May 2012 radiation

sbelizabeth

McKenna, when I was doing chemo I was so constipated after round #1, I considered dymanite.  Seriously, it was six days, and I was beginning to think cancer schmancer, I'm going to die of constipation.  

What finally worked for me was Miralax mixed with Metamucil at night before bedtime.  If that doesn't work, add a stool softener (docusate) a couple of times a day.

Yet another dignified, ladylike aspect of this whole deal.

And girls...I have felt your support and love all day.  I don't know what I would have done lately without your cyber-encouragement.  THANKS.  

Tomorrow I'm back at it!  I called the RO on Tuesday and asked if I could pick up treatments again on Thursday, and he said if the skin looks better, OK.  There are still open, weeping areas but the redness has backed way off.  Just one more regular treatment and then the boosts, and then I'm outa there.  Happy Independence Day!  Katy 

Goodie

SB - so happy you can start back today!  Just go in there and don't even ask if you are doing treatment.  Just go in like you are doing it!  Cuz you are!!!!!

mckenna - I use the generic senokot from Target.  It's a vegetable base laxative.  Take a couple before bed and you should be fine in the morning!

mckenna

Sb let us know how today goes. So glad for you.

I had a bottle of prescriotion doc q lace to take after surgery if pain meds caused problems but I never needed to use it because the pain meds did not cause constipation. I have been taking 2-3 a day. I drink 3 36 oz bottles of water a day and I ate 4 prunes yesterday. Senocot, miralax, metamucil and wine are on my shopping list. think the check out lady will be suspicious. Maybe I should just wear my survivor shirt they will understand

Jan24

Congrats Judy!  I have been thinking of all of you wonderful woman.  I fly home to Minneapolis today, thought I would steal a few minutes on my sister's computer to catch up and post a quick note.  AEM, JNGB, SB & Neeners we're here with our little caboose all the way to the end.  I had a wonderful visit with Ellen, I'll try to post our pic by Friday. We spoke about all of you and of course we call you by your BC Org names.  I was trying to guess Neeners real name  BLintheDesert my sister talked me into running with her yesterday, I made 2 miles along the Spokane River. My sister was very proud but I am more proud as I am starting to recapture my old life. 

Jan24

Mckenna no worries about the check out gal being suspicious!  I used to be one years ago putting myself through college, we've seen it all and then some.

mckenna

So apparently just buying the miralax was the answer thanks all I have never had this issue and really hoping this is not my new normal for the next 5 years planning on sneaking out of the house for a pedicure in a few minutes while the kids are occupied

mckenna

Congrats aem wont be able to add smiley till beck at work Monday.

BLinthedesert

Have a great pedicure mckenna!  I am glad you are cleaned out. I have had these problems all of my life, I am glad they aren't going to be exacerbated with hormone therapy!  I am with you Goodie, Senokot has been my help many times!

Nice job Lynn!!  So proud of you, and I bet it was an awesome place to run!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you today SB ...

Happy day after the 4th of July!!  We are in Flagstaff cooling off a little!  Bad news yesterday, my brother is in the hospital again.  He is only 45 years old, hospitalized with a pulmonary embolism about 5 weeks ago.  Hospitalized yesterday after throwing up blood, they found a esophogeal ulcer (bleeding) and Barrett's esophagus (dysplasia) -- don't know if it is related to the pulmonary embolism or not -- but they can't get his O2 up without oxygen, so they won't release him from the hospital.  They are doing a bunch of tests today, but I won't lie, I am scared.  We lost our Mom 10 months ago, and it has been a pretty long year already.  

Bonnie 

etherize

sb, really glad to hear your sister's on track with her treatment already.  And I'm glad you're healing up, even though it's not going as fast as you'd like.

BL, so sorry to hear about your brother!  That IS scary.  I hope he's released soon. 

Congrats on finishing, Judy! 

AEM47

No celebration for me !!!!! I have to go onto next week.  They have decided to crank up the boosting, since they dropped a couple treatments...why am I not surprised !!

Goodie

Judy - congrats! 

BL - so sorry about your brother. My prayers are with you and your family.

mckenna - glad you found something that helped!

jdwench

Thanks ladies! I'm heading to Seattle to visit a friend for two weeks, then it's back to work for me. I'll be taking it really easy though, still don't feel like jostling that area by running, but I will be so happy to get out of this 100+ Chicago heat wave.

McKenna and others - on the const. thing, my secret weapon has been a teaspoon of oat bran in a 1/4 cup of applesauce, mix it up add a little cinnamon. I take it in the afternoon and evening and it works like clockwork lol. It's a simpler variation of a recipe my physical therapist gave me. it's really yummy too, you can get the oat bran at Trader Joe's by the oatmeal. It took some convincing but now my mom, sister and bestie all swear by it too.

And I know what you mean about the checkout lane, I went to the CVS the next neighborhood over to buy all my prep stuff when I did my colonoscopy!

So sorry some of you are having issues with skin and wounds, I feel like one of the lucky ones. Well I had so many issues with other things during this journey I'm glad I got a break on this one (aside from having to do a replan halfway through)

My thoughts are with all the rest of you, I wish you could get a break too.  

Judy 

Neeners815

AEM47 - nooo!  How many more zaps are they making you have?  What a bummer when you expect to be done  You need to celebrate extra hard when you are finally done!

BL I am so sorry to hear about your brother and will be keeping him in my prayers.  Big hugs to you, buddy.

McKenna - glad things are coming out ok now.  Heh heh.  I hope I don't run into the same thing in a few weeks!

Today I met yet another new tech.  A female.  She was more friendly than the non-talkative one, at least!  8 more treatments to go. 

AEM47

Not sure now what she's doing??  I was supposed to have 6 boosts - they started monday..so I should have 3 more left - The RO says she is putting the 2 missed treatments into 3 boosts?  when I got in the car I realized..I really didn't understand.  I don't know if she's cranking the last 3 boosts or adding 3 more boosts?  Anyone ever get more than 6 boosts?

etherize

I've never heard of more than 5 boosts.  It's ridiculous that they aren't being clear with you, AEM47.  You deserve to have this spelled out so you know exactly what's going on.

AEM47

I really want to believe she just meant cranking up the last 3 boosts - I'm going to get some clarification tomorrow.

Jennt28

I'm not part of your group but read this message... I am having the boosts incorporated into all of my treatments (called concurrent boosts) so maybe she is going to do the normal treatments and the boosts together on those days...



Jenn

Jan24

BL sending positive thoughts for your Bro!!

sbelizabeth

Full-field treatment #30 today!  Yay!  I had to do some fast talking to get them to a treatment, with the radiation-road-rash I'm sporting, but since I've had a five day break and there was just one left to go, they reluctantly agreed.  Tomorrow starts the boosts, at least eight, maybe ten if I can keep my ribs inside my skin.  

BL, I'm so sorry about your brother.  It seems like bad news just comes in waves sometimes, doesn't it?  Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

And now for something completely different, for you Monty Python fans...my son and daughter-in-law called--they're preggers!  First grandbaby on both sides, heaven help us all.  In the midst of worry, stress, and pain, we have blessings.   

Grandma Katy.  I like that. 

Spokanellie

SB - "Grandma xxxx" It's a good thing! (I'm Gramma Ellen to my 2 grandsons.)

Neeners815

Jan - I'm still giggling about you trying to guess my real name.  You gotta tell me what you've come up with. If it's good I might switch

SB - Congrats!  Finally some good news!  That's so awesome.

Ladies - I have an extra jar of aquaphor that I know I won't get to.  If you know anyone who needs it, please send me a PM and I'll send it to them.  And TGIF!  I kept getting messed up yesterday thinking it was Monday, since we had Wednesday off from rads!  One zap today and then we have two days off.  Woo hoo!

schatzi14

Grandma Katy....CONGRATS...being a G'Ma (as my GD calls me thanks to Facebook) is wonderful!

Goodie

SB - I'm so glad they finished your regular treatments!    And congrats on the grandma news!  How exciting!

Neeners - Nina?  You might need that extra jar of aquaphor.  I didn't think I was going to use my last tube of Miaderm but I cracked it open last night and I think I will be using every last drop.  The last weeks of rads and this week have been quite painful and much more skin tightness and peeling. 

Yes, TGIF! and two days off!  

mckenna

Congrats Grandma Katy!!!!

save the aquafor. 3 weeks post fads have been the worst for me better safe than sorry.

Bl let us know how your bro is. Sending good thoughts.

Arm and sb I would not have done well with no exact end date. Sending positive energy.

pedi was great yesterday. Today I get to go to CEC with kids and nieces. I know you are all jealous

Enjoy your two days off!

Neeners815

I don't know what happened today, but I almost cried.  And not happy tears.  I am going to blame my period and cramps laying on the table, waiting for the late doctor to take 10 seconds to draw on me so they could get me ready for the boosts to begin next Wednesday, and the new tech who just motioned down the hall for me to join her and didn't say a word to me.  I'm SO SICK of being written on, and it was actually a little painful around my scar.  Plus more stupid stickers, which also actually hurt being put on and I couldn't help but think it's not going to feel good coming off.  Geesh.  I'm just glad for two days off now.  I'm sick of going to the hospital.  OK, that's my whining for the week.  Sorry about that.  I'm not really sure why it bugged me so much today, but it did.  7 more to go.  I'm in the home stretch.

jittersmom

Congratulations ot all who finished. I still put cream on my boob peels a little and itches even though i finished awhile ago. I feel for all of you you who are sick of being poked proded and written on! There is a book called Kitchen Table Wisdom a freind recomended it helped me.

Have a good weekend everyone

mckenna

Hugs Neeners. It doesn't matter why only that it bothered you. Once the are done cover the stickers with aquafor they will peel right off the next day and the boob gets a little extra moisture that cant hurt right? Enjoy you 2 days off and complain away. I have done my fair share.

BLinthedesert

Good morning everyone. I haven't received my daily update from brother yet... I know he was having a bunch of tests yesterday.



I just wanted to send a hearty congratulations to Judy on finishing!



Hugest of happy hugs to grandma Katy!



oh Neeners (my phone wants to change that to Berbers) ... I am so sorry you had a bad treatment day... hang in there!!!

Goodie

mckenna - are you going to chuck e cheese?  Take your hand sanitizer!  LOL  Have fun and make some fun memories!

BL - I hope you hear some news soon.  Waiting is so hard.

Neeners - sorry about your "treatment" today and so not fair on a Friday!  Those stickers are the worst!  Just think 7 more and you can rip those stickers off as soon as your last treatment is done!  Well, gently peel them off cuz you don't want to rip your skin off too.  Keep putting that lotion on especially these last few treatments. 

sbelizabeth

Neeners, be careful with removing the ink on your skin.  On one spot I thought I was gently scrubbing, but the skin was so tender the washcloth left some painful abrasions that just got worse as the rads continued. 

Does anyone know how to insert a photo into a post?