January 2011 Rads

suzieq60

Hey girls - Maiderm looks really good, I'll have to see if I can get it over here.

Victoria67

Good luck Teklya, I start tomorrow as well.

JW - thanks for your tips, I've got some old large t-shirts that I'll put to good use.

CMF, I find that my incision and also above the incision towards the armpit is is still very sensitive and stings a bit whenever I massage it or put cream on.  

jo1955

Good luck to all those starting rads this week.  Just a word of advice - use those creams, take good care of the skin and drink plenty of water.  You will sail through and be done before you know it.

jw523

Victoria - I cut up an old shirt to put the soft material in between me and my bra.  Didn't work great but it helped. 

Got to Rads today only to find out they wanted me to come in tomorrow and I could have skipped today.  Didn't get the message - my own fault for not checking my machine.....but still another reason for me to complain!

Good luck to everyone who's starting this week.  It really does go by fast and you will make it.  It seems daunting at the beginning but it does get routine after awhile.  Having a place to let it out helps a lot too.

Going back to bed now...

walker2222

Start my Rads today at 1:00.  A past survivor gave me some Lady Venus Aloe Vera Pharmaceutical grade gelly.  She got it from a friend in Lubbock, TX.  (I live north of Dallas by the way).  It doesn't go on all wet and gooey and absorbs quickly.  She used it after her treatments and had no skin irritations at all and the Rad onco was amazed.

I tried googleing it and came up with some werd stuff.  I will try to find out where she got it.

Teklya

Just back from my first radiation treatment.  I found it daunting, such powerful large machines, with the potential to be so helpful and yet, so harmful, sheesh!!.  I had to close my already tearing eyes and look away, I could not watch any longer. 

They were awesome, (as always) and tried to make me as comfy as they could.  It took a fair bit longer than usual as they did an x-ray and were vigilant about lining everything up well, etc. 

only 24 more to go!

take good care and just breathe. . .

Teklya

oakley

Hi everyone.  First off, Happy and Healthy New Year!  Had my first "fake" radiation treatment today.  They set me up as if I were actually having it done, just to make sure all of my measurements, angles, etc. etc. were correct.  I already had gotten 3 tatoos during my simulation (no big deal), but have to get another three tomorrow before my first real treatment.  I am actually quite calm, surprisingly so.  I feel very comfortable there - the technicians, doctors are all so nice.  Thanks for all of the advice here - so so important.

susantm

Omaz, I am finishing off my second tube of Miaderm now, having completed 24 treatments. I have one more tube left and will probably order another just to be safe. I was told you need to continue using cream for a couple weeks after radiation ends. I just order them from the Miaderm website.

Barbcard2

Hello everyone.  I guess the December rads site morphed into this new one.  Halfway through rads, annoying rash which one of the rad nurses thought could be shingles!  Didn't know that shingles can be a SE of rads, but other nurse said to just keep applying lotrimin in addition to XClaire. Social worker didn't help when she said cancer is a chronic disease like diabetes.  She may be right but that's not a comforting way to put it, esp. since she doesn't know my stats.   One major SE of this whole business is a hyper-sensitivity to what people say or --in the case of my grown daughter--do not say. 

oakley

Oh and I forgot to ask this question if anyone knows the answer:  I am getting the "canadian" treatment - which is the same number of treatments total (30), but 23 regular and 7 boosts, versus the other treatment of 25 and 5.  I forgot to ask that question to the radiation onc, so if anyone knows about this, please let me know!  Thanks!

jo1955

Oakley - Did I miss something?  Not sure what your question is.

1Christy

I had my simulation last week, so should be  starting  "fake" radiation tomorrow, 1/4/11. Hey That is my birthday, so happy birthday to me. I was very calm at my simulation last week, because of all you support. Thanks

TEKLYA,  Thank you for sharing about you first radiation treatment.  Now, I know what to expect. Thanks, Let's all hang in there.

oakley

Yes Jo I did forget to ask the question!  Wow, it's starting already, even before rads and tamox - not a good sign!  The question is:  what is the difference between the Canadian protocol and the regular one.  Not sure why the rad onc wants me to do the Canadian protocol. At first I thought it was shorter, but it is not.  Thanks for picking up on that.  I am seeing her tomorrow so i will ask, but I thought if anyone knew the answer right off the bat - I'm curious.  I can also google it...

jo1955

oakley -  I was beginning to think it was me.  Still have rad brain at times plus I am really tired right now.  Had a really crazy day at work and the rad fatigue is still with me.  I am not sure what it is either but if I were to guess from the number of rads and boosts you are getting - you have less regular rads and more boosts.  The boosts are just concentrated on the lump scar as an added protection and are usually given after regular rads.  The radiation is not the same in the boosts and does not penetrate the skin as much.  Again, I am guessing on the number.  The rest is what my rad techs explained to me when I was getting marked for the boosts.  Hope this helps.

suzieq60

Teklya: I cried the first time too- it was pretty overwhelming. But I was fine after that.

I'm not having 25 + 5 boosts as the rad onc is being careful of crossover from the rads to the other breast. But, I can't remember how many she said. I'll find out on Thursday I guess.

Can't buy Miaderm here and there's not enough time to wait for it to arrive from over there, so I'll stick with my stuff from last time.

Sue

Omaz

Hi Sue - I ordered the miaderm from the website yesterday and they already shipped today.

FireKracker

hello sistas.did #10 tx.doin good.gettin the shingle shot next week.i strongly suggest everyone get it.shingles is a nightmare that none of us need.

another thing i did read they were trying to group bc with diabetes. what else????

also someone posted to put a tee shirt on then a soft bra.real comfy.

keep the info comin.we are all gonna make it.this bc sure does suk.

jo1955

grannydukes - I can tell you about shingles.  Had them in my early 20s and I was miserable.  Worked in a hospital at the time - don't know if that is where I got it but I do know I don't want those again.

oakley

Jo- I just googles Canadian protocol and the information I found over and over is that it is a shortened course of radiation therapy - 3 weeks of stronger doses, instead of 6 weeks.  So...since my time is still over a course of 6 weeks - i can't imagine it is the Canadian protocol.  Meanwhile, I am starting tomorrow and now am really nervous (after being so calm today, of course!) because I am starting at 7:30 and don't really understand what I am getting.  I will just have to ask and if it becomes an issue I just won't start tomorrow.  Right?  Right.  

jo1955

Oakley - I did not think what you were describing was the Canadian protocol.  I sounds like you are just getting fewer rads and more boosts.  I have heard of that combination on the other threads.  I would ask about that and find out what makes it any different than what we are getting in the states.

Would you let me know? 

suzieq60

Omaz: We're still waiting for a book I ordered from the US a couple of weeks ago - the post would be really slow, so I'll make do with my Aloe and VitE - it did work last time.

Oakley - you will be surprised just how easy it is - takes no time at all. Hope you don't have to travel far to get it done. Good luck for tomorrow.

Sue

oakley

Thanks Jo and Sue for calming me down - I will just ask the questions tomorrow.

Sue - I travel 5 minutes to the radiation oncology department at the hospital!  Can't get better than that!  I will drop my daughter at school and scoot right over - I am so lucky in that respect.  Thanks for the well wishes.

Good night all. 

jo1955

susantm

Omaz, they do ship the Miaderm quickly. I received mine in  a very few days.

Oakley, I also have 23 regular and 7 boosts. I'm not sure why there are different methods--perhaps it depends upon the doctor or the center or some other criteria. If I think of it, I may ask my rad onc, but I don't see her until Friday, so will probably forget by then.

Victoria67

I had my first rads today and it was fine, everyone was lovely although I agree with Teklya it was a bit daunting looking at the machines and having them whirring around me. I shut my eyes too! I saw the nurse first and she had a look at my breast to check it was healing and she said there was still a bit of fluid around the wound from my second surgery.  But ok to proceed.  Next I was shown into a cubicle to change into a gown (I could keep my jeans on but top half off) and there was a basket with my name typed on it in the change room that I'll use each day for my clothes.  One thing I wasn't mad about was having to go back into the waiting room in my gown to sit and wait to be called (with others sitting in there who weren't in gowns) but it wasn't for long.  There were two techs and one explained everything that was going on as they set up and checked measurements which I appreciated. They did a scan which apparently I'll have once a week and then the radiation machine did its stuff. I kept repeating to myself, 'this is healing me' and it didn't take too long.

Barbcard2 - wishing you good news that it isn't shingles and thanks Grannydukes for the tip on the shingles shot, glad you are doing well after #10.

Oakley - good luck tomorrow, I'm sure you'll be ok, I was nervous too but it was fine.

1Christy - happy birthday for tomorrow!  And good luck too, let us know how you get on.

Mjbmiller- hope all went well for you today

suzieq60

Victoria - glad it went well, you'll get into a routine. I reckon the worst thing is having to go every day - at least with chemo for me it was only every 3 weeks. It sure becomes boring after a while.

Sue

jo1955

Victoria - Glad to hear your first rad session went well - like suepen said, you will fall into a routine and having to go everyday does get old but you will sail through it.

walker2222

It was easy breezy but all the machines were a bit unexpected but I made it through my MRI's so this was a walk in the park.  Went to my cancer care group at church last night and found out though a new attendee, we have the same RO.  He had nothing but praise for the people there at the office.  I am to tell everyone hi for him.  I know I am in good hands for this stage of my journey.  My RO said yesterday that it will be over before you know it.  I am sure of that as I had 8 rounds of chemo every two weeks and that just flew by.  Only this time I can't take a nap and it will take me longer to get there get ready and on the table than the whole procedure takes.

I am so uplifted today as I reflect on what I have gone through, I think of my fav Scripture vs. Phil 4:13 "I can do All things through Christ that strengheneth me."  Live, Laugh, Love

Good luck to everyone today and Barbcard2 I pray that you do not have shingles and I have heard about the shot too.  I had shingles several years ago and it is not something I would look forward to again.

Mariposa109

Thank you Sue for starting this thread.

Christy: Happy Birthday!

Barbcard: I have been very emotional and I get depressed and anxious very easily since I started all my treatments and surgeries. I just hope I go back to normal when this is over! 

I am glad I found you ladies! I am going in this friday for a similation and starting my 6 weeks of rads on the 10th. I am a little nervous, so thank you all for sharing your experiences, it really does help. As far as skin care, I was given two creams to choose between (don't recall the name off the top of my head).. My doctors nurse wants the patients to keep a daily record of how it goes for them because they are trying to determine what is better and make it the standard for patients to come. 

Mari 

Barbcard2

Mariposa--What a lovely name.  Spanish for butterfly?  Are you from the Bronx?  I was born and raised in Brooklyn but long ago, alas, left the NY area.  The rads are not that bad.  I had #17 today. What's worse is the anxiety about the cancer DX itself and what it means for the rest of my life.

By the way, everyone, shingles was ruled out )  Apparently the rash is some kind of fungus...sounds gross but at least it's invisible, being located in the fold under the stricken breast.  Best, Barbara