September 2010 Rads

dutchgirl6

Hi everyone.  It's been a while since I posted, and so many of you have finished.  So, a great big Hooray!! to CelinVa, jsmiley, Alotte, Shelley, nwshannon, jdootoo, AlCa and Teka!  If I have forgotten anyone, I apologize, but cheers to you too.

I had a wonderful time in Bermuda with my sisters, the weather was lovely and we enjoyed our personal tour guide who showed us almost the whole island.  I came home last Wednesday.  Why is it that the week on vacation flew by in a heartbeat, but the past week has dragged its feet?

I am starting to get my energy back, and I am starting to feel normal again.  If I can remember what normal is.  Sespebadger, I am finding that I am achy all over, and I still have some neuropathy in my hands.  I spoke to my med once this week and she said that it could take months before it goes away, and that the achiness is a combination of the aftereffects of chemo and menopause.  At least taking Advil helps.  I haven't heard anything from the cancer centre about a follow up with my rad onc, I am five weeks out, I wonder if I will see him at all.  I did ask the receptionist, and the only appointment she had for me was a follow up in March with my surgeon.  Odd.  I'm not sure that I really need to see him, but he did tell me that he likes to see his patients after six weeks.  

Shelley, I'm sorry that you are having so much trouble with your skin, and your other issues.  I hope that your radonc can help you.  

I started taking Tamoxifen this week, anybody else?  I have been thinking of starting a discussion board, is anyone else interested?

Have a great day everyone, the finish line is in view for all of you! 

sespebadger

Welcome back, dutchgirl6!  I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with weird soreness (although I'm sorry you have it too). Thank goodness for Advil, Tylenol and Aleve....whatever works. If my G.P. has any suggestions, I'll let you know.

My med onc said I should start Tamoxifen 2 weeks after rads...which would be this Friday.....I may wait until Monday. She suggested since I already have hot flashes I should try taking it in the a.m. I've read ahead on the other Tamoxifen threads and am hoping for the best. It seems like everything else in this cancer world: some people tolerate it, and others hate it.

I find that the aches (sore skin and thumbs) and discomforts (hot flashes)are worse at night. I'm sure the distractions of the daytime help a lot. I'm thinking getting a good night's sleep is my next goal. I'll be working on that and will talk to my G.P. to see what he suggests.

AICa

Thanks, DutchGirl16, but I'm not yet finished. Five more boosts to go. I should be finished on Nov. 10. I'm getting redder every day in the boost area, although I thought it was impossible to get redder than I was. I think my routine of fresh aloe and Eucerin really helped. Last time I had rads, 21 years ago, I was blistered with fewer treatments.

I'll be starting Arimidex in Dec. My oncologist wants me to wait a month after rads. 

Teka

Hi!

Finally, now I am done chemo and radiation my GYN decided it was OK after  6 months to lance, and biopsy sore near panty line.   I was put back on Keflex for 7 days, and November 12th a follow-up GYN visit to remove stitches and get biopsy report.   Infected sweat gland?  I'll be staying home the next 8 days with sore breast and butt.   dutchgirl16 I am TN but wish you luck starting up a Tamoxifen discussion board.

Dawn46

Hello everyone, I normally don't post but I do faithfully read everyday. I have a question: Has anyone developed any rib soreness? Or soreness when breathing deeply? I started to notice it yesterday but it seems more pronounced today. I have 2 full treatments and 5 boost left.

SharonNM

Hi Dawn46!  Yes! I have had some transient rib soreness and wouldn't even mention it but it really hurts when it hurts.  I noticed it a lot last night.  But nothing this morning.

Anyway - I am down to my last two boosts next week.  Then done!  I am also a straggler.  I saw my medical oncologist on Monday and got my presription for aromatase inhibitor (generic anastrozole) which she assures me is as effective as the brand name (femara & irimidex).  Also recommended vitamin D and calcium supplements since the AI does have the potential side effect of bone loss.  I won't see her for another 3 months unless there is a problem. 

I went to a Race for the Cure event a couple months ago and one of the doctors presenting strongly recommended that we get a summary of the treatment we have been through - as so many of us live long lives, change doctors, our doctors retire, we move, etc.  It will be important to have that with us as they begin to understand some of the long-term side effects of treatment.  THought that was a good idea and have already mentioned it to the rad oncologist who agreed to send me off with a summary of the # and dosage of rad treatment.

flopsy

I took an 8 day break on rads to heal skin a little before finishing and it has made a huge difference. My old dead skin is sloughing off and new skin is underneath and it has healed, Hallelujah!!!!!

I have 2 reg txs and 6 boosts to go and I feel a lot better this weekend than last.  I am now back to using the aquafor because it seems to cushion the raw skin better.  I put the biafine on first and then cover that with the aquafor.

Hope all are having a good weekend.  I am already taking the femara that my chemo onc gave me.  I have been taking it about a month and so far so good.  I could not take  it during the day but am doing fine taking about 6-7:00 at night.   No significant side effects other than a little more problems with feet and hands going to sleep and tingling and a little more stiff.  Hope that gets better. 

I am taking B Complex and I think it has really helped my energy level because I seem to feel pretty good now.  Trying to get more exercise and drop some weight which I know will help all over.  Still not having to take any prescription pain meds and for that I thank God because they make me feel bad so maybe I will get by without them.  YAHHHHHH!!!!!

LauraM

Hi Ladies -  Congrats to everyone who is done!  I am done too, finshed on the 28th.  My skin held up pretty well until 3 days after and it started to blister from my neck, down my breast and under my arm.   I called my onc. and he gave me some cream that has been helping.  It will be a week tomorrow and I am still sore but getting much better.

Hope you all continue to feel strong!

PearlGirl

I'm done with rads!  Finished #33 on Friday morning and celebrated with my friends and colleagues in the office that afternoon and with friends and family that night. There's a great quote from Bette Davis: "There comes a time in every woman's life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne".  I'll drink to that!

My chest and underarm skin is hyper-pigmented and sore but hasn't broken down too much. Under the breast and mid-chest I had a few sores but the aloe gel and hydrocortisone cream seem to have taken care of it pretty well. Believe it or not, those disappeared faster than this wasp sting I got on my right arm Yes, sadly that is the surgery side) more than two weeks ago. - That dang sore will not go away! Still using antibiotic ointment and hydrocortisone cream every day.-  The area of the 7 boosts is tender now and I'm getting shooting pains there as well. But I don't have to drive that 45 minutes each way again until December 15th so I'm not complaining!

Congratulations to all who have completed this part of the journey. And to those still plugging along or on breaks for a while...it will be over soon. Honest.

Hugs to all!

Anonymous

Count me done! Thank goodness.. Let the healing begin.  I'm participating in the Susan G Komen 3day for the Cure Nov 19th thru the 22 in San Diego.  My burned boobie has put a damper on my training.

shells43

Yeah! for Laura, Bon and nkrun! You did it! Congrats!

For anyone following my whining on the 2010 Sisters board, I'm here to report that today I'm doing much better with my burns. It was the 2nd week after finishing rads that was so painful. They said I would turn the corner this weekend, and they were right. Today I am snowing skin flakes and I'm still very red, but most of the pain is gone. What a relief.

PearlGirl

Shellyj43 and nkrun and LauraM...Congrats on being done with rads! It feels so great not to have that daily appointment, doesn't it?  At least it did for me. Today was the fist day in 6 and 1/2 weeks that I didn't have to be there at 10:15. I felt liberated!

Soon Dawn46 and gin2ca and SharonNM and AlCa will be joining us! Congrats in advance! 

Dawn46

Thank you Bon. It is going to be nice to stop these daily trips. I have been going on my lunch break everyday. I will be starting Tamoxifen after rads. Are there any scans/tests after rads that you have to go through?

Teka

Hi!

I am now suffering through day 14 of bad radiation burn under breast.   Still looking forward to Thanksgiving.

PearlGirl

Dawn46...I am HER2+ so will be having Herceptin IV every three weeks until the end of June 2011. That's not so bad but keeping the port in that long will be challenging. It's tipped and tricky for the nurses to access...and it hurts like heck when touched. So July 2011 can't come fast enough for me. Tamoxifen isn't prescribed for ER,PR negative tumors like mine, but I read somewhere on this website about a new lab study in mice that showed how ER,PR negative cells when treated with Herceptin changed to + status. So that can mean all sorts of things. Maybe HER2 negative tumors would respond to Herceptin,too, or maybe after Herceptin, those who had ER,PR negative tumors might benefit from Tamoxifen. It's new research and still just done in the lab, but exciting to think about. The search for a cure or at least a great treatment that will stop the cancer in it's tracks does continue.

And Teka...I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving, too. Turkey and family sounds great to me.

Anonymous

Thanks Bon. Even though I loved my rad techs and rad onc doc.....I hated that darn treatment. I don't miss going there everyday.

LauraM

Congrats Bon, nkrun and Shellyj43 for being done!  YEAH.  My appointments were at 7:45 AM and I had to drive 45 minutes each way, so I have really enjoyed sleeping a little later each morning.  I have been working from home since I returned to work in September and I am going into my office tom morrow for the first time since I went out on disability for my surgery in February.   I am a little nervous about seeing everyone, but will be glad to get another step towards normalcy.   I don't have any other tests or appts until mid December, such a weird feeling.

nkrun -  That is awesome that you have been able to maintain your exercise.  I did really well unitl June when I had some crazy side effects from the chemo.  My burns have stopped being really painful and are  healing now so I look forward to start exercising again next week.

Teka - I hope your burns are feeling  better!

dutchgirl6

Sorry about that AlCa, although I seem to recall that today was your last session.  So, hooray for you!  SharonNM, wasn't yesterday your last day?  If so, congratulations to you and more of the  "stragglers": LauraM, Bon, nkrun. Yay, you made it through!

Shelley, I'm glad that things seem to be improving, skin-wise.  Did you get my PM about the clinical trial?

I hope that everyone else who is having skin issues is also getting better.  

I just came home from visiting a friend who has been diagnosed with a recurrence of DCIS after 16 years.  With her first diagnosis she had a lumpectomy and chemo, but not radiation and now she is considering having rads.  She has been my shoulder to cry on, and a wealth of information and wisdom, and now I hope that I can offer her the same in return.  I'm sure that she will have lots of questions about rads, and I know that thanks to all of you, I will probably be able to answer most of them.    

Have a great day!

Teka

Hi! LauraM,

Day 15, I feel the start of less pain with healing.   I still need vicodin.   I didn't know that in NYS a doctor cannot call or fax a prescription for vicodin to a drug store.   So I'll pick up written prescription from radiation oncologist on Friday when seeing GYN and medical oncologist.   Luckily, I had a few vicodin left over from former surgery.   Always something!

Bambaloos

Can I recommend Emu Oil - it was cleared by my Radiologist and certainly helped me through my treatment.  I got it locally from the health food store, but you can also get in on the web.  I cannot tell you how surprised my Radiologist was about how well  my skin was looking after my treatment/boosts were done.  For those of you with problems, it maybe worth a try. 

SharonNM

Dutchgirl!  YES!  YESTERDAY was my LAST treatment.  I will not miss the treatments or taking an hour or so out of the middle of each day but I will miss the great ladies that I met in the "locker room" while we were waiting for treatment.

So far - everything is fine.  Still have mild pinkness and tenderness.  Nothing significant to complain about.  I start my AI today - and life is normal again!  (well - almost.)  Best to all!

AICa

My Grand Finale!

Today was my final treatment. I went in 20 minutes early so I could say goodbye to the only person I liked - a tech - D - who was reassigned 10 days ago. I asked for D at reception and sat down to wait. Then the receptionist called me up and told me to go back and change and I could talk to D after my treatment. I said NO, I wanted to talk to her my street clothes, not a gown; I'd come in early to see her, my appointment wasn't until 2:30, and I wasn't going in until then. She said okay, and I sat down. Then the tech I don't like came out to the lobby and told me to go back and change into a gown, etc. I told her I would not, I'd come in early, I wanted to see D first, etc. A few minutes later, D came out. Her smile just lights up the room.I gave her a card that included a note where I'd mentioned her kind actions and how much I had appreciated them as well as her always welcoming smile; and it included a gift card. And, as I told her, I wrote to the dept. manager to praise her actions. I also gave D a letter I'd written about my experiences and how I would like to have been treated; I told her that she was the only one who listened to me and treated me like a person, and hoped that by giving her this information it would get to others. 

At 2:30, I went for my final treatment. I had been told I'd be seeing the nurse then the Dr. The tech I didn't like led me out of the room and told me she'd walk me over to the exam room. As I had rehearsed many times in my head, I told her that I'd told them many times that I didn't want to see a nurse, and I wasn't going to see a nurse today. Also, since I was finished with treatment, i wasn't going to see the Dr. today. I was leaving. And I thanked her, and I left.

It felt glorious. 

dutchgirl6

Way to go AlCa!  What a day you had, talk about empowering.  You really took charge, and ended this phase of your treatment on a high note, grande finale indeed.  I'm sure that your tech, D, really appreciated all of your positive feedback.  Don't you wish that there were more like her?

Teka

Hi! AICa,

I so hope you get  0  side effects.

shells43

Dutchgirl6 - Hey there, yes, thank you for the metformin trial phone number. I've put it off though because my Onc is looking into another trial for me. How is yours going? Does one of your sisters live in Bermuda?

I'm feeling much better this week, I'm still snowing skin flakes but the pain is nearly gone, still red in a few places, but much better. I stopped using the silvadene on Monday and switched to moisturizer with vitamin E and aloe. I feel SO much better.

Teka

Hi!

Today, GYN took stitches out from the sore along panty line with biopsy report OK.   I've 6 doses more of Bevacizumab by way of chemo port once every 3 weeks until the end of March 2011.

flopsy

Well, I am scheduled for last rad treament on Wed. and I can't wait to ring the bell.  My skin is better now since I took the eight day break but I hope that will not mean my treatment is not as effective but my skin was a mess so had no choice.  It is doing much better now with the boosts but still having peeling and redness with some tenderness and shooting pains when something rubs over the area.   The Aleve seems to keep it from getting so bad that I can't stand it but does not totally relieve either.

I will post back when I finish tx and celebrate!!!!!  Hope all are having a good weekend.  GInny

DucorpsToo

Just popping in to say 'Hi". This is my first post since joining, and I finished my rads on Nov. 4(33 treatments). Fortunately I didn't have any issues during the course of treatment, save a very tiny bit of itching around the last week or so. The irradiated skin, which is quite dark, has been sloughing off on a daily basis and during showering I can sometimes scrub away some of that dead skin as well. Nice meeting everyone.

shells43

Welcome DucorpToo,

I see we are both chemists! I do mostly GC-MS. What did you do when you were not doing computer stuff? I finished rads at the end of October and am experiencing the same sloughing of skin. I think I'm on my second layer now.  It's a relief to shower and get some of it off. I'm down to the skin over my mx scar that is still hanging on.

This thread may be winding down a little since most of us are done. You might want to hop over to the 2010 Sisters board. Good to meet you, too!

DucorpsToo

shellyj43,

I was a medicinal chemist for over 20 years. As you probably well know, med. chemists have taken a beating employment-wise in this economy. There are hundreds of us out of work all over the country, and San Diego biotech industry has been hit extremely hard. It took me 13 months just to find another job..and of course it's outside of my field-but this is a whole new discussion in and of itself...