JUNE 2011 RADS

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  • karebear76
    karebear76 Member Posts: 288
    edited July 2011

    We will get thru this ladies!! (((HUGS)))

    Swimming: I just had #19/33 today and I went swimming over the weekend. I felt like the cholorine stung the radiated area. I showered right after swimming (swimming didn't last long, I got too tired) but I was still tender all weekend. Just a heads up if you want to swim. I wore a t shirt too as I didn't want the area exposed or anyone to see my hairy armpit!! LOL 

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  • LovesChristmas-Barb
    LovesChristmas-Barb Member Posts: 706
    edited July 2011

    Thank you everyone for your kind words. I'm feeling better this evening. I had done so well last week that I didn't expect to cry today...I even surprised myself! I think my hormones may be out of whack too....

    I hope all of you ladies have a good tomorrow! God bless!!

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  • NewatThis
    NewatThis Member Posts: 41
    edited July 2011

    Please! Somebody tell me they cheated and counted the week of boosts towards the two week waiting period before they shaved their armpit and used regular antiperspirant! I CANNOT stand my own body odor!!!

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  • Elizabeth37
    Elizabeth37 Member Posts: 84
    edited July 2011

    well 11 of 30 just a little down today my RO is moving to a different building so have to go to another place for a while my appt was for 4:50pm  didn't get out of there till 6:45 pm.And I live an hour away.Then husband is not feeling good and had to go to the doctor for him they had to work him in so spent 3 hours there.And now he is off of work for a few days.Just tired of doctors,I feel like that is all I do any more Sorry ladies Im just having a bad day,And i just feel like no one understands here.   

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  • stage1
    stage1 Member Posts: 475
    edited July 2011
    Hello, Everyone, I was glad to get the three day weekend off from rads.  I have 6 left, five are boosts.  I am just tired, I am not sure of my words, I am lost for words half the time.  I am wondering how long this fatigue lasts after it is over.  I think I heard we will feel tired and burned too, for weeks after.  Anyone know anything about when we get back to normal?
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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited July 2011

    Stage! I was wondering that too so I asked the nutritionist about it after treatment today... she said that after about 2 to 3 weeks you start to feel better but it still takes longer than that to heal so keep eating my protein and lots of water Wink. 

    Newatthis - boy do I know what you mean - I showered twice today to try to get rid of the stink and 5 minutes later WHEW!!! LOL It seems to only be the radiated side too - other armpit is fine... I have not cheated in the shaving department (I'm not there yet) BUT I have noticed I have kinky armpit hair now I think it is starting to fall out!! YAY!!

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  • mammalou
    mammalou Member Posts: 823
    edited July 2011
    Barb: I sympathize and feel like crying too.  I drove 4 hours today for my 35 minute appointment.  I am so red and tight that I don't see how I'm going to make it for 17 more treatments.  I am very nervous about what condition I'm going to be in soon.Cry
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  • mostlymom
    mostlymom Member Posts: 466
    edited July 2011

    I'm on 12/33 & my boob is "tanned"....  I picture an overcooked fried egg with a broken yolk by 33....  Surprised

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  • pejkug3
    pejkug3 Member Posts: 902
    edited July 2011

    I'm 5/33 - I overheard one nurse tell another that my armpit was pink today.  Hmmm...looks like it has since my surgery in January to me!

    I haven't been told not to shave my armpit.  It doesn't matter though, I'd do it anyway for as long as I can!

    I'm shooting for 150 grams of protein a day.  Logically, it makes more sense to me to treat this from the inside, out.  Topical stuff can only alleviate the itching/discomfort, not really heal the skin.  No?

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited July 2011

    Mammalou and Mostly mom:  I was pink on day 4 and on day 20 I still looked only pink... I was good about slathering my creams on and there actually was no change... The red happened in the 5th week when I got lax on slathering my 3 to 4 times a day... Keep slathering..

    Pejkug3 - the reason you don't shave is because if you knick yourself - and I see you have had a node taken out and they are radiating your nodes- it can cause Lymphedema and you really don't want that...You might want to read on the lymphedema board how you PREVENT having a problem with that.. 

    Also the reason for the topical stuff is so you don't burn, dry your skin and start cracking!! Slathering is VERY important...

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  • Melanie_Ann
    Melanie_Ann Member Posts: 414
    edited July 2011

    I'm 12/33 done! I'm slightly pink as well. I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm going to physical therapy...mainly for lymphedema but they've also had me do some light weight lifting and lots of stretching!!!! They say the radiation can really tighten things up and they hate when they see people after radiation. They say a lot of it can be prevented through regular stretching. So just a thought...

    I've been sort of lucky/ sort of not so lucky, depending on how you look at it. My hair hasn't started growing yet so I don't have to shave my armpits. Yay! BUT it's been almost 2 months since my last chemo...is it ever gonna start growing? My eyebrows are falling out now. Ugh..I know look like a cancer patient. I was hoping to avoid that. ha..I'm sure we all were.

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  • vivirasselena
    vivirasselena Member Posts: 278
    edited July 2011

    Hooray!!!  I just won $64 on my 5th scratch off for my radiation countdown!

    C'mon.....$25,000!!!!!

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  • juliet62
    juliet62 Member Posts: 3,412
    edited July 2011

    vivirassele- cingratulations

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  • duckyb1
    duckyb1 Member Posts: 13,369
    edited July 2011

    Vivi,,,,,,,,,,,congrats on your scratch offs...........I had fun while doing it........thought about it the day I began, and did one each day.........won 93.00 dollars and a free ticket......

    Melanie.........do not shave under your surgical arm...........I was warned by my MO, BS, and RO, that, that is a no no........................I still got Lymphedema (sucks), so shaving under that arm for me now would be suicide............................actually after Rads (finished June 14th) my hair never grew back there, and there is no odor at all...........thanks to Rads.....................whether this is permanent I have no idea , but for now its gone. Never had Chemo, so I know its from Rads

    Ladies...............hang in there......you will get through this..one day at a  time............I was pink after about 2 weeks, but never got much worse then that...........some itchiness, a tiny bit of skin coming off (like peeling in the summer), and that was only where they did my 8 boosts.........its not a happy time,............but I kept reminding myself it was not forever.....................you will be tired after your done...............I never was very tired during Rads, but it hit me about 2 days after I was done..................still a little fatigue, but nothing a 20 minute cat nap won't fix.

    Good luck to you all...................it seems a lot worse then it is..........or I happen to be one of the lucky ones...........but when you end up with LE, you can hardly call yourself lucky................that is a gift that cancer gives you for the rest of your life............LE never goes away.

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  • mammalou
    mammalou Member Posts: 823
    edited July 2011

    Thanks for all the advice and encouragement girls!  I cried the whole 2 hour drive to rads today.  I don't know what is wrong with me..... no emotional reserves.  I was also pink after day 2, but now I'm very red and it gets worse everyday.  I slather 5-6 times a day front and back.  I don't think that darn bolus is helping!  The RTs asked me if I want to see the doc and just said no.  What's the point?  It's like telling your MO that you have a tummy ache after chemo.  The docs never seem to get worked up over anything.

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited July 2011

    Mammalou - I know the feeling about the crying - I know you say what's the point in seeing the doc... They didn't give me a choice, my nurses made me see the doc and we talked out the issue and I got some relief ... Maybe they need to give you a different cream?. I finally found one that works for me and I went one day without it and the red got twice as bad... so they found me some more... You can do this... just talk to the doc - there is a point....

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  • stage1
    stage1 Member Posts: 475
    edited July 2011

    GmaFoley  thanks for the mention about protein, I am not seeing a nutritionist, but I think I will ask.  No one says anything about anything unless we ask.  Things I don't think about, like I am almost done with rads, only 5 boosts left, and I just found out from the doc not to drink the green tea, because of antioxidents work against the rads.  I was drinking a lot of green tea...Gma, I am trying to stay away from meat, what proteins are you doing?

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited July 2011

    Stage 1: on the first page of the forum (June 2001) toward the bottom, is the list that the nutritionist gave me.. Personally, I have a fruit smoothie in the morning: fruit, greek yogurt (more protein than regular yogurt) and almond milk (unsweetened), if it need sweetener I use splenda or agave...  for snack i eat nuts, peanut butter and almond thins, a hard boiled egg.... then lunch- whole grain bread and either tuna salad or egg salad... dinner salad with lots of beans and cheese  or a veggie stir-fry and chicken  or fish.  I do eat meat sorry - but nutritionist said if you aren't hungry - eat eggs, low fat cheeses...

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  • Lee64
    Lee64 Member Posts: 184
    edited July 2011

    Mammalou - I will have #20 of 34 today and am also very red. I asked the techs about it on Tuesday and they thought I looked like what they would expect but the RO was just outside so they asked if I would like him to take a look. He came in and  trimmed away some of the bolus and said he wanted to check me every day before treatment. Yesterday he considered doing it without the bolus but decided to wait. Don't hesitate to have your RO take a look. Do you see him every week?  Good luck; I will be thinking of you.

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  • stage1
    stage1 Member Posts: 475
    edited July 2011
    Thanks, Gma, I had eggs this morning, you made me realize I have not been getting enough protein.  I think it will really help in healing, now that I am down to my last 5 rads.  I am so glad this is almost over, my skin is almost breaking in places.
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  • Maybe484
    Maybe484 Member Posts: 170
    edited July 2011

    Woo hoo!  $64!  I didn't buy the scratch-offs.  But  I definitely mark a big X on my calendar after each rad.

    I cried yesterday.  I seem to need a cry once a week.  This was precipitated by my having to lie still "in position" for 45 min. for x-rays and then rad.  Because I've had two axilla surgeries, this is difficult for me and I would've taken something (anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety) prior, had I been told.

    I'm also  in PT due to arm issues.

    I've been having mild nausea and a funny taste in my mouth from the beginning, but you know the mantra . . . it couldn't possibly be rads. 

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited July 2011

    Maybe484:".. it couldn't possibly be rads. "  I love it... how many times have we heard that!!! I'm sure I might hear that statement when I have my doc check today Tongue out...

    On the other hand, my nurse friend took one look at my breast yesterday - and was upset that I couldn't get more X-clair (no more samples)... She called our church (apologized to me for butting in) ... but they are going to cover my prescription for the stuff.. I have no insurance to speak of and a little tube is $70.... This cream so far has been the only thing that helps my boo-boos... Got to love good friends like that..

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  • Maybe484
    Maybe484 Member Posts: 170
    edited July 2011

    GmaFoley,  thanks for all of your encouragement to all of us, by the way. I am 100% sure that my nausea and off-kilter taste are due to rads.  I have an iron-clad stomach and I never have GI symptoms.  Last week I also had heartburn.  I've had heartburn maybe 5 times in my entire life.  The doctor in the office last Friday was wondering if I was having a heart attack (my right side, not left is being radiated), because, of course, it couldn't be rads.  My RO is great, but it took me a few minutes of conversation with her yesterday to get her to allow how all of my recent GI issues could be the rads.  But of course the mantra is that the SEs are minimal and do not include nausea, etc. 

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  • mammalou
    mammalou Member Posts: 823
    edited July 2011

    Well I saw the RO today and they gave me Vigilon gel wound dressings to put on.  I did have a few blisters under my arm and they are hoping the wound dressings will help to get me thru without having to take a break.  Other than that "it all looks good".

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  • LovesChristmas-Barb
    LovesChristmas-Barb Member Posts: 706
    edited July 2011
    mammalou....I hope and pray that the wound dressings help! Having to drive 4 hours is awful...
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  • duckyb1
    duckyb1 Member Posts: 13,369
    edited July 2011

    Maybe................had the funky taste, but it didn't come till about 1 week after Rads were done.............had a tiny bit of nausea, and guess what................saw my BS's Asst  today and told her about the ladies on here that tell their RO's about SE that they have and how the RO's won't admit that they don't know everything.....................Told her about having a minor "sore throat", and she said "they radiate up high on the chest wall, that is quite possible"

    I had no problems during Rads............got most of them after the fact.................b ut my RO a woman probably would have been very honest with me like the Asst. BS was...............what makes those RO's especially "the men" think they know it all....................

    So your taste is Rads related.

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  • Fitz33
    Fitz33 Member Posts: 243
    edited July 2011

    Saw the RO nurse today & she said the rash I thought I had on my chest isn't that at all but it's the hair follicles that are being bothered by the rads and to use hydrocortisone cream if they itch.

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  • AnneWisc
    AnneWisc Member Posts: 476
    edited July 2011

    Is there "rads brain" the way there is "chemo brain"?  Today at work I just had the feeling I could not cope.  I work customer service (on the phone) and it seemed every harebrained nitwit in town was blaming their problems on my department, when the real problem is THEY ARE TOO STUPID TO BE IN THE JOB THEY'RE IN.  Uh, I didn't say that, but it was swirling around in my mouth about to fall out at any moment....

    I've had 8 out of 10 sessions ... on the home stretch now ... but just feeling tired and overwhelmed. 

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  • Huskerkkc
    Huskerkkc Member Posts: 536
    edited July 2011

    Had Day #2 of rads today. Am going with the 2nd opinion RO...although driving 95 miles one way. Found out from my new center that if you drive more than 100 miles for treatment the American Cancer Society will send you a gas voucher for $100. So check with your social worker or receptionist and see if they have the paperwork for it. There is a form, but the receptionist filled it all out for me. don't know how long it will take. But had not heard of that benefit before. 

    There was a massage therapist today when I left my appointment. The RO hires her to come once a week for his patients. She is trained to work with cancer patients; very nice touch. It was a chair massage, fully clothed, shoulders/back area for about 10-15 minutes. But still a very nice thing to offer patients. I will see her weekly  and might make an appointment with her for a full-fledged massage! No tears for first appointment yesterday, but today I did when the masseuse was so caring and gentle. Glad I only have 3 sessions this week. Next week will be the full five treatments.

    I got scratch tickets today. 33 of them. Won a dollar on the first one, so off to a good start. Love that idea.  

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  • Beetlebum
    Beetlebum Member Posts: 73
    edited July 2011

    I'm having 19/33 today.  My arm is starting to hurt and I'm really concerned about nerve damage.  It's not swollen, just hurts.  I'm going to mention it today even though I know nothing can be done.  Have a good weekend every one.  We get a two day break from Rads.

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