both its side effects and its good, therapeutic effects.  I'll try to keep the latter in mind when I get these odd pains or wake up stiff or feel tired.  (Though I reserve the right to whine and grumble, too...).

Thanks again, everybody.  Bold and Chelev, you both look so beautiful and strong -- wonderful to see!

americanpinay

Hi all,

Ivorymom, sorry to hear about the breast lymphedema. Hopefully, the therapy sessions will take care of it for you.

Chelev, hope the infection gets resolved soon.

Be well ladies.

Texas357

Hi Ladies,

My wonderful husband treated me to a complete spa day yesterday: massage, facial, mani/pedi, hair cut and color, spa lunch and professional makeup application. She gave me some good looking eyebrows! Woo hoo! Too bad I had to wash them off when I went to bed last night.

The facialist, massage therapist and manicurist all wanted to massage my arms. Even though I asked them not to touch my left arm they did anyway and I kept having to remind them. My arm is pretty sore today. I'm hoping it settles down because Tuesday is my exchange surgery.

On the bright side: after chemo, my skin has been in such horrible condition. So dry! All that attention yesterday really made it so soft and smooth!

carolinachick

Hello Ladies,

So good to hear from everyone.

Texas - Wow!  What a wonderful gift.  I think that should be standard procedure for anyone who's gone through all that we have.  Maybe I'll give my hubby some hints...

I had been feeling pretty good, but this week I've noticed more fatigue.  I can't figure out whether it's because we are finally done with our audit at work, the stress of having a 15 year old daughter, the rainy weather or the fact that I have my next onc check-up tomorrow.  Hopefully it will be a nice, relaxing weekend with lots of R & R for everyone.

americanpinay

Hi ladies...

Texas...very nice gift...good luck with your surgery next week...

Carolinachick...good luck with your onc check up tomorrow...I also get too nervous right before medical appointments...I think that if I keep a diary of aches and pains, it would show a lot of stuff right before medical appointments and/or scans...

Have a nice day everyone.

HighPlainsBarb

ivorymom:

Since my lumpectomy and subsequent radiation to my right breast, I have had a very sore boob. I keep hearing "It's normal after surgery, it may take years to go away".  Now I recall one Dr. telling me it was common and it was Breast Lymphedema, but he did not offer any therapy. I do know that when I had my follow up Mammogram last week, my boob felt better than it had it a very long time. No doubt this was due to the compression from the mammograms super squeezer.  I am seeing this same Dr. next week for Genetic counseling and now I will be asking for treatment, thanks to your post!  I am so grateful for this forum...

Blundin2005

Hi Ivorymom!  Even though I'm well beyond my rads (4 years this month) I popped in here when I saw your name. Hope you don't mind.

Over time my fatigue and soreness subsided.  Many of us at the time reported similar experiences especially the fatigue.  Finally the doctors acknowledged it as real and not imagined as some were suggesting.  It is important that they listen to us.

I agree too with you that the body needs to rest to heal....and that doesn't happen on a schedule....each of us are unique.  But given time, it does get better.  That too is a reason why coming to these discussion boards helps us through the process.  

If it helps to know, my breast still feels sore and full sometimes...what you refer to as lymphedema probably.   The docs never were specific about it.  But my breast surgeon and radiologist told me from the beginning to massage the breast with sweet almond oil ... even as recently as this year.  I think that it may be ongoing maintenance to help move the fluids out.  It does work.  I try to remember when I'm in the shower.  I keep the oil there.

Hope you find this helpful. 

Best wishes to you all as always,

Marilyn 

edit to say "from the beginning..." I should be clear to say that during rads, During radiation therapy I followed their instructions and used as directed only the cream that was diagnosed....water based.  The sweet almond oil came after the therapy was over and the the blisters healed.  Sorry if I confused anyone on that issue.  

Puppers

Hi May radiation sisters - I hope and pray this finds you doing well today!!!!!

How are you all doing these days with scar tissue and pain since your surgeries and radiation? 

I have a hardening area under my incision that is still painful, and my breast area is really tight feeling when raising my arm, stretching, etc.  Anyone else experience that?

Have a happy thanksgiving with your friends and families - we have so much to be thankful for this year!!!!  

Texas357

I'm having my exchange surgery tomorrow. The radiated side definitely has scar tissue that's causing a big squeeze on the tissue expander. I've also got LE going on in my shoulder and chest -- actually more there than in my arm. I'm just praying that removing the scar tissue tomorrow will bring relief from the tightness and not aggravate the LE.

Bold

Good luck Tex!!!

I too have soreness in my lumpectomy breast. I ask about massage to my BS and she said it will just take time. I am having a lift on the my other side to match my lumpectomy. I do not like being uneven. I know it is the least of my worries and I pray that I live a long life and that this is not to indulgent, but hey I was always even before.

Hope all are still healing and thinking less and less about death and cancer and more about love and life.

seagan

I still have stiffness on my left side, esp. when I wake up in the morning, and my range of motion isn't quite as full as it used to be, though doing yoga and other exercise has helped.  My biggest issue (besides the aforementioned all-day fatigue!) is aching in that arm.  It doesn't measure as lymphadema, but I don't know what else it could be.  The lymphadema PT I saw mentioned that radiation can affect the connective tissue (and therefore the arm) for even years afterward, but somehow this feels different.  The range of motion/stiffness stuff seems more about connective tissue; this aching is deeper down and moves around my arm.  I'm determined to do the LE exercises and massage this week to see if that makes a difference. 

Debonthelake

Hi, everyone,

I just dropped in to catch up on everyone.  My recovery has been gradual as well.  I believe that everyone is right about the necessity of sleep to help both the body and the mind to heal.  I'm back at work full swing.  At first I could tell that I just wasn't tolerating long days as well as I used to but slowly and surely that has improved.  One year ago Friday was my lumpectomy.  I've sure come a long way since then and I'm grateful to be on the other side of that experience.  I've been pretty faithful to an exercise routine but I've fallen off of the wagon this week.  Between Christmas shopping with my Mom and Sister and a trip to see the Rockettes in Nashville and feeling like I'm coming down with a cold I've taken a break this weekend.  Tomorrow it will be back on my top priority list.  It is strange approaching this holiday in light of the holiday I experienced last year.  Not bad, not depressing just strange.  I'm feeling peaceful and many days go by when I don't think about cancer.  

Wishing all of you Health, Joy and Peace during the holiday season the the coming New Year.

barbiedahl

Hi Everyone,

I just got back from my recheck with the Onc. All went well everything seems to be in order (thank you God) I found out what the "Breast room L" meant on my appointment reminder- it was a mammogram OUCH! I wasn't quite ready for that yet, but they didn't seem to care. Really they were very kind and gentle and said it would probably be the hardest one I ever have because my breast is still healing from radiation. They let me see the pictures after they took them and I thought it was really interesting that you could actually see the skin thickening from my radiation on the screen image.  My Onc thought it looked okay from what he could see, but it will be about a week before they compare my last mamo with this one. I'm not expecting any bad news. The breast still gets puffy when I overdo at the gym or around the house, and I expect that it will be sore after getting squished today.

Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate. The new year will be a stellar one for us all! 

Texas357

Question: How many of you will have to keep going back to your radiation oncologists for monitoring? The reason I ask is that mine wants to see me every six months, then every year. But it's a little unsettling that she left one cancer center the week after I finished treatment, and I just learned she's leaving the hospital where she's been practicing. Now I'm wondering if I really want to continue seeing her. At this point, she doesn't even know where she's going to have hospital privileges.

lisalisa

Hi rads sisters!

Just checking in to say "hi".  I've been on a cancer vacation for awhile....just getting on with my life and not thinking about BC so much!

I've joined a gym, working out regularly.  TRYING to eat more healthy.  Busy with the kids...soccer, ballet, etc.   Life is good!

Lisa

barbiedahl

Hey Texas

 I'm being followed by my surgeon and my radiation oncologist, but I'm not sure what I would do in your situation. Can you talk to your surgeon about it, or your oncologist and ask their advise? I know my doctors seemed to work as a team and keep each other informed of what was going on with me, so in my case I think I would stay where most of the team is rather than following one doctor, but I'ddefinately want some advise from the other doctors.

Lisalisa, my Onc just told me that women who work out at least three hours a week cut their re occurence  of breast cancer by HALF!  Now if that doesn't get you out of bed and into the gym I don't know what will. 

seagan

Hey there, rad sisters.  On the rad onc question, I haven't had any follow-up visits with mine since radiation ended in late June.  My med onc checks me every three months, though, including a physical exam where he checks how the old boob is healing up.  I still had some swelling as of late October, and he thought this was probably residual from the radiation and would gradually go away.  Let's hope so -- it's still quite tender, too.  I dread that first mammogram in late January, for many reasons!

Lisa -- good for you to take a cancer vacation.  On the one hand, I'm finally, gradually focusing less on the BC and more on my life, and yet I still think about it every day.  And this upcoming mammo really gets me nervous and is also oddly taking me back to the beginning, at least in terms of remembering things -- going over the sequence of events when I was diagnosed, the various providers I saw, where I was at key moments.  It reminds me of what happened as I neared the anniversary of my mom's death -- it was if entering the same time of year prompted me to relive her death and my initial grief again.

Anyway, so far none of it's overwhelming, just intense and sort of odd given how far I've come in finally moving on otherwise.  And I'm grateful to have the holidays and engrossing work to help distract me from it!

Hope you're all well -- it's great to reconnect like this when we can.

carolinachick

Hello Ladies,

It's good to hear from everyone and how we've all been moving on.  I see my onc every three months for a checkup and my surgeon every six months for a mammogram.  My next mammo is scheduled for Jan. 7 - exactly one year after my diagnosis.  It will be an interesting day.  Also, I started this rollercoaster ride on Christmas Eve of last year, so I'm hoping for a more relaxing Christmas break with my kids this year.

Best wishes for a better 2010!

Jennifer