December 2010 Rads

Sherryc

Jo thanks for your encouraging words.  You are always so good with that.  My rash is so much better this evening, I think I may have it cleared up by Monday when I go for rads.  On Tuesday I will see my RO's partner from Kerrville not the on call Moron. 

Toni glad you have not had an itch.  It is amazing how an itch can get to you.

Merry Christmas to everyone, I am looking forward to 2011.  2010 has not been the best year for my family, too much to go into just looking forward to 2011 being better.

jo1955

Sherryc - I hope you do not have to see the Moron anymore. I swear I was want to slap him to the Mexican border.  But then again, they may not want him either.  LOL   I was so glad to say good bye to mine - he is so incompetent.  

Glad the rash is better.  Like I said, if you need to, ask the rad onc for Topicort - it is a miracle cream.  It will take care of the itching in no time.   

Enjoy the break from rads and don't even think about it.  The end is in sight and you can move on to the next thing.  I did not believe it myself for awhile - but it does get better.

I am starting to get my energy back.  People around me have been telling me I seem to be getting back to the person I once was..  They realize I still have some healing to do. What they don't know is I am adjusting to my "new normal"  

Stay strong my friend.  We will get through this together no matter what 

jo1955

Sherryc

cute snowman jo

soulswithin

Cute one, Jo.

Izzybelle, what a crap thing to hear and have to shoulder right before christmas! I know this doesn't console much, but please know that we have been in your shoes and if there is anything we can answer please stick with us or ask. The news does become a real time consumption with lots of roller coaster rides and anxiety. But you will get through it. I know you may not think this but if your doc said radiation and lumpectomy, thats probably good news. Take care, and I hope you get some peace and sleep this week. I am thinking of you.

I've gotten some of the fatigue this past few days, and I've gone to bed earlier which helps. Some discomfort in the breast, and I admit Sherry, it doesn't take much to start the worrying, its an emotional addition to what we have all been through. Christmas ain't easy for sure. The holidays to me are tiring as it is.

May Christmas bring you all some peace and rest. Don't forget that it's ok for others to do the jobs we aren't up to! It's their turn anyway!

Sherry, glad you are doing better.

Heres what I did to distract myself during my cancer mess this 2010, getting a little sore now to lug the gear...will have to stick to sunsets I guess :

http://www.ocwildlife.com/Photography/My-favorites-of-2010/15127105_zGFAq

Latte

soulswithin - what amazing photos!!!! thanks for sharing them :-)

Barbcard2

Latte:  Good luck with your first rad tomorrow.  I get back to my rads on Monday for #12,  providing it doesn't snow too hard for me to drive there.  Washington, DC completely shuts down with an inch of snow.Of course all the politicos are off to warmer places or skiing on the clouds.

Cheers to all. 

toomuch

Barbcard2 I'm also hoping that the snow doesn't shut the DC area down. I am scheduled to have my 3rd treatment in NW DC on Monday. Are you being treated in DC or MD?

jo1955

soulswithin - I agree with you on the emotional rollercoaster and the hustle and bustle of the holidays does not help any.

Sherryc - Glad you are having a better day.

lizzybelle - Good news if lump and rads is all you will need.  Treatment is time consuming but hang with us.  We will help you through this. 

lizzybelle

  I Keep checking back, thank you for listening to me. Today I am sleeping all the time, because I feel like its a nightmare. forgot to say I had a mammotome, that's how I found out. doesnt that procedure take the lump? ?Why dont they know what stage it is, til I have lumpectomy? Thanks again for being there.

JulieH

Lizzybelle:  You probably won't know for sure until the lumpectomy -- I didn't.  In fact, I went through a couple of diff. dx until my lumpectomy, when they told me for sure what I was facing.  The waiting is difficult; I know that especially from waiting when my DH was dx with lymphoma.  It helped me to see that so much of the early steps do involve waiting.  Good luck to you, and hang in there. 

raincitygirl

lizzybelle - try to take some joy from today as you already know that your prognosis is outstanding.  a mammotome is a core biopsy I believe, a pretty standard approach.  It doesn't take the whole lump, it takes a tiny section of the lump for pathology review.  They can make a very good guess at stage already and it sounds like they have done so by telling you that you will have lumpectomy and radiation, so it sounds like stage 1.  woo=hoo.  If it is DCIS, it is stage 0, even better.  The difference is that DCIS is a contained, non-invasive cancer and IDC, as an example, is an invasive cancer.  Typically if they are saying no chemo already, then you are stage 0 or 1.  So go please have a bit of fun today.  Based on the info you have shared, you are in the 98-100% cure rate and you can definitely be joyous about that.

jo1955

lizzybelle - I had the same biopsy done and my surgeon told me I had IDC.  My onc was the one who told me I was stage 1a and would not need chemo.  That was before lumpectomy.  My surgeon had me get set up with an onc before he did anything else.  I went to my DH's onc he has been seeing for 5 years.  Celebrated when I found out no chemo. As you read these threads, you will find out each one of us tells a little different story as to how we got our dx and what our treatment experiences have been. You will also find similarities.  You can take bits and pieces of information from each of us and use it in your own journey.  

Raincitygirl is correct.  If you are stage 0 or 1 (and obviously the surgeon knows that already) then your prognosis is outstanding.

Do enjoy the day - take things one day at a time. 

Barbcard2

toomuch--I'm being treated in MD @ that dreary medical complex off Democracy Blvd.  Traffic headed towards Montgomery Mall this time of year doesn't help, to say the least.  I'm guessing you're at Sibley?  #12 coming up.  Let's hope the snow demons have mercy on us!

toni30

Ladies: Merry Xmas! Lizzybelle- Raincitygirl put it really well.  Try not to make yourself miserable. I know you may be in shock but you WILL get through this. We're here for you and each other. Come to this board often.

raincitygirl

Did anyone get super fatigued really early in rads?  I mean after just 3, I am a sleep machine.

jo1955

raincitygirl - Not quite for me - but early into rads.  It can happen especially if you are very active person.   I am very active and worked a full time job.  There were days I had to come home and take a nap before going to rads - mine were at 4:00.

lizzybelle

  thank you for the support...I feel a little more up today because of you . The doctor did say "you have to go thru some hoops, but you will be fine"   Funny , how one day I am looking at mortality rates, and the next I'm reading it may be 98-100% curable. Days a long right now, cant wait til MOnday when I may get more info. Life is so good to me, I need to continue to remember this. Yadayadaya  Rambling again. Thank you again

jo1955

lizzybelle - Once you have all the information and a treatment plan in place it will be much better.  It's the waiting and the unknown that is the killer.  We are all survivors here and you will be too.  Hang in there with us.

Sherryc

LIzzybelle-the waiting is the worst but tomorrow is a new day and you will be able to get more information.

Raincitygirl-you had mention creams that your RO has suggested.  One that you mention is Xlcair cream.  That is what I use and I really like it. It is a presription and not all insurance covers it.  It gives a protective barrier to the skin without being greasy.  The tube says it is good for 1st and 2nd degree burns.  If you read on their website it says it was made specifically for radiation dematitis.  So far my skin looks really good just this radiation rash I am dealing with. You may want to check it out.  It is great for daytime as it does not mess up your clothes.  As far as fatigue I have had 15 treatments and have not noticed much.  What I notice is that when I go running I am not able to run like I had before.  I am doing more walking.  I think by the end of the week I get a little more tired but catch up on the weekends.

 Sorry for my ranting the other day.  I think my itch drove me to insanity and then a complete emotional breakdown.  Which I obviously needed.  It has been my first real breakdown since I was diagonised I have just been going through the motions of each day, each Dr. appt. and  test.  I am in a much better frame of mind and the itch is now under control.  I will see my RO's partner on Tuesday as my RO will still be out of town.  Don't know what he will say about how I self medicated myself, but it worked.  Used a prescription steriod lotion for posion ivy.  The rash is almost gone, the itch is under control and the red sunburn look that I had has faded to a light suntan look.  Also have been taking Claritin for the itch.  Works best for me as it does not interfere with my dry eyes like benadryl does.  I have noticed that under my arm there is a small patch of skin that is turning leathery like.  Looks very different than my skin on my breast.  Has anyone else had this happen? I have been putting my regular cream on it and also some aquafor.  Just don't like the aquafor because it is so greasy. 

Hope everyone had a very blessed Christmas 

jo1955

Sherryc - You don't need to apologize for the ranting.  We all need it every now and then.  You are right though, we do go through the motions of treatments & doctors appts and don't think about the emotional side.  It just hits us one day then we deal with it.  It is a crazy time to have to be doing treatments and the holidays.  Lots and lots going on.

So glad to hear the itching has stopped and you were able to get it under control.  I had a leathery patch around my SNB scar.  That will go away.  You will have to continue using your creams at least two weeks after finishing rads.  

raincitygirl

Sherry - I dropped off my prescription for xlcair cream on Friday but they won't get it in until Monday afternoon. It's ok, I am not having skin issues as yet, keeping the boob lubed 24/7

Well I see my RO's partner tomorrow, so maybe he can help me figure out the fatigue.

For all of you in bad weather, stay safe and warm and enjoy the beauty of it while you can.

toni30

Hi Ladies:  We have a blizzard in the Northeast, so not sure how I will get to my 6:30 AM appointment tomorrow morning - I wonder if the staff will be able to get to work, with over a foot of snow.  Oh well, it will be one of those crazy days.

Raincitygirl - Yes, I felt fatigue almost immediately, in fact on Day #2.  It's not debilitating like chemo was, but I do need extra sleep. 

jo1955

For those of you in the snow - here is something to take your mind off the weather.

 

raincitygirl

toni30 -  that is actually good to hear since I thought it wasn't possible.  I guess it is what it is....:)

FireKracker

hello sistas

hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday.I did.Im stuck in PA with my family.could be worst i guess BUT looks like im gonna miss ts#8 tomorrow.the weather suks.from pa all the way to my end of NJ.who would ever think id be upset missing a tx.ha.

did i just say that??????i guess ill just enjoy the moment.like my great grandson taking his first steps at 10 mos.old.life is good when you see that.

Hoping everyone stays safe.looks like snow everywhere.

hugggs

k 

Barbcard2

Hi Ladies--Not such a great day.  I started feeling a painful rash UNDER  the lumpectomized breast though the cancer cells were @ 12:00 above nipple.  Lots of cream and bra-less for now.  Aside from worries re snow (not as bad here in DC as in NY), I'm heartbroken re how I've been treated by grown daughter who lives in CA and is now vacationing in Phoenix.  Told her frankly how disappointed I am that she has not come here once during this ordeal, at which point she cut off the "conversation." I simply must not expect anything from her, just like I've resigned myself to expecting nothing from my ex.  Well, at least my son and 2 grandkids will be down here from NY if the weather permits.  Thanks for listening!!

jo1955

Barbcard2 - The rash can pop up anywhere.  I had the rash and what I was told by my surgeon is that it is a topical infection and is easily treatable.  It is common with rads.  He gave me an RX for an antibiotic along with Topicort and the rash was gone in a few day.  Took the antibiotic for 7 days.  My rad onc would have never thought to do this - he was such a moron.

Sorry to hear your daughter elected to vacation in Phoenix instead of seeing you.  Doesn't help with the emotional rollercoaster you are already on.  Perhaps the subject of BC scares her?  That is still no excuse.  Hope you feel better soon.

 

Sherryc

Barbcard2-I know what you mean about the rash, just got my cleared up, just a few more bumps and the itch is under control also.  I went for a week with the rash starting out just a little and it spread over half of my breast. The first week when it was not so bad the hydrocortisone1% cream worked.  All at once it got worse and that no longer worked.  I also had a Hydrocortisone 2.5% prescription cream in my cabinet and it did not work.  Was told to try benadryl cream that did not work.  Finally used my poison ivy lotion called Clobex.  It is a steroid prescription and that is what finally worked on my.  I started using it Wed night and by Friday I noticed a difference.  Yesterday was good and today I was able to not take an anihistimine and just use the lotion.  Benadryl anihistamine worked for me but made me way to sleepy and bothers my dry eyes.  Tried Claritin and Zyrtec and I think Claritin worked better for the itch.  Don't know what my RO's partner will say about what I used but it worked.  Good Luck I know how miserable it can be.  Also sorry about your daughter's choices in not coming to see you.  BC is hard enough to deal with and when you ad obsticals that that it makes it even more difficult.

raincitygirl

I also understand how hard it is to have one of your children not available - in my case, my DIL views it as competition for attention. I can see how it pulls my son and he is in a diffcult position so I choose not to put him there and let her feel she wins.  If and when the time comes that I really need, I will make it clearly known.  Some of the generation of late 20's and early 30's seems phenomenally self-absorbed to me as well as entitled. Sorry to all of you who don't fit that stereotype and be proud that you don't.  My son doesn't either but DIL does...she feels entitled to whatever WE have.