AUGUST 2009 RADS

ravenruth

Hey guys finishedd with my rads today but my underarm hurts like you know what. I am burned under my underarm even though my lympth nodes were clear. I can't wear a bra yet but I hope my underarm clears up before long. I was told not to start tamoxifin until  2 weeks ater radiation. I pray I don't gain any weight. I am starting a diet hopefully on Monday. Congratulations ladies, now we all have to look forward to the next 5 years on tamoxifin. Lets all pray we all will make it. Do any of you live in Maryland or are we not supposed to ask. Have a great evening everyone and my prayers are with you all/

kawee

Congrats RAVENRUTH!!!! You've joined the club!!!!!!  Did you get to ring the bell?

cakeisgreat

Congrats ravenruth!  Dont worry about gaining weight...lots of people are fine on tamox.  I dont live in Maryland but there are people on this board that do, so I'm sure you'll hook up soon!

ChrisC433

Congrats Ravenruth...you will be surprised at how quickly you heal once you are not being zapped on top of the burn anymore!  Hugs to you...

I'm from PA, but sure some MD people lurk!

Chris

ccbaby

Congrats Ravenruth!

ravenruth

I didn't get to ring a bell but they all gave me hugs and a certificate saying I passed  They told me I had a great sense of humor & to come back & see them, I actually am going to miss them but not the rads

Alyad

so glad to hear everyone is finishing up! how is everyone healing?

cakeisgreat

I'm doing pretty good...skin peeling, dry skin, but all in all, good!  How are you doing Alyad?

ChrisC433

Mine is pretty well healed.  The square area where I got boosts is slightly darker than the rest of my breast.  My scar till peels every now and then.  Redness has cleared up.  Still a little itchy but I think that is because I've been forgetting the moisturizer!

Hope everyone is fairing well....

lemonjello

  I went to get my PET scan Tuesday and then Wednesday, Oct 21, I finished my rads!  Yahoo!  Boy those boosts were scary.  But my skin is healing already.  Very fatigued from the boosts and the PET scan was easy.  I hated the all meat and fish and cheese and eggs diet the day before the scan though.  UGH!  Both the radiologist and the onc are playing "don't worry about the lump on the collar bone."  But every time i google it all that comes up is bone cancer or lymphoma.  So, i am worried.  The results will be in this Monday or Tuesday, then if there is some surprise there my next move is surgery probably.    But I am declaring a two week vacation from battling cancer now.  I need to regroup before a second round if it turns out to be malignant.  I need some peace and rest and vitamins.  My onc order Femara for my 5 year therapy.  We discussed Arridmadex and Femara and i picked Femara because there was talk on the cable station FOX with Dr. Rosenfeld, that Femara had proved to be better for women over 60.  More tolerated.  So we will see if that turns out for me.  Its so great to have been part of the Aug Rad group and have all this excitement for the conclusion.  I didn't get to ring a bell either, but I will find a way to celebrate.  I just can't use food.  God, the weight I have gained and lost through these past six months of chemo and rads....i must have gained and lost 56 pounds.   All thru it i kept losing and gaining the same 8 pounds. Well, congrats to all and forward march.  I was watching Marv Levy, former coach of the Buffalo Bills, on tv.  He said Winston Churchill said, " When you are going through hell, just keep going."  So, good luck ladies and just keep going.

We will get through.

kawee

lemonjello - you are in my thoughts and prayers.  Keep us posted.

ChrisC433

Lemonjello....good news vibes are sent your way!!

ccbaby

Lemonjello...Congrats on finishing rads and I hope your scan comes out ok. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

lemonjello

Well my radiologist has me scheduled for a follow up to my PET scan in January!  So I called and asked if the news was good....i mean why would he wait till January?  And he said it was good news.  The scan results were NORMAL.   And it was a whole body scan, so Yahoo!   So I will be seeing the onc about the lump and determine what it is and what treatment for it if its from radiation or something else.  I have that appointment scheduled on Nov 12.  So last night was my first night of good sleep and good dreams and even though it rained  today,  I watched the leaves fall and did wash and cooked and felt extremely happy that I am out of the end of the tunnel and into the recovery light.  Praise God, boy did I lean on God.  The lump seems to change in size, even though it is hard, it could be a lymph node.  Today it is much smaller than a few days ago when i got the boosts.  Maybe it is related.  The radiologist said it could be related to the rads. 

cakeisgreat

so happy lemon that the scans were clear!  I totally can see you watching the leaves fall and thanking God.  I've done that too! 

ChrisC433

Great news lemonjello!!!

Where are you from.  I'm in central PA and it is raining here and the leaves are falling all around...

kawee

lemonjello - I'm so happy for you.  I can only imagine what peace you must have.  I  was thinking not only about myself and all of you and what we've been thru.  Brought tears to my eyes.  I'm glad it's all behind us, but can only think about all those to come.  Just wish there was something we could do to take it all away. 

lemonjello

I live in Western New York!  Guess what i had this week?  A day where i didn't think about cancer!!!!!!!!!!!! I raked leaves, mine and my neighbor's.  Went shopping, did laundry, laughed out loud while watching tv and planted daffodils!  Oh, what a relief it was to just forget the whole thing.  If i can have one day a week like that i will be so grateful!  Noticed that when i scratch my radiated breast, i have loss of sensation compared to the healthy breast.  Probably will regain some sensation but never the same.  My breast is almost black in the area of the boosts.  My nipple is starting to poke out from the swelling.  I have a huge blood clot remaining from my failed contura balloon.  I'm hoping it will continue to shrink so i can avoid surgery to remove it.  It had made progress after the chemo but then with rads swelled up again.  One thing i have noticed is that my resting heart rate is higher than normal.  Around 85.  That too appeared during chemo and then subsided.  But it's back now and i hope it doesn't signify heart damage that is permanent.  My radiologist told me the effects of radiation lasts for weeks, even the killing of cancer cells lasts.  So i will just be patient and hope for the best in the long run.  I am hoping for all of us that this coming New Year will definitely be a true happy one.  Hey...spent Halloween in my robe while hubby answered the door...and ate two leftover candy bars without guilt.  I was just too fatigued to join in the fun.  I am finding now, there are  swings between fatigue and feeling normal now.  That's a good sign!  Maybe i will cook a turkey this year...well at least a roasted breast of turkey.  But i am still opting out of Xmas decorating this year.  All that goes up is a wreath on the door and answering Christmas cards.  We don't exchange gifts in our family anymore.  We just get together and eat more than we should.  I wanted so much to attend Christmas mass this year for my appreciation to the power of prayer, however, if i don't get that swine flu shot, i will not venture into a packed church on Christmas Eve.  It is dark out and it is only 5:30 pm and the weatherman is predicting a very hard frost and wet snow tonite.  I feel like hot chocolate and chocolate donut holes tonight!  I am so hungry lately.  At my weight, that is not a good sign.  I know sugar is a host for cancer....but i have been so good lately, i feel like going mad.  I started my B12 monthly shots, began Vitamin D and fish oil this month.  But i will hold off on the anti-oxidants for another month so as not to interfere with the rad's results. Are you having as much trouble as i am finding soy free food?  Soy is in everything!  Between the soy, salt and sugar...i am having a hard time sticking with a healthy menu.  And there are those weak moments like the one i was having a few minutes ago about hot chocolate and donut holes! UGH!  Jeez!

Hope you all feel better and recover quickly, thank you all for your support.

kawee

Lemon Jello - Come on over to the September Rads.  We're having a great time over there.  Glad you're feeling better.  I too am still tired.  Some days okay, some days exhausted.  I gained 8 lbs during this ordeal.  But now I've noticed that ravenous hunger has subsided.  I'm trying to get back into walking again, but sometimes I'm too tired.  Gee, I live on the central coast of California and it's 80 degrees here. 

fmakj

Hey everybody!  How is everyone doing these days?  Just wondering if any of you lost the hair in your armpit and if it came back.... I still have no armpit hair growth and now am hoping that this will be permanent??

Be Well All!

cakeisgreat

LOL!  I wish I lost my armpit hair!  Never did.

My boob looks pretty normal now.  Very interesting!  Life seems to be going back to "normal" although I worry every day that I have cancer in there that I dont know about, etc.  But I guess that's the "new normal."

Doing a double mx with DIEP recon on Feb 18, 2010 because I worry so much!

fmakj

I worry a lot also!..  and my boob is really Itchy!!! I might start with the glaxal base cream again!  Don't miss shaving that "pit" ... now it only takes me half the time!!

ChrisC433

Dayla...love the new avatar.  Your hair is coming in nice!

fmakj

How has everyone been doing since Rads are over?  I now have developed some skin peeling under my breast.  Actually, the skin color got a little brown just prior to the peeling.  I still have a triangle around my axilla scar that is brown, so I'm guessing eventually it will peel also.... Still have no hair in that armpit, but it does save time in the shaving department!!! LOL  

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the Christmas preparation time - shopping, decorating etc......

ravenruth

I also have no hair or odor under my one arm. It is kinda weird feeling. I seem to be eating more than ever since I started taking tamoxifin. I hope this soon stops

ChrisC433

No hair under arm.  Brown marks that I hope peel some day!  A "full" feeling under my arm that drives me nuts.  I keep messaging it move the fluid down.  I think my rads experience went well enough and glad it's over!