MARCH 2010 Rads Group

MagooandBear

June 2268-

My Rad Onc said that I may experience exactly what you are describing with the throat. She said that one of my dosimetry lines hits the edge of my espohagus and it will burn. She described what it would feel like exactly like a lump in tghe thraot or that I have some food stuck. She said it will appear about 14 days in and will leave at about 21. Do not worry, but to take some Prevacid OTR if it causes too much acid reflux or heartburn. Hope you feel better soon!

YramAL

Small victory....finished treatment last Monday. I shaved my underarm today for the first time in 7 weeks! It sure felt good! I'm going to wait a few more days before I start using antiperspirant, though.

Mary

Irishmom

Congrats to all that finished this week - may you all heal quick.  Good luck to everyone else for another successful week.  We have great weather here and I hope everyone is enjoying. 
Kathy

charmainejensenvoisine

Mary good for you being able to shave your underarm hair for the first time in several weeks.  I finished chemotherapy going on 9 weeks and the underarm hair has not come back yet. (one of the chemo drugs that I was on is 'texatere' - I have heard with some women getting hair back in some areas after texatere is quite the delay). 

Charmaine

MarieK

I apply Lubriderm lotion several times throughout the day 7 days a week!  Cortisone when needed and sparingly.

My skin did not start to "break down" until last week - tx #21-24.  Up until then it went from "pinkish" to "reddish" but did not blister or peel until almost the end of treatment (I had 28 tx). 

From what I understand it will continue to "cook" for another couple of weeks and the rad techs warned me it could get worse before it gets better!

Charmaine - I was on FEC and my body hair is coming in delayed too but kind of weird.  Very light and thin/wispy on my legs and under arms and the same but in a strange pattern in the nether region - I know TMI!

Makes sense to me what MagooandBear is saying - I had a bit or heartburn, reflux and that throat feeling but now it's gone away.

Have a great weekend!

joanneasiata

HI ALL

MARIE well done on finishing and to everyone else who has finished , Ive lost count on how many Ive had i think its around 14,  I'm a pinkish color ,a bit more tender under my breast , and from time to time have bad heart burn , i love all my techs and just love doing the slam dunk I'm only around a 25 Min's drive to the hospital with shops all around it and my daughters live close, so before or after treat I'm either visiting the shops or kids so it makes my days rather busy and it goes by quickly .

I am finding wearing a seat belt very uncomfortable  any one else? over here its a big fine if caught not wearing your seat belt so its a bit of a pain .

Well take care of your boobies all  and enjoy life

JOJO

June2268

Magooandbear and MarieK I asked my nurse who checked with the dosimetrist dept and they said nothing was close to being radiated and basically it was all in my head.....I have read that most women going through this can develop what I have so I am just going to ignore that they are making me believe it is all in my headand believe that it is real.......I just finished 16 on Friday and have 14 more to go.....I am now starting to get a prickly rash under my armpit and on the left of  the breast and my pores are so large on my breast, kinda funky looking.....not too red but some pink.  Feeling really good overall and not tired yet so lets hope that does not hit me.  I am so glad for all you ladies who finished and get to shave the pit, how exciting!  I hope everyone's enjoying your weekend.....I just went to see Ribverdance yesterday and had such a wonderful time, so my weekend was off to a good start.  June

CTMOM1234

To JOJO: Hadn't ever posted about the discomfort I find with the across my red left breast seatbelt!!!! Yes, yes, and more yes, I wear it of course, but find myself pulling the most uncomfortable part of it away as I drive home from the treatment!  At this point, I'm nearly done, so it's OK.

By the way, like how much happiness you've incorporated into your drive.

Tomorrow is #25 zap of #25 full breast -- going to really LOVE that SLAM DUNK. A little apprehensive about the unknown of the 5 boosts to follow, hope it's smooth sailing and nipple doesn't get more beaten up than it already is.

MaryNY

I had my last visit to zapdom on Friday. This morning my breast is almost back to its original color with the exception of the overhang (where it's much darker) and the boost area. I must say this is the first time I've every had a dark tan in my life. The boost area is still healing. That became scaly for the first time on Friday. I'm continuing to slather on the aloe vera gel. The onc nurse said it might take two weeks for the scaling to stop as more dead cells are pushed to the surface.

MariannaLaFrance

June--

That is exactly what my breast looks like. I look like I have very enlarged pores, almost like goosebumps. Very strange texture. I hope that goes away.

I cannot wait for rads to be over. The timeslot I have impedes a lot of my workday, but also I just want to cross this off my list and regain some moments in my life. What a wild trip this has all been.

ve1787

Hello.   I will begin radiation in a couple of weeks.  I was wondering if anyone who had Taxol for their last 4 treatments is still expierencing a sore throat and numbing/tingleing in their feet.  My last chem treatment with Taxol was Mar. 24th.  I use the oncology swish 3 or 4 times a day, have been on a couple of antibiotics, etc. but sore sore (withsome spots on the roof of my mouth) still keeps coming back ( never entirely goes away).  Anyone else out there experience anything like this?

joanneasiata

HI ALL

Not much to report just a hello from down under

JOJO

AndreaS97057

Week #4. I'm feeling like it'll never end - I'm not in any pain, just uncomfortable.  It's more the mental preoccupation and the constant fear that I'm going to react badly.  My aloe/corn starch peeled off the other day and I thought it was my skin - caused useless anxiety.  I wanted my poor boob to feel normal over the weekend, but it didn't.  I want to take a long, hot-hot-hot shower.  I can't wait to get my life back!  Sorry.. I just had to get that whining out. 

Oh, but I just realized I'm down to single digits in session to-go:  9!  I think that deserves a celebratory, therapeutic pastry.  Seems like the day for it.

June2268

Andreago enjoy that pastry, you deserve it....I am so glad you are down to single digits, I am a little jealous......14 more for me yipee......This may sound so corny, but I miss watching the kids get off the bus and tear through the house.....

MariannaLaFrance

Totally agree, June and AndreaS. I miss a chunk of my day, since I have my RADS at 3:30, when my kiddos are normally bursting through the door. And a hot, hot shower or steamy soak in the tub? Ha! I dream of that. I am pretty tired of my to-the-waist tub baths. It's really *fun* to try to wash my hair in the tub without getting any part of my torso wet, let me tell you!

So, lost track of what number treatment I'm on. I think I am on #15? Ugh. Maybe I'll ask the techs today so I can track better when I'll be done. Had a wonderful, fast weekend, and back to the grind today. Happy Monday to all of you!!

MariannaLaFrance

Joannasiata- Thanks for the Hello from Down Under. My husband's from Darwin, though we live in the USA. G'day to you! Hope you had an uneventful zap today, and did your slam dunk!

Sugar77

I did my slam dunk today, too! Tomorrow is my 16th, and final, full breast radiation treatment.  On Wednesday I will have my first boosts...five in total and them I'm done. I"m starting to get sore under my arm around my sentinel biopsy scar.

Sherri 

TreadSoftly

Hi ladies,

I so understand the seat-belt thing, esp if I have to break suddenly!  Im #26 out of 33, so at the dry, red, itchy stage, but fortunately no skin breakdown.  Cant wait to be finished this rads too, Im really noticing how much it interferes with your day since I went back to work 2 weeks ago.....  let the countdown to completion begin! 

Congrats to the ladies who have finished...

Sugar77

Regarding the seatbelt...I'm okay as a passenger as it crosses over my left "good" boob.  As the driver, it crosses the right one and hurts more.  On cold days when I have bulkier clothing it's fine but it rubs more when I have lighter clothing on, like I had today (ouch!).

Sherri 

cabmom

Sherri,

I think we're on the same time schedule....tomorrow is my last full breast radiation and on Wed I start boosts.  I will also have 5 of those and then I will be DONE....I can't wait. 

Hope everyone else had an uneventful ZAP day.......

Purdue98

I finished chemo 3/12, and my energy level has really come back up this past week. I am starting rads this week, and wondered how this will affect my energy. I have been working part-time since chemo started. Will I feel well enough to continue my current schedule and possibly increase my hours? Or is everyone feeling pretty worn out by the middle to end of treatment?

thanks

MaryNY

Purdue: I started rads three weeks after finishing chemo, so I was already tired to begin with. I found that my energy level actually improved over the first couple of weeks of rads as the effects of chemo wore off. I didn't really start to feel tired until week 3 or 4. At that stage, I sometimes took a nap during the day. Otherwise, I needed another hour or two at night. I wasn't working but I think it would be doable if you are kind to yourself in the evening. I took a walk every day and I do think that helped.

ATeamNana

I had 12 Taxol  ....once a week.  I had tingling in toes and fingers....last chemo was jan 14.

Had a lot of mouth issues.....my mouth felt like I had eaten something that had given me an allergic reaction.  For about 4 weeks I lived on Instant Breakfast ...nothing tasted right and my mouth tongue and lips felt like they were on fire.  They finally gave me meds for thrush...(I did not have the normal symptoms of thrush but they had tried everything else)    Well I've had 27 radiation now 6 to go and finally my mouth is good.....did well on radiation until this last few treatments....burn under breast but It is nothing compared to the pain with the mouth thing.  I read somewhere to drink ginger ail and it did help.  I still drink it.  I also craved green olives...my mouth was very dry ... no saliva...I think the olives made my saliva glands work???? the salt?? the olive oil?? anyway it helped and my mouth is pretty much back to  normal.  So it takes some time but it does get better.   My tingling has finally stopped also but I still have a few weird looking toenails.  My fingernails are mostly back to normal too.  Best to ya!

CTMOM1234

Today was treatment #25 of 25 full breast (and then I'll have 5 boosts). SLAM DUNKED MY LAST FULL BREAST GOWN!!! After 6 weeks of wearing 3 stickers on my back with sharpie markings (I'm prone for zaps), THEY PULLED THEM OFF! 

That leaves just 3 stickers on the front -- put on earlier in the week to prep. for boosts!  Going to feel weird being face up, keep thinking they'll say there's been a mistake and they;re adding more prone zaps after.

 The end of this is so near that I can taste it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck to all those wrapping it up, including Cabmom, Sherri, Denise, and for all those just beginning -- just take it ONE SLAM DUNK DAY AT A TIME AND SOON YOU'LL BE WALKING OUT THE DOOR.

ATeamNana

I had rad# 27 today....only 6 to go. Yeah!

I have a burn under breast that is being zapped but it is tolerable....I'm trying a new

cream Euricin...??? Not sure I spelled that correctly.  Nurse gave me some tefla pads to

put over it?  Seems to help. We'll see ......

Best to all!

kathylev

June 2268

I find your post so interesting.  Friday was my 15th treatment and I  felt a lump in my throat all weekend, also felt some scratchiness and mild heart burn.  Saw the radiation onc today and she asures me it's not from the radiation.  Told me to take some over the counter antiacid medication and if that doesn't help  I should  go see my my internist. 

charmainejensenvoisine

Treadsoftly: I am now 13 days post radiation therapy and my skin started to crack and peel within a matter of days after readiation and particularly in the area of my underarm and mildly in the area of my areola, you are so lucky this has not happened with you yet - as it is still happening with me big time. Itchy big time, but I am now using the Aloe Gel 98%.  I stopped using the prescribed creams by the doc the cortisone creams and Silver Creams.

Charmaine

charmainejensenvoisine

Sherri - I am big time sore in the area of underarm because of the sentinel node biopsy and every time I am sitting on the couch to get myself up and/or have to reach for something with my right arm, I keep putting my left arm under the right to support it - because it hurts like heck, even 13 days post radiation therapy.

Charmaine

June2268

Kathylev, don't you hate how they downplay everything?  They want me to believe it is all in my head when I have never felt like that before!  I only have 13 treatments left so I will have to deal with it.....I hope the antacid works for you, let me know!  How many treatments do you have to have?  I need 25 regular and 5 boost......

Raili

Congrats, CTMOM!!!