May 2011 Radiation

bambi380

The scratch off idea is brilliant ducky! Kasey I may go with xanex next time. That should make me not care what position my arm is in.

lesleye

Day 3 done.  Followed the prisoner into the rad room.  '

Just to let you know, I asked my rad center about using deodarant.  They said it was OK, but not 2-3 hours before radiation.  Turns out the aluminum helps stimulate burning while being radiated.  I am using a salt stone that I bought in whole foods. 

JMW

I start my rads May 11. I am getting 16 treatments. Hope I don't feel too much fatigue as I have a 2 hour drive both ways. Tried to get into the Cancer Lodge across from the hospital but too full so am on a waiting list.

brenilea

Hi all! Sorry it's been awhile, but my husband and I took some much needed time away. It felt wonderful! I had my app. with my chemo onc. and I will not have to do chemo!! Great news!! I still have to do my 38 radiation treatments and I will be taking Tomoxifen for five years. I am alittle nervous and this...but am relieved not to do chemo! I had many family and friends ready to shave their heads, if I lost my hair. Gotta love them!

InTwoPlaces

Hi all! - I recognize some of you from the November chemo thread

I had lumpectomy with total axillary dissection, followed by AC and then T(H) I wasn't able to have # 12 of the Taxol, because of all the blisters I got. I will have Herceptin for the rest of the year.

I'm a Sun-lover too and I live in California so I'm not looking forward to the radiation. I have a port, but I asked my MO and my MO nurse if I could remove the port and use my arm for the Herceptin and they said there will be no problem. I will call my BS first thing tomorrow morning to make an appointment to have it removed.

I was told no deodorant, and to use either Aloe or Calendula 3 times a day. What worries me the most is the high risk of LE.

ewa-swimmer

Okay, it's time for me to quit lurking and become public. I had my sim today. Piece of cake. It doesn't bother me to lie on my stomach for a long time. I start treatments on Monday. Only 21. Downside for today was they only marked me with a pen and told me I can't swim until Monday when they give me the tattoos. That's hard for me. The tech also said I would need to keep the treatment area covered when I went swimming so that means a short sleeve rash guard. Anybody have an idea why they have that rule?

polamom

I had my first treatment today.   I had a simulation yesterday.  It was no big deal at all!  I was so worried.   I didn't feel a thing, but then again, my beast is numb from the reconstruction.  They said it'd not feel like anything though.  I just need ed to know for myself before I could calm down.  They drew on me more and put more stickers on me yesterday.  That's what they do here instead of tattooing.   They  give me a sample of miaderm to use.  Honestly pretty uneventful.   I was about 30 minutes in/out.

Intwoplaces,  they told me to be very careful with the sun, even after radiation stops (because I have season passes to a water park).  She said they had a woman who wore a v-neck shirt that exposed some radiation area, after her treatment had stopped, got sunburned and it blistered and they had a hard time healing it.  Scared me enough I'm going to look for a rash guard to swim in.   I might be the only dorky mom in a rash guard at the kiddie pool, but that's ok!  

carberry

JMW  isnt it scary that there is actually a waiting list for rads?

slcst12

Ducky

I totally love the idea about the scratch off lotto!!! I'm so going to do that.

I go in on Friday for my sim....but b/c i need the port removed (can't do that until the 20th) I'm not sure when I will actually start rads. I might be closer to June...but I'd like to still stay with you all in the May thread!!

carberry

went today for tatoos, was ok, hurts my arm a little to put up over my head, but when they actually do the radiation next week my arm wont have to be up as long as today.  Got a little weepy again! dont know why this last phase is making me so emtional.  I think its the menopause thing..hormones....plus we havent seen any sun here in upstate NY in a long time.

MaggieMc2

I had my first good night of sleep last night since surgery, so I have had a really good day. Having those drains finally out really helped!

I start treatments on Monday so I marked my calendar today with the countdown to the last day on June 23. My daughter is expecting her first baby in June, so I will be hopefully boarding a plane to California on June 24.

I am also hoping to make a quick trip out to L.A. on Memorial Day weekend right after my radiation that Friday. Anyone else making travel plans during/right after treatment? Not sure if I should ask my doctor if this is a good idea, as I don't want to hear the wrong answer.

hdangelbaby

starting rads monday! ready to get this going!

LisaMomOfFour

Me too Angel -- I feel the same way.  Let's get started already, get it done and over with. 

sundermom

I'm on the countdown to my exchange surgery next Tuesday and then the sim next Thursday.  I think I've said this before but the rads make me more nervous than the chemo.  I just generally expected to feel like crap with chemo, but the rads seems like one big wild card.  I'm hoping my genetics will pull me through without any issues since my mom has done it twice and found it to be pretty uneventful. 

Silly question . . . do you lay on your stomach or on your back for the tx?

Tammy

Pinkprincess

I am on day 8 today of 33 and doing well. I did recently move and have switched oncologist and met with new one today. He does post treatment scans and my previous dr didnt unless there was an issue. I know I should take comfort in him being through but I am SCARED. I never had them after dx not sure why and now I feel I am on the road back to good and he wants to pull the SCAN CARD! HELP! LOL.

sundermom

My onc told me that "standard of care" for early stagers ( I noticed we're the same dx.) was not do scans until we develop symptoms.  I looked at him and said. "That's not going to work for me."  He laughed and said, "It doesn't work for me either.  I do more scans than any other dr. in this place."  I'm going to look at it as my little piece of reassurance every 6 months for the next 10 years.

Tammy 

Pinkprincess

Tammy....did you do scans after dx or just post treatment?

sundermom

I had a mammo, u/s, MRI and PET all before treatment started.  My understanding is that after rads I will be having a CT scan every 6 months and then a PET only if the CT were to show any masses.

Tammy

dillymonster

I had my 1st TAC chemo today. It was fine, towards the end of the transfusion I developed sinus pressure and headache. They slowed the med down and gave me extra strength Tylenol. Afetr we left I felt fullnes in my breasts especially my mast/lumpectomy breast. I took a little nap when I got home then had a sandwich and continued the race to drinking 3 qts of liquid for the day. I really thought I was a water drinker, but with "off feeling" I am finding it hard to have food or too much liquid in my stomach. This evening I did take Zantaz, Ativan and tabs of steroid. They did give me Phenergan too to take for nausea if I need it this evening. Am going to feel like this or will itt get better. Because thid I can control, I am scared because they said you get worse on the 3rd day. Please advise me.

duckyb1

Did I tell you all I had another win today.........I have won $26.00 so far....this is so much fun........I am  way ahead of the game.............I bought 33 tickets and won 5 out of 6 scratch offs............love it, love it, love it

hdangelbaby

hey ducky, going to buy my tickets this weekend! i really love this idea!!! thanks

Romansma

I got a call today to schedule my first rad for Monday morning.  I've been enjoying the last couple of weeks so much that it took my by surprise....and the tears followed.  I'm so tired of this cancer crap and I want my life back!  Interested to hear how others are handling trips, etc.  I need to attend an out of town graduation in the middle of the week in June.  Tammy had a question about which way you lay - I'm on my back.

Kaseymomto2boys

I got my tattoos yesterday and will have my first treatment today. I'm not expecting to burn right off bat but want to take caution with this fair skin of mine. What are most of you using right after rads in the beginning? I have vit e, aloe and coconut oil. My office gives no special creams unless you begin to burn. I've thought about getting some emu oil but kinda taken a back by the price for quantity.  

hdangelbaby

romansma! we will be on the same rads schedule. i start monday too!

polamom

Tammy,  I lie on my back for my treatment.   When I had my scans they had me lay with my head on a bean bag.  I put my arms above my head on the beanbag as well then they sucked the air out of the beanbag and it makes a hard mold so I stay in the same position every time.   I apologize if I told this already. 

 Now I just go in, derobe and lay on my back on a table with my head on my flat beanbag.   They move me around until the my marks on my boob are lined up with their laser light levels.     One thing that did 'scare' me during my first treatment is that they move the table i lay on during the treatment once.  When it lurched it really scared me. lol  I just wasn't expecting it.  

 Kasey, 

 They gave me the miaderm (sp?) stuff there.  I have been putting that on.  I read something today about patting the stuff on instead of rubbing.  I've been rubbing.    I also broke down and bought some Emu oil that I found at the health food store.   Phew!   I put that on before bed.    I know this sounds gross, but i'm not going to shower daily (I will hit the high spots, as my mom would say, with a wash rag).   I'm going to work to preserve my good layers of skin I have now and not wash/scrub them off.  

carberry

hello everyone,  starting  my rads on Tues.  today was sunny in NY YEAH although not warm.  I got infused with my herceptin and then walked along the lake for three miles...felt so good to be outside.. gonna try to get stronger from surgery before the rads kick me in the butt.

JMW

carberry it is the cancer lodge that had the waiting list not the actual rads themselves. Like I said it is a 2 hour drive through a mountain pass ( Malahat Highway)  for me both ways. But you're right, even a waiting list to get a shared room is a sad state. So many of us! But they did call yesterday and someone cancelled so I got in after all. Yeah!!

MaggieMc2

I went for my simulation on Monday and today went back for an appointment. There was something wrong with the machine, so I have to go in again tomorrow. Hope they get it fixed by then. They gave us free lunch passes to the cafeteria for the inconvenience (woohoo!) We went to Tijuana Flats instead.

This is in the same hospital where I had chemo. The chemo center and oncology doctors offices have had to relocate because of damage from a burst pipe a few days ago. The water damage was extensive, so I am glad that I am at least done with chemo.

Strangely I am looking forward to Monday just so I can start counting off the days.

mogirl

I lie on my back for my rads. 7 done 23 to go. Getting a little pink, I am using vit e and aloe vera

gel. No problems so far except the long drive each day. I love the lottery ticket idea.

slg2130

Maggie - I asked my RO about traveling (due to a funeral), and he had no problem with me missing a day of rads (it gets tacked on to the end).  He did say that he wanted to keep the break as short as possible.

Lesleye - I think we started the same day - how are you doing so far?

Tomorrow will be 7/28, so I'm kind of pscyhed at being able to pull out the 25% done milestone.  I'm fair skinned, burn in about 10 minutes and have had the joy of sun poisoning, so I was pretty worried about rads.  The doc's office provides me with Remedy Nutrashield (from Medline), and I use that religiously - so far the skin's looking good.  Hopefully that will hold up!!

As far as everything else, I was told Tom's of Maine for deodorant.  My RO said that there's no problem with supplements of any kind.  His attitude is that for every study that shows something is an issue, there's another study that shows it's not.  Since there's nothing conclusive, he's not too worried.

Hope everyone is doing well so far!!