May 2012 radiation

Goodie

Oh my, I need time to read all these posts.  My daughter graduates from high school tomorrow morning so we've been busy, busy.  I'm exhausted but I don't think it's fatigue from rads yet.  I only got 4 hours of sleep last night.  I finished my 6th treatment today.  Tomorrow is my 7th and I'll be 25% done.  So, I'm making brownnies for my peeps at rads.  It's one of the best things from this experience.  It's the best recipe.  I think it will be fun to celebrate 1/4 way done! 

There's a bell at my place.  I see it while I wait for my treatment once I have my "gown" on me.  It says something about joy.  I'll have to take a picture of it with my phone cuz my brain can't remember anything.

I'll have to get some corn starch.  I've been using miaderm so far.  RO said day 14 is when treatment starts to "show" up. 

I asked my rads tech and he said the buzzing is the radiation.  Ugh.  Maybe I'll ask one of the other two techs. 

Gotta go wash my "hair"!  Fun, fun.

BLinthedesert

Etherize -- Thank you for your kind words, welcome back! I agree, pets are so important.  I know that my Mom's pets were a real source of comfort in her final days.  Sorry about your burn -- it seems as though that might be where I have problems too.  

You guys are too funny, I was going to try the cornstarch too, but now I will feel like mashed potatoes ;-).

 Jan24 -- do tell!  a young man eh? 

Silivia and Jitters -- here's hoping for an uneventful downstretch for you both! 

Dizzy - I hope you feel better after a two day break. 

Ellen - very good.  I was trying to think of something clever to add, but my brain is too tired - the only thing I could think of was more along the lines, "if it is an emergancy, just knock, you won't have been the first to see them"

 mckenna -- hope you have a good weekend, rest, and best wishes on the test results. 

Goodie - have a wonderful time at graduation! 

One question for you ladies, besides the yucky fatigue the only "real" side effect I have right now is that my scar is looking really "mean" (red, swollen, and lumpy).  Are you guys noticing this?

I asked my techs about the radiation -- and they said that everytime I hear the sound it is radiating (so the 25 - 5 - 25 - 5) and not just when the teeth come into play.  Weird.   

By the way -- I love the M&Ms idea!  I have 3 weeks to come up with some cute saying to put on them.  I was going to get something healthy - but look where healthy living has gotten me  

mckenna

good luck with the corn starch everyone!!!

Ellen, i thought of a photo you could put with your sign (by the way i love the you won't be the first (or last) to see em')  sbelizabeth once called her lotioning a lube job so i think you need a photo of a jiffy lube

under the boob is very tender and almost purple.  my ro nurse was shadowing the techs today so i had her look at it.  she said the skin still looks intact but she put aquafor on a large pad type thing, it is big enough to fold over so it goes in the crease of my boob and the bra goes over it.  i did not realize how much that area was bothering me until it stopped bothering me with this new plan.  i am feeling so much better, i even called a left a message on the nurses vm to tell her how good it is working and thanks!

i think my scar tends to look more angry right after rads but by night it looks back to it's ugly self

goodie, good luck with graduation, it is your day too!  i swear if my oldest makes it to graduate high school i am throwing the biggest party for me!!

6 more regular zaps and 5 boosts left i am on the down hill now!!!

enjoy your weekend and 2 days off!!!!

BLinthedesert

mckenna - ick!  I think that is the "skin-on-skin" problem they talk about, I am so glad you got some relief. I won't have that problem, since I don't have enough to go around .  I got a 30th birthday card from one of my friends that said, "look on the bright side, you don't have enough to sag".

sbelizabeth

Good morning, girls!  Today is #9 of 35, so that's more than a quarter of the way finished!

What's left of my mastectomized chest is looking fine.  Side effects are a little fatigue and a twinge of nausea.  The R.O. said if my stomach is even a little in the field it might rebel somewhat, and it must be.  Not enough for a Zofran, though--I'd rather deal with the mild urky feeling than the DAYS of constipation that even one Zofran leads to.

Finished zaps yesterday evening and took a short bike ride.  I saw the cutest little rattlesnake.  She was about a foot long and had one little button that she rattled bravely as she snaked away.  Nature is so beautiful!

Have a wonderful Friday and enjoy our two-day break!

BLinthedesert

Ohhh sbelizabeth -- how cool.  I see wildlife (including rattlesnakes) on most of my runs!  I love it! 

The best rattlesnake I ever saw was a Tiger rattlesnake.  Very beautiful - and moves more like a sidewinder.

Nausea sucks.  I have some too, but likely more "fatigue" driven - plus, I have GERD anyway.  Good luck, I hope it subsides some with your break this weekend. 

Joanne_53

sbelizabeth and BLinthedese --- OMG -- I would be running as fast as I could if I saw a rattlesnake ..... and to say "cutest little"  -- yuk !!!!

Nature is wonderful but that type of nature needs to stay FAR away from me.

BLinthedesert

Joanne, I don't like scorpions - or spiders - but for some reason, snakes don't really bother me ... well, from a distance.   Here is a "little guy" from outside our bedroom door: 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/104820689596309836751/albums/5612948527518607345?authkey=CN-n4tDB9Zb

Joanne_53

BL -- I  cannot see it since I do not have the Google account

sbelizabeth

I've learned to love all the beauty and creatures I encounter as I ride my bicycle out there, including the rattlesnakes.  My husband and I have a yearly competition for how many we see.  I won last year with 12.  We love to look, but we never mess with them!

Here in coastal Southern California, the only rattlesnake around is the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake, and they can grow pretty big.  Last year I saw a HUGE one just lazing around while a squirrel was harassing him.  I thought, "This squirrel is about to be lunch," but the snake just lay there while the squirrel dashed at him, back and forth, chattering and scolding.  Finally the snake just snaked away, apparently weary of the annoyance.  The squirrel disappeared into the underbrush, only to emerge seconds later with a baby in her mouth. 

What a blessing to have watched a tiny creature defend her home and babies from a deadly enemy!

Neeners815

Joanne - I'm with you.  I can't imagine thinking any rattlesnake is cute. I would have run away, for sure!

McKenna - glad you found some relief for the underboob.  I'm going to need to remember that.

Goodie - Congrats on your daughter's graduation!

Dizzy215

I love seeing the wildlife out here, but no rattlesnakes in CT!

I asked my techs about the radiation delivery too. They said very time I hear the buzzing (15 + 2 on the right then 15 + 2 + 2 on the left) radiation is being delivered. I am scheduled to have 26 sessions plus 7 boosts but am going to ask the RO if I can shorten the boots to 5 - see what she says - it would be nice to finish 2 days earlier, plus I am really concerned about the amount of radiation I am getting. I read yesterday that a CT scan can be equivalent to 400 x-rays!!!

Mckenna, I can't believe how quickly your treatment is going!!  My lumpectomy scar is definitely looking redder since the radiation and my boob is firmer than the other one, maybe they should irradiate the other one too to keep them even!   

Have a great weekend everone.....I am really appreciating the weekends now! 

BLinthedesert

I don't think you should need an account for this ... 

https://plus.google.com/photos/104820689596309836751/albums/5612948527518607345?authkey=CN-n4tDB9Zb2Yw

BLinthedesert

Let's try this again ... happy weekend ladies! 

https://picasaweb.google.com/104820689596309836751/SnakesAndThings03?authkey=Gv1sRgCN-n4tDB9Zb2Yw

Joanne_53

OMG I would never go outside -- I can handle spiders ok but not snakes .... especially ones that can hurt you.

Neeners815

Really wish I hadn't clicked that link.  Hahahaha.

JNS

Yikes, that is a serious snake!  Very...nice.

Spokanellie, sorry the saran wrap didn't work out--it helps that my affected breast is small and it's barely 70 degrees here in the Bay Area!

So I asked my techs today and they agree with all of your techs--all the buzzes mean radiation is being delivered.  The longer buzzes are "whole breast" and the shorter buzzes are "targeted".  Just goes to show you that doctors don't know everything...which isn't very reassuring.

Hope everybody has a great weekend! 

mckenna

i am with neeners and joanne.  snakes are not my cup of tea :0

AnnieM353

Hi Blinthedesert and all you terrific women.  I know this has been rough for all of us but having this forum to see other people are having the same experience is helpful.  I lost my mother last November (at 93 after a good life) and had my bad mamogram in December.  I am so sorry about you losing your dog.  Mine is almost 16 and is hanging around with me.  I have one daughter, who is 23 and doing a teaching program in Oakland.  This has been very hard on her too.  It's been a ride, one I wouldn't have gotten through without my family and great friends.  I've finished 19 of 33 treatments.  I am feeling a little more comfortable at the radiologist's office, what a difference from the people at the oncologist's office.  They aren't nearly as nice, probably because they have to get you in and out and stay on schedule.  This seems to be the more difficult part emotionally, although the side effects aren't nearly as bad as the ones from the chemo treatments.  My skin is starting to itch and get red but otherwise no problems.  It's amazing how all consuming this process is, don't sure how I am going to feel when it's all done.  In a sick, sad way, I might miss it.  Anyway, enjoy your weekends.  I am so glad to have found this forum.

BLinthedesert

Hello Annie ... I completely agree with the all consuming statement. I dont even have half the battle that those of you with invasive disease had - and I am pretty consumed. I am so glad that you almost done and your skin is holding up ...



I too am extremely grateful for our little support group here ... the smiles (and tears) are so very helpful.

surfgirl

I just had my first two treatments last week. I felt very emotional like some of you. I was a nervous wreck. My best friend came with me for my first treatment. I love her to death but she can talk alot. She tried to go into the room with me but I told she can't get radiated too. I will say by the time I had the treatment and got dressed it took only about 10 minutes. My friend was still talking to the conciere and didn't have a chance to sit down and read her magazine when I came out. She wasn't done socializing so we stopped in the cancer resource center and talked to a few more people. During my second treatment my little cover up fell off and I was hanging it all out for awhile. Luckily the techs are all women. My tech told me not to put on any cream until they tell me, I find that weird. 

Spokanellie

BLinthedesert - I like "you won't have been the first to see them." Maybe I'll have to do a revision when I get back to the office on Monday. I couldn't post a photo cuz I couldn't figure out how.

sbelizabeth - Really liked the end of your story about the mama (oops! gender-based assumption ) squirrel, but I wasn't so keen on the beginning. If it would have made any sense without the snake, I would have liked it better. LOL!

Welcome AnnieM353 and surfgirl! Stick around.

dizzy - Yes! My boob is downright hard just above the LX scar and going up and over at least 2" in each direction. I asked the RO about it, worrying it might be a seroma forming, but he reassured me it's the swelling from radiation. The whole boob is swollen, not just the hard area. 13 down, 20 to go, right?

No fatigue yet, but I started Femara yesterday , so if fatigue starts up, there's no telling which piece of my "repertoire of fun" is causing it. And mckenna, my underside (of the boob, not the body, although might be there too, can't see it) is turning purplish, but no pain and no skin breakdown. The RO said it's coming and that's where it'll be. I said, "OR, maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones, right?" He sort of gave me a "yeah, right" smile. arrggg!

JNS - Keep offering the ideas. That one wasn't for me, but there's probably someone else lurking here that it worked for!

No bell at my place (thankfully!), but I'm thinking about brownies for them next Thursday, which will be my Radiation Hump Day (RHD in bc.org abbreviations, doncha think?)

sbelizabeth

Happy Saturday, everyone!  

Spokanellie, I was stationed at Fairchild AFB about a million years ago.  I loved Washington State.  My twins were born at Deaconess Hospital.

My husby and I celebrated Saturday with a long, long mountain bike ride to the ocean.  Wildflowers everywhere.  No snakes, but we saw two does with a baby who still had spots, a flock of wild parrots, lots of lizards, wild fennel, poison hemlock, purple sage, black sage, blue sky.  Then we sat on driftwood and looked at the ocean. A sea lion was splashing around about thirty feet from shore.  What a wonderful day.

For anyone who's just beginning this journey of the cure, I would recommend purchasing their own exam gowns.  After putting up with paper and flimsy, skimpy fabric "gowns," I bought my own on Amazon and bring one with me to every appointment.  It's been such a comfort to have MY dignified, warm gown to wear.  For some reason the link won't paste here, but if you go to Amazon and search for "Exam Gown-Mammography Patient Gown" you'll find it.  It's knee-length and wraps in the front.  It comes in a 3-pack for around $22.  Don't buy the blue color--your rads center probably has blue "gowns" and they might think you're sneaking out with one.

Enjoy the weekend! 

mckenna

Welcome surf and Annie. Sorry you have to be here but glad you found us.

spoke I am not sure if the aquafor is giving me the relief of just the thick surgery pad that is providing the cushion between the bottom of the elastic of my sports bra and the raw skin. But it is helping so you might ask about it to help with any uncomfortableness.



Enjoying my two days off. I had a kid free night last night it was nice.



I have been reading around about rads and saw a thread about not losing weight during rads. My mo said this was a great time to get a start on weight lose prior to starting tam. The first time I hadx-rays after starting rads they spent nearly 30 minutes repositioning me and I felt like I was in a very different position. The next day was weight day and I had lost 4 pds. Since then I have had minimal repositioning on x-ray days but I have only lost a pound on those weeks. I am now wondering if I lost too much weight in one week and that is what caused the big repositioning? My ro never said anything about weight loss.

jnbg88

Hi everyone. Well so far I've had 6 treatments. Yesterday I saw the doctor for the first time since my initial visit, and boy was I in for a surprise. I thought he was just going to look at my skin, as the nurses told me he would. Instead, he told me that he was going to change my treatment. All along I have been told that the cancerous lymph nodes extend up into my superclavicular areas (above my collar bone and into my neck), which was what showed up on PET scan. My oncologist and surgeon both agreed that was the case. Now the RO tells me he doesn't think that the swollen lymph nodes there were "probably" not cancer and he is going to decrease my Radiation from 6,000 to 5,000 rads. I asked him how he can be certain that they are not cancerous when they can't biopsy them. He said he believed they were simply swollen from my surgery. Well, my head is spinning. Of course my mind was a blank and I couldn't think of what I needed to say to him. What am I supposed to believe? I would like to hope that he is correct, but my biggest fear is that he is wrong and they are not going to get all the cancer. I especially am upset because all of the 22 lymph nodes removed from my underarm were cancerous. I figure, why not just Zap all the remaining lymph nodes as hard as they can and be done with it! I am feeling anxious and a bit angry at this change in approach.....why all of a sudden the change? I am not the doctor, but this is my life and I just have to share that I am afraid. I don't even know what the normal Rad level is.....would any of you mind sharing what level you are being treated with? My apologies if I am sharing too much detail or frustration. I have to thank you all for being there for me last week when I started radiation and was terrified. I have told more than 1 person that all of you ladies helped me over that bump last week. So, I felt I could come back here and tell you how I was feeling. THANK YOU!

Neeners815

jnbg88 - Well I certainly would feel exactly the same way and feel like I was thrown for a loop.  I start rads tomorrow; I'll let you know how much they're giving me.  I'm sorry you're going through this stress - it's horrible.  I think you should talk again to your doctor and share your concerns/fears and find out why he's willing to even take a semi-chance on things.  Maybe there is something else that makes him feel more comfortable that he didn't share?  I'm sending you warm hugs.

mckenna - have you been dieting during rads?  Is that why you've lost the weight?  Is the doctor thinking you're going to gain once you go on medication?

sb - sounds like you had a wonderful bike ride with your hubby!  And no offense, but I'm glad you saw the cute stuff and no snakes - hee hee.  I love parrots and sea lions.

Well, today hubby is finally cashing in his gift certificate from his birthday from last year that I bought him.  It was for a free flight lesson.  We head to the airport and he'll get to be in a little plane with an instructor and learn some stuff about flying. One of my friends asked me if I was going up there with him, too?  That's a big NO!  I don't like little planes, period, and I wouldn't want to be in one with a rookie flying it...even if it's a rookie I adore .  So I'll be at the mall, buying myself a pre-rads purse, while he's up in the blue yonder.  After that, we're going to have a nice dinner at a lovely restaurant with a garden.  Tomorrow the early morning rads appointments start.

mckenna

Neener's your day sounds like a perfect way to relax



Jnbg I would defonatly ask to talk to your ro and another ro in the practice to see what he/she recommends. I am slowly learning to be my own best advocate and that while you want to just get this treatment stuff over with if rads get interrupted for a day or two that is much better than you worrying that you aren't receiving the best treatment. I don't know how much rad I am getting but I had scissor so no nodes were biopsied so probably not a good plan to go by.



I agree seals are much more my speed than snakes

Neeners815

Mckenna - what do you mean you had scissor?  No nodes were biopsied here, either, since I had DCIS.  I'm very thankful for that!

Goodie

The graduation was AWESOME!  I am so proud of my darling daughter! 

I even went to a radiation treatment in the afternoon after our celebration lunch.  I am done 7 out of 28 - 25% done.   

Annie - I agree about the rad techs.  I LOVE my oncology nurses.  I actually saw them on Friday too after my radiation.  I had to have my port flushed.  They are the most wonderful group of nurses!  I am so blessed to have had them for my chemo.  My rad techs are nice but not the same feeling. 

I'm enjoying my 2 days off.  My appointment time is 8 a.m. so I get up at 5 a.m. to have a cup of coffee and then walk my dog before I get ready for the day.  It's been nice to sleep in a bit.  Gotta psych myself up for a full 5 days straight of treatment.  I had 3 the first week and then the holiday weekend and then 4 last week.  I take myself.  Radiation is a lot more lonely.

mckenna

Neeners the dumb auto correct changed dcis to scissor



Goodie glad the graduation went well. Good luck with 5 in a row. Just think when the week is over you will have done almost as many rads as you did in the two previous weeks.



Also forgot to answer your weight loss question. I have been trying to loose weight since surgery. I am down 21 lbs and the mo said some people have a hard time loosing weight on tamoxifin so getting a start on weight loss before tam would be helpful.