Any October 2012 rads girls out there?

Tammy2012

Had my 7th today and instead of me walking over to get started the nurse hijacked me and told me the Dr wanted to see me.  I told her it wasn't necessary, you already told me it's not a SE so please just let me get on with my treatment so i can go home and go to bed.  The Dr came in and wanted my weight, i lost 4.5 lbs since Monday.  She asked if i had been eating?  Ummmm no!  I've told you all since Wednesday i've been nauseated with vomiting so no, i haven't been eating.  They asked if i wanted hydration?  I said no but they told me if i lost more weight on Monday i'd have to have it.  I'm ok with having it, as long as they put some anti nausea meds in there as well.  She also told me it can be a SE but "typically" it's not.  So, now we've gone from an absolute NO, to "typically"?  

Sorry for the others who are experiencing this SE!  Ames, Bunkie and njprn...     

7 down and 26 to go.  

Wishing everyone a great weekend!  

BUNKIE10

Congrats on making them admit it could be a SE. I am sorry the nausea is so bad. Mine is mild compared to that. I got it today for an hour after my treatment.

They need to give you some fluids for sure.

I mentioned that my throat hurt after my treatment yesterday and they told me there are a lot of bugs going around. I know after reading here that it can cause a sore throat so.....

Tammy2012

wow, i got the same thing.  they still say i have a bug.  pffft.   hope you feel better Bunkie!  

pamelahope

I have not started rads yet but I think I joined the right board! I experienced forceful vomiting from my PET scan. I know it was the radiation. I bet I will get nauseous from rads. Did anyone here get nauseous from the PET?

Pam

amawmaw

I started radiation on October 1, 2012, Scheduled for 7 weeks. Breast, underarm and below underarm is red, sore and warm. The strange thing that I didn't expect is both of my jawlines and the sides of my tongue red, sore and inflamed.

amawmaw

I started radiation on October 1, 2012, Scheduled for 7 weeks. Breast, underarm and below underarm is red, sore and warm. The strange thing that I didn't expect is both of my jawlines and the sides of my tongue red, sore and inflamed

BUNKIE10

Tammy - How are you feeling? Nausea any better?

Amawmaw - My jaw has been sore too but I just thought it was the weather. Hope that gets better for you. I also have a few little mouth sores.

I was really tired this morning after 10 hours sleep so I forced myself to go to the store for fruit. I have a friend coming to the MSU game today and will stop by afterwards. She is a fruit lover. Wish I could eat it more. No nausea today yet but my throat is still raspy. No fever so hope it is just the rads.

christina0001

Two weeks down! I can't wait for rads to be done with. My only SEs are that my skin is a shade or two darker, and I am annoyed from having to drive back and forth daily and therefore going to work late. Last night I did have some sharp pains in my radiated area, just for a few minutes. It really surprised me.

TNNurse

I started my radiation on Oct 1 also.  Only had 4 treatments that week...equipment problem. So today was #10.   I celebrated my 63rd birthday by having a treatment last week.  I had a mastectomy in April and finished chemo at the end of August.  I have healed well.  I have some very mild lymph edema.  My RO has suggested the possibilty of fatigue, skin redness and increased edema.  So far I have had no problems.  He predicted the possible fatigue by the end of this week.  My friend told me she jumped off the table at the end of the third week and thought she would not be able to stand, it hit so quickly.  My employer (the hospital where I am having the radiation) has been great to let me work hours that I can stand, but not my regular job.  Tomorrow I will be doing my "real job" for four hours and then getting my treatment.  We will see if the fatigue hits.  I cannot imagine that the radiation can make me feel as bad as chemo.  I lost 30 lbs, passed out in my bathroom and landed on my nose, had to have a transfusion and got IV fluids at home several times.  I hope I am not proved wrong on the radiation effects.   I am still waiting on some hair on my head and just last week, my eyebrows and eyelashes are leaving me so I am not without stress.  It is good to have a place to read experiences and ask questions.

BUNKIE10

TTNnurse,

I have a ton of SEs but I also started this with an active autoimmune disease and did not want to do it. I am 1/3 done and the fatigue and nausea are awful. The week end was better with no teatments and then yesterday I started again. Got off the table very slow and needed help to walk and get changed. It is just an all over fatigue and your legs want to buckle. Got in bed fast and stayed for several hours but could not sleep. It got a little better after dinner. Just hang in there. That is all we can do and every one has different SEs. You might breeze right through it.

TNNurse

I do not expect to breeze right through it.  I am sure there will be some problems.  I am now 1/3 through as of today. Right now I am so obsessed with hair....that there is none on my head and that brows and lashes are coming out.  I am tired but nothing so dramatic as some of you have described.  If it happens, I won't panic because I understand.  That is a huge help/

christina0001

TNNurse, I dream about hair...  How far out are you from chemo? I am 4.5 months out and at this point it looks like I have a "normal" very short hairdo. Not normal for me whatsoever, but I'm about at the point where it's not obvious I had chemo.

12 treatments done...skin is holding up okay so far.

KarenZ0305

Morning ladies. Treatment 12 day for me too. So far so good. No SE's and my dr. is thrilled with my skin. Keep the faith and have a great day with minimal or no SE's. 😜

BUNKIE10

Anyone having bouts of crying for no reason? I get one about every other day and then it is gone. Does not last long either.

christina0001

Sorry to hear that Bunkie. Could just be stress from all this, it would be totally understandable if it were.

I can't believe I'll have 15 treatments done after tomorrow. I hate having to do this, but I'm grateful to be almost halfway done. No SEs as of yet really.

KarenZ0305

Hi ladies. Halfway there and so far just a pink boodie (as my son calls them) with the little dots that look like pimples. But I am tired of going. Is this over yet?!

onestepatatimetosurvive

Bunkie, when my chemo was over instead of being thrilled, I kind of went into a depression.  Not sure exactly why but later found out this is very common in cancer patients.  I am now on Effexor, which helps with the crying spells as well as the hot flashes.  I am not one who likes to take medicine but once I realized I needed some help to get through this, I accepted it and it has worked wonders for me.  I know I won't be on it forever, but right now it's nice to not be completely depressed every day and worrying constantly about the cancer. 

Hope that helps. 

I finally heard back from my RO today.  I will finally get to start tx on Tuesday.  It has been 8 weeks since I finished chemo and I am getting really antsy that I haven't had anything since then. 

TNNurse

Christina00,    Monday will be eight weeks since my final chemo.  Last week I began to lose eyebrows and lashes...I look like one of those hairless cats.   I am glad that I wear glasses so it is not quite so obvious.  I am trying to be patient about my hair.  I am not very good at it.  Had my 14th of 33 radiation treatments today.  My skin is getting redder but it is not painful or itchy.  I am using Aquaphor ointment, the doc gave me samples but it is available OTC.  He will see me again on Wednesday and decide if I need something by prescription.  

TNNurse

My primary care physician put me on Effexor the day she told me the diagnosis.  It has been a huge help.  My husband and Effexor got me through some of the rougher times of chemo when I thought I could not stand another dose.

christina0001

TNNurse - lol @ your comment, I am sure you do not look like a hairless cat! But isn't it awful to not have brows and lashes? I wore a hairpiece with bangs most days to look more normal, and glasses definitely help! Hopefully they start to grow in for you soon.

My breast area is a couple shades darker than the rest of my skin (I've had 15 treatments so far) but it does not look bad at all. Hoping and praying the last 18 treatments go smoothly...

christina0001

Officially over halfway done!!! Hooray!!!

TNNurse

Well I had my 18th of 33 treatments today.  I may have less energy but that is not terrible.  My skin is red and irritated.  My doc gave a script for some steroid cream and it has really helped.  It may not look better, but it is great for the pain and itching.  My bra strap rubs one really tender spot.  I tried wearing the bra that I got after surgery,  It is really soft and helped.  I do have to wear a bra when out in public but it comes off as soon as I get home.

christina0001

Breast area where I am getting rads is a little sore. Wearing my mastectomy prosthetic bra is uncomfortable so I am not wearing it this weekend, which is disappointing. I think I'm going to have to switch back to my post-surgery camisole. I've been more tired than normal too this week but I wonder if it's not more from the driving back and forth than the actual radiation.

TNNurse

Just nine more treatments.  I switched to the bra that I got after surgery, the prosthesis is a little uncomfortable, but it was the strap that rubbed at the most tender part and this one is better.  My camisole was no support for my remaining breast.  I take it all off as soon as I get home...

I am worried that the remaining radiation will be hard, but it isn't chemo and I got through that......

christina0001

Those of us who started early in the month are so close to being done! This coming week is my last full week of rads. I think Wednesday is my last day of normal rads and then after that I do 5 boost treatments to the scar area. Woo hoo!!! Still no fatigue. My skin definitely looks sunburned but (at least so far) it's not as bad as I feared. Just a little sore and occasionally itchy. Not peeling or anything like that. Cannot wait to be done!

anastasia31

Finally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  One more week to go.  I have one more day of whole breast rads then onto the boost for 5-8 more days.  I feel very lucky that the only SEs I have had is a rash on the treatment area.  Hydrocortizone cream is working very well for that.  Can't wait for it to end!  Has anyone thought of a thank you gift for the techs etc? 

KarenZ0305

How about sending in lunch from a local restaurant?

ColoradoGal

Hey Ladies,

Started my rads in Oct. and am in week 3.  So far, so good, but I am starting to get redness, itchy and some tired times.  My RO gives me XClair cream and I supplement with Aquaphor.  I'm thinking of getting the Earth Aloe at Wal Mart to help with the itching. Any other ideas?

TNNurse

Got my first "boost" treatment today and four more next week.  I am tired nothing dramatic just tired.  I do have some impressive burns.  The cortisone cream and Aquaphor help.  Vaseline gauze really helps with the itching.  There are two spots that have been bad enough to start peeling.  

christina0001

ColoradoGal I am using the aloe gel from WalMart and it is soothing. I too am sore/itchy, not terrible, just enough to be annoying really. This Wednesday is my last treatment!!! I am so excited!!! I feel like hopefully I might get my life back after this! I hope everyone is doing well, we are almost there!!!