March 2011 Rads

Angelice

hi ladies i have 12 rads to go from 33. im starting to peel and blister  under my breast and red ,i can see my skin is darker where the rads has touched  it

its great news for all has finished rads

heavenschild

Wanted to have a tatoo "the first cut is the deepest..." - LOL! 

 Post boots about a week now.  Skin still angry, peeling, fatigued, and breast aches.  Any similar experiences?  RO said to measure recovery in weeks, not days.

GirlFriday

Heavenschild:  I like that idea weeks, not days.  This is my second week out and my skin is much much better. The boost areas was so itchy and raw. Now my skin is almost all healed.  I've noticed my pec muscle is sore like I lifted too much, and my fatigue has doubled...I have no motivation to do anything...and oddly enough I think I've gained five pounds n the last two weeks, and if anything I've been eating less!  Crap!

 Angelice: Good to hear from you!  Don't for get to drink lots of water!

ShelMel

Hi everyone - I've been MIA through rads - just trying to get on with life and living. Rads wasn't so bad for me. I made it through and I got my "graduation" certificate last Friday! YAY!!

Admittedly, I've been overdoing it a bit and am exhausted. Just ready to get my life back. I started Tamoxifen Tuesday and so far I can't even tell I'm taking anything. 

The skin under my arm is starting to peel, but I don't have any open sores or anything. They told me that my skin would get worse before it got better over the next two-three weeks. 

I found myself crying leaving the cancer center on Friday. It was bittersweet. I'm excited, of course, but also scared. It feels weird not doing anything actively to fight this cancer even though I'm positive it's gone. 

Blessings to all of you nearing the end or who have finished. I pray for all of you daily. 

Marji - I hope everything is ok with your heart! Saying double prayers for you. 

I'm also thinking about getting a tatoo, too!  

sandymess

Countdown=2! Still no peeling or breaks in my skin. I've been very lucky, so far.

I like the idea of thinking of our recovery in weeks rather than days, too. My RO said the skin should improve in about 2 weeks and the fatigue should dissipate in about 2 months. At this point, I don't even care. It's the least of my worries after all that we have been through. I do feel very strange that other than taking Tamoxifen or something similar, I am done fighting the bear...kinda like, 'that's it?'...Is it really over???

3teacher

Hey to all,

My rads nurse told me to expect an anxious feeling when it was all over. I really didn't pay much attention to her. She didn't say depression, but like I have been go-go-going and fighting this with surgery/chemo/rads and now that's done I might feel...well like ShelMel said.. not actively fighting it now. Hard to express and wish I had paid more attention to her little talk. Of course, I'm not quite done- have preventative hyster/overies out week after next. Then I'm done! Well, Herceptin until Dec. but that's no biggie.

Fighting insomnia but this has been ongoing since surgery. My brain/sleep just whacked out. Am down to 1/4 Ambien but can not sleep without something and then only 3-4 hours. Really worries me, but like a friend said- I have the rest of my life to get off the sleep meds.

Under my arms has healed. That in and of itself is like a miracle. It was awful! Boost area/BMX scar is still nasty red and a bit still raw but on the way to total healing. Maybe 2 more weeks and a distant memory..ha.

SandyMess: You are in the home stretch!!  Monday this time you will be DONE! Hoping you escape the bad skin issues. Keep slathering it on. The good news is that you have the weekend to rest and then only 1 (!!!) more. yippee

Am sick of the water, but you all are so right. Very important, so will continue to be diligent.

Went to the fabric store and got soft fleece. I cut a strip and wear it under my bra on top of the raw boost area. Cut several strips so always have a clean on ready to wear. Have gone without a bra for the whole time (except like 5 times) and want to get back to "normal". Another ha.

marji: prayers for you!! All will be well....

MONETTE

 Thank you for this site. I have my marking date with rad onc on 5/13/2011. Still waiting on results from bone scan and ctscan, if all goes well I will start 6 weeks of rad sometime late or middle May.I am ready for this to be over also.

msjag

DONE!!!!!!!!!! Yahoo!!!  So glad to be done with rads!!!   Will be so nice not to drive there before work each day.  I think I will drive to the beaches of Maine instead!! Covered up of course!!

I made cookies for the techs, and told them I hope to run into them anywhere but there again!

I stopped wearing my wig today and it feels like I've lost a million pounds!!

Hope you all have s/e free weekend.

marjie

msjag - HOORAY YOU'RE DONE!!!!!!

ShelMel

WooHoo msjag! Hope you have a wonderful weekend celebrating!

I just stopped wearing my wig a few weeks ago, too. It's freeing.

GrandmaBubba

Congratulations to all recent graduates. I decided to treat myself for finishing rads. I may have gone a little overboard : ) I bought a new car, well SUV. It is so cool and I am so excited. At least I did my homework and got a great deal. DH was all for it (whatever you want). Now I have to clean house for all the grandkids coming tomorrow. I spent all day sleeping and spending money. GREAT DAY.

cmbear

msjag-Enjoy the beach !!!! Here's to great weekend to celebrate!!

GrandmaBubba-I like your kind of celebrating!!!!!! What did you get? I'm glad your DH is so supportive---now did he help you clean house too? : ) 

GrandmaBubba

2011 Sorento It has a camera for backing up, which I really could have used after BMX. It has so many extras. I think my DH was tired of driving my little car. He's kinda big. I think I'll let him slide on the housework. He has a construction business and with all the storms we've had he's been working 12 and 13 hour days. I wish it wasn't going to rain again tomorrow night, I'd take all the kids to the drive-in tomorrow night. My youngest's fiance has never been to the drive-in. This weekend they have Rio and Hop. It would have been great for the little kids.

cmbear

 Grandma Bubba--Love the choice for your car!!  We are looking--sorta-- for a new car for me too. I have been driving the mommy soccer van for the last few years, desperately needs a new paint job and a dent in the side that we never got fixed, oh and the gas mileage reeks. Other than that, it has been a faithful car. I totally get the "big Man" moment--both my sons and DH are well over 6 foot, so a certain size car is imperative. Anthing smaller than the van!!  Wish we still had drive ins down here. . . .good memories!!

GirlFriday

msjag:  Congratulations.  It's cooler up here today than was expected...wind is whipping, so I'm not sure a beach sit will be comfortable Covering up is important too. My RO said that my skin will be ultra sensitive to the sun this summer, so best to not expose it too often!

libraylil

Ms jag congrats isn t it wonderful. Libraylil

sandymess

 Congrats msjag!

Countdown=1 more for me!!

3teacher

Msjag: Congrats, congrats!! Do something to celebrate!! And I, too, hope to never enter the rads place again!! And congrats on the no wig thing. I wear a cap to walk in the morning. That's my first step...My poor neighbors. Sometimes I have the baseball cap on, then wig on and then sometimes bald in the garage with the door open. ha The walk to the beaches sounds divine!

msjag

Thanks everyone, gonna celebrate first weekend in June, girls weekend away!!   Then I should be good to go.  I feel good now, but at night I notice alot of joint pain that comes and goes, anyone experience that?  Makes me feel like I have arthritis, especially in my feet.  Never had this issue with chemo or during the first six weeks of radiation.  Hoping its just a s/e that goes away!!

Happy May Everyone!!!!  Hope those April showers do bring  May flowers! 

libraylil

Ms. Jag.  No joint pain but the boob is so achy.  I went back to work Feb topless.  My hair was coming in a covering the head. Figured I'd get it over with and not confuse the kids.  I went shopping a couple of times before with no hat.  A few glances, but nothing creepy.  Now I like it short. libraylil

GrandmaBubba

libraylil - I'm with you on the short hair. My grandson even told me that I don't look as old as I did with my old hair. He's 9. I finished chemo last August so I've had it cut twice.

gingerstx

One week post-rads!   I've continued to use Aquaphor to keep my skin supple and it seems to have worked well.  Since I'd developed a raised red rash instead of a sunburn in reaction to my rads, I'd worried about how my skin would heal.   I'm happy to say that the rash is fading nicely.  It could almost be taken for a suntan except for the area's odd and angular shape.   The skin where I'd gotten my boosts is still red and feels rough, but that, too, has faded alot in the last week.   I'm feeling really good:  My energy level is high and I've no aches or pains. 

Congratulations to all of you who've completed your rads this past week!   Hope you can resume your "normal" life easily and in good health! 

I'm excited because I'll be flying back home to St. Croix on Thursday morning!   I've one last visit with my RO before I leave... is there anything I should be asking her? 

GirlFriday

Early congrats to you SandyMess!

 Hey has anyone had a flare up of their rash?  This morning I woke up and I was all bumpily again.  It seems to have faded this afternoon, but at 2.5 weeks out you can barely see where I was hit with radiation.

sandymess

I'm DONE!!!!! Wooooooohoooooo!!!

Thank you, GirlFriday.

msjag

Congrats Sandy!!!!! Yahooo!!!!  Celebration for you!!!

Nothing yet GirlFriday, but I'm only two days out!!! Feels like weeks!! A very good feeling.  Nothing is hurting me except my joints on/off.  Craziness!!

Is it sprning yet?????????????? 

3teacher

Sandymess:  Party time..and it's only Monday. That means you have the rest of the week and then weekend to celebrate. Heck, you've got the rest of your long, long life to celebrate!! Just remember to keep on lubing really, really well. Mine erupted after rads- like 3 days later. Not sure I could have prevented it since lubed up like a wild woman from the get go, but do continue using your stuff. Congrats!!

GrandmaBubba

Sandymess - congratulations. Enjoy the extra time.

marjie

Happy Monday everyone!!  Congrats to all who are finishing this week - what a great time of year to be moving on .

cmbear

Sandymess-Congrats, what a way to start a new month!!  The next week still be a serious healing week but next week should be better, and then the next, and the next, it will all be a memory!!

GirlFriday

msjag: It's spring up here! My daffodils are going crazy, and my hyacyinths are almost gone bye!  Supposed to be rainy most of this week and into the weekend.  I've got a girls gathering on Saturday and it might get rained on.  Bummer!