August 2011 rads

bb226

Hi, Finished 4 of 25. Still having pain from axilla to lower breast. I think my nerve is irrtiated. Well see what the RO says tomorrow. Alieve is taking care of it. Lots of energy today. Hope it keeps up.

Jane it will be soon.

Sarabob - lost 27 lbs from surgery (no chemo like you though) just by watching what I eat and cutting out most carbs and sugar. Still loosing weight during rads with my MD's approval. I seem to be burning more calories with treatment. From what I have read in other boards, fatigue can/will be a problem at times. I am trying to walk everyday. Hope this helps.

I am also working and balancing rads. I keep on thinking it is only 5 weeks. Many other employees at work take 12 weeks off for maternity leave. At least I am working. My work has been very accomandating. The rads dept is driving me crazy with trying to move my schedule around. For example today they wanted me 45 mins early and paged me at 0800. I said I could not do it. They asked how about 15 mins early. That I could do after asking my boss. I get there and they are running 45 mins late. Needless to say, from this point forward I will tell them no. Also yesterday I had a new tech. They tried to rad the WRONG breast. I said it was the wrong side, they apolozied. I had a nice long talk with the manager of that unit while I was waiting today and complained. Universal timeouts always include the side of treatment. Just remember to watch out and stand up for your rights.

MamaV

1 down 35 to go! It was so quick! I prayed "Lord, let this be a healing beam and not a burning beam."

dragonfly1

Hi August Rads Ladies-I'm just stopping in from the June Rads board with words of encouragement. I think the boards are heavily weighted towards those who are having the most difficulty which is understandable, of course. I just want to say that I had Rad #26 today (28 + 5 boosts). My RO believes in using Aloe only unless there is skin breakdown. I've been using Aloe 3x/day and I've had no skin changes except for my nipple becoming darker on the treated side-no pain, no burning, no discomfort-nothing. I am having increased fatigue as the weeks continue but I'm also working full-time and still feeling the effects of chemo. I know everyone is different but it's important to know that Rads can be rather uneventful for some people...  

Beana

HI Ladies,

I may  be writing prematurely, but probably not.  I, too, like many of you a few weeks ago, am still resisting the whole idea of radiation.  I've been a chiropractor for decades (I'm 62) and prefer the natural approach whenever possible.  But I had my first BC dx 15.5 years ago - Stage 1, Grade 1, 1 cm.  I had a lumpectomy and nothing else and did fine for 15 years.  However, I also had silicone implants, and two years into the BC I found a lump in my armpit.  Two biopsies over the next 12 years showed only silicone, and I wasn't worried about that.  In Feb I went in to have that lump removed and the implants replaced - surprise!  He found a lymph node full of cancer.  So I went in to have "just a few" more lymph nodes removed - turned out to be 23 more removed, and 3 were positive.  So here I am at Stage III, Grade 2, and having to make decisions this time that I didn't have to before.  I'm happy with my earlier decisions (I got 15 years of disease-free and pretty much worry-free), but I'm still in the process of accepting where I am now.

OK, that's my story.  Would love to talk about exercise, supplements, diet, etc.  Also I'm VERY interested in what to put on my skin during rads.  THANK YOU dragonfly - that was so thoughtful of you to come back and give us hope!!!

All in all, I'm positive, hopeful and eager to get on with this.  My love and support goes to every one of you!!!

Jeana

julianna51

dragonfly - Thank you for stopping by and sharing your positive experience and thoughts.   I don't start my radiation until next month (coming up quickly!) and I've spent way too much time reading things that scared me more until one day I decided I was letting that consume me.   I'm determined to go into this with a positive attitude and believe in the best outcome (that doesn't mean I don't have my days unfortunately....)   Life is always how you look at it.

Beana - Welcome, I love your attitude and your outlook on this is amazing.   I hope all goes well and keep us informed!

MamaV, BB, Merilee....glad it is all going well so far.   You have my prayers and positive thoughts for continued good things.

Merilee

Be healed by the light

sweetcorn

bb226--Burning calories with rads?  yay!  I started losing weight before the cancer was diagnosed but that came to a halt with the chemo.  Didn't change anything, just couldn't lose any more.  Maybe there is hope with rads!

Jane

sarahbob

sweetcorn: I too was losing weight before my dx in Dec. Not only has my weight loss come to a screeching hale, I have GAINED weight during chemo. So the idea of possible weight loss during rads is very exciting! LOL! I will be starting back at the gym with my trainer Aug 22, so maybe I can get this extra weight off. 

Merilee

One week down and five to go. Started yoga class today too, love it.

MamaMia41

dragonfly-thank you for posting your words of encouragement. I'm glad that you are having a "good" experience with rads and it's nice to hear about that.  I noticed that you are receiving Herceptin; I have just agreed to participate in a clinical trial that adds two small doses of Herceptin in addition to my rads.  I had DCIS and this is not commonly given, but the study wants to see the positive/negative effects of adding it to the traditional treatment of radiation.  I am currently waiting to find out my HER2 status to see if I am eligible for this trial (it is not routinely tested with pure DCIS).  I sure hope I am positive because if I'm not I will be triple negative, yikes!  Anyway, I was wondering how often you receive Herceptin and if you are experiencing any side effects.  I was told that I would be getting a smaller dose and only two of them so side effects are unlikely, but I have been reading about it and I am getting a little nervous.  Any information is appreciated!

bb226

Hi everyone, Doing great. The pain I was having stopped within 24 hours. My RO is going to watch it. She wants to make sure it isn't a post op infection. She said I have a greater than 12% chance of an infection in the next 2 years because of my incision dishencing (breaking open and draining 2 days after surgery). My surgery was 5/27. Planning on kayaking this weekend and putting the BC on the back burner. My RO gave her blessing.

Merilee you always have great ideas. Yoga sounds great. How are you doing with rads if I may ask.

Jane and sarahbob- Good luck with the dieting. For me now it is more a lifestyle change. I want to be more healthy. Weight is something I can control. The BC isn't.

MamaMia - Good luck with the trial.

Dragonfly - THANKS. May-be some of us will be as lucky as you.

Who starts treatment next week?

Everyone have a great weekend. Remember 2 days of not going to the hospital for treatment. Amen.

sarahbob

@ bbb226: I am trying to watch what I eat and make healthy choices. It is also a lifestyle choice for me. I had lost 150 lbs in the year prior to finding the lump, which led to me finding it several years earlier than I would have if I had not lost weight (I am not old enough for mammograms yet). Since my diagnosis in Dec 2010, I have gained about 50 lbs (lack of exercise + chemo/steriod side effects). I am so ready to regain the energy level I had before all this. I am tired of being tired and sluggish all the time. 

julianna51

Sounds like a good week.   I have my mapping on Tuesday next week.   I'm just ready to get this thing started and over with.

Merilee - Thank you always for your pictures and the reminder of healing light.    Last night as I was going out to run some errands, it was fairly cloudy but off in the distance I could see the rays of light breaking through and beaming down - I always love that as it is such a reminder to me of faith.

MomaMia - I wondered about that trial but I  do not think I would qualify since I had a MX rather than a lumpectomy but I am HER2+.

Weight....I've gained over 5 pounds in the last week and I can't figure it out beyond maybe the valium.   Think I'll just cut that out!   If the rads have any other positive effects (beyond blasting out any remaining cancer cells) burning off some of my weight would be good.   I at least know I'll be focusing on eating better so that will help as much as anything.    Still trying to get back to yoga regularly and that will help too.

Had my last fill in my TEs today.   None of them have ever been very uncomfortable but OUCH today has been extremely tough on me.   Took one of my pain pills earlier today and getting ready to take another.   Hopefully the paid will fade quickly.

Otherwise....just feeling good today.

Love to you all and have a great weekend!

MamaMia41

Julianna-Yes, I forgot to mention that; the trial is for women who have had a lumpectomy.  I see that you are similar to me: grade 3 and ER-/PR-, I was told that it is common for those of us with high grade to also be HER2+, hope I am too!

I also want to add that I just received my Coobies bras today and they are really comfortable!

Finally, the lotion recommended to me by RO's office is Keri, Curel, Vasoline Intensive Care and of course Aloe.  I also read somewhere to use Aquaphor, I already have some of that, so I'll probably try that too, but it's a little greasy.  I plan to experiment and see what works, keeping a variety of small bottles in my purse.

Merilee

BB- Yea I have finished 5 rads and have 25 to go. So far no side effects. Happy dance!

MamaV

Yay Merilee!!!! I've had 2 so you are just ahead of me! I'm having 28 plus 8 boosts so have a little more to endure. I keep praying lord let this be a healing beam and not a burning beam. I love your photos!

Vicky

julianna51

I hope I'll learn a little more of what is going on (how many treatments and if boosts are necessary for me) this week.   I don't understand any of it.    How many of us have had a MX/BMX versus lumpectomy?  I'm just curious if the treatment is any different.

sarahbob

julianna51: I had a BMX and had 2 out of 14 nodes to come back +. I have just completed 6 rounds of taxotere/cytoxan. I was told when I 1st met with the MO/ RO before I started chemo that I would get 33 rad txs. I think that is standard for my cancer center. I meet with the RO on Aug 10. I hope to know more then. 

dragonfly1

Mamamia41 Regarding the Herceptin: I received it weekly at a lower dose x18 weeks with chemo. The first time I received Herceptin I had the strange side effect of cold-like symptoms i.e. woke up in the middle of the night with a sore throat and sneezing and was convinced I'd caught something. It resolved in a day and I never had it again. After chemo, they increased the dose and I receive a triple dose every three weeks which will continue until Feb/2012. Many of us who compare notes about Herceptin notice that it causes some joint pain but it's minimal. I have to say it's been the least problematic of all of my treatment. I can't imagine that you would have a problem with only two doses. It's a truly remarkable drug if you are Her2+ (check out the movie "Living Proof" with Harry Connick, Jr. about how the drug came to be...)

I'm wishing all of you the best in Rads!

lrw333

After posting in the July thread. I fired my first RO and found one I like better. ALOT LOL He made me wait 2 weeks before starting my radiation. Turns out I was not healed enough. So ladies I go Aug. 1 to start then after making sure they are hiting the right part I will be tatooed. Seemed kinda strange as I thought they did that first. Anyway I dread six weeks of this. I just hope we all have a blessed radiation experience without complications... I am sorry we all have to be here, but glad I am not alone. It is really starting to get to me....

cellomomof5

 MamaMia41 - I'm glad you like your Coobies! I love the colors, and the fact that they look like camis under shirts.

I am also getting Herceptin during rads - I'll have to ask if the dose is lower, or the same.  Outside of rads I get T-DM1 as part of a clinical trial, but I wasn't assigned to the group getting T-DM1 during rads, so I get Herceptin instead.

Cyborg - I will also start Tamox right after rads. 

I go in tomorrow morning for an echo, and my rad "dry run," then start rads Tuesday. After surviving chemo, I'm not really nervous about radiation, but am a bit anxious to see how my arm holds up to the axillary radiation.  Even mosquito bites and small cuts give me a touch of lymphedema, and I don't want it to get worse. 

rochelleanderson

Hi, I'm new to this website and especially this radiation. I'll be starting radiation on the 3rd but for tumors behind my eyes (as opposed to radiation to my breasts), hope I can still pop in and talk to you ladies, I'm very new to all the cancer business honestly!

LovesChristmas-Barb

Welcome Rochelle, though I'm sorry you have to be here. I'm sure all of us ladies will be happy to have you talk to us even though our experiences of radiation may be different!

I'm saying a prayer for you that it will all go well. Do you know how many treatments you have to have?

rochelleanderson

Hi Barb,

Everyone here has already been great... this site is just that, great. Right now 33 sessions. 

MamaMia41

Dragonfly-Thanks for the info.  I just read about the movie you mentioned and I would love to watch it, it's not running on Lifetime anytime soon, but maybe I can find it at On Demand.

Rochelle-Welcome, I am also sorry you have to join our group, but you will find a lot of support here.

Well, I was really hoping to be starting rads today (sounds funny) but now the possibilty of this clinical trial has me waiting again! On the positive side, it allows me to heal a bit more before starting; I had a lot of reconstruction done in my last re-excision and have been really sore up until a week or so ago.  I did find out that I will be getting 25+ 6 boosts.

Thanks to you ladies who go before me for sharing your stories. 

Merilee

Off  to healing beam number 6 this morning

MamaV

Merilee I look for your pictures every day! Healing beam #3 for me today!

lrw333

Turns out today was xrays for me. Then I have to wait till they work it up and go back Friday for more xrays. So Monday Aug. 8 will be my 1st Rad treatment. LOL Worry, Hurry then wait. LOL They gave me a nice robe to wear and keep. Also Aquafor and Natural care gel to start with. I just wish it was over.

bb226

Had a wonderful normal Saturday-kayaking. Didn't think or talk of BC. I overdid it physically and had fatigue Saturday night, Sunday and most of  today. (It was well worth it for such a wonderful day!)  Napped Saturday and Sunday and it helped. Today tried to sit as much as possible at work. Got my normal energy back this afternoon. Had #6 of 25. Noticed that my breast is turning a very light pink.

For anyone starting soon...Your stress level will dramatically decrease once your treatment starts. I have noticed that I am going back to things I enjoyed before my BC diagnosis. I have time again.

Good luck everyone.

julianna51

BB - It is so good to hear you say that the stress level dramatically decreases once treatment starts.   I've been a bit of a nut case the past week or two - trying very unsuccessfully to hide it from everyone and not getting hardly anything done at work.    I've got to get better or I think someone is going to commit me - not that I'm totally crazy, just very very much not myself.

Had to talk with my yoga center about taking me off of monthly unlimited because already I'm not able to make it worth while.    They were incredible (I love my yoga family) and changed last months unlimited to a 10-class pass, so I'll still have several to use on that and in the future we can figure it out as time goes how and what I need to do.

Tomorrow is my mapping appointment.    I've just been going along tootly do, not a worry (or so I thought if you see my comments above) but tonight, after an exhausting day at work, I am just feeling a bit or maybe a lot overwhelmed.   I think you are probably so right and once I actually get started, get into the routine, I will be much better mentally.

Love you all, I'm so glad you're here to listen and to confirm that what we go through is unbelievable.