Spring 2014 Rads

Anonymous

Hi all … Just had my first lumpectomy on 2/11/14 and will be getting re-excision done soon - (appt with BS this afternoon to discuss).  My rads are supposed to start about a month post surgery, so I guess that puts me in the Spring 2014 Rads group.

Pam358

Welcome Travlmom - the cruise sounds wonderful, I hope you are able to enjoy every minute!  Your feeling of post chemo or post treatment depression is vey common.  I did some research when my chemo was finished because I wasn't feeling as excited about it as some thought I should.   I found a couple of books that look very interesting - just started reading them. Living Well Beyond Breast Cancer by Marisa Weiss (one of the founders of this website) and Ellen Weiss. After Breast Cancer by Hester Hill Schnipper (oncology social worker and BC survivor)

TB - hope the trip on the snow went well!

Redlessi -  Welcome!

Cdelv66 - Welcome and good luck with your appointment with the BS today. 

redlessi

Had my second treatment today and it was a breeze. My breast feels hot. Should I put anything on it to prevent irritation?

keepthefaith

hi ladies,

I'll be starting rads in the next few wks. My follow up with MO post chemo is March 4th. Does anyone know what the protocol is for your 6 mo follow up mammo? Before or after rads? My DX mammo was in September.  Just trying to get something done! Thanks for your help~

Anonymous

Hi keepthefaith.  I was just recently diagnosed with DCIS, had my lumpectomy on 2/11/14 and after my re-excision (not scheduled yet) will be getting my rads started.  I'm also a mammography tech and my understanding is to keep your 6 month follow up mammogram in March as scheduled regardless of your rads, but definitely check with your doctor.  Good luck.

smrlvr

Pam, thanks for the tip on those books.  Final chemo for me is Monday, and I am feeling scared.  Were those books helpful at all?

sunnyside70

redlessi:  You should tell your radiation oncology nurse about the "hotness", although I haven't started my rads yet - they did tell me that if anything at all didn't feel right to tell them right away and they could take care of it, they did mention they had several different creams/lotions that they could give me depending on how things were going.  

cdelv66:  Best of luck to you on your re-excision, I also had to have a re-excision done (I'm about 3 weeks out from having it now), allow me to tell you that the re-excision was a total breeze!  Not sure what your treatment plan is, but mine was the lumpectomy, then the re-excision, no chemo (negative nodes) - thank goodness, radiation (starting up 3/4), then tamoxifen.  It was nerve racking in the beginning, but now things just seem to be on track and headed in the right direction.  Good to be alive!

Pam358

Smrlvr - What was most helpful about the books was to learn how common it was for women to have more emotional difficulties post treatment than during treatment - it made me feel normal. However, I have only skimmed through the books at this point since I wanted to focus on my radiation first.  

Redlessi - As far as putting anything on the radiation site to prevent irritation, it seems like the answers have been varied.  Some RO's don't want anything used the whole time, some say start when rads start and others say start when there are issues....how are we supposed to figure this out when they don't even know...lol  I would ask your RO or one of the techs what they usually recommend.  I think the Miaderm cream my RO suggested said to start before rads...but I took that with a grain of salt since they are trying to sell cream :-)    I do, however, use moisturizer and I haven't started yet.

Keepthefaith - welcome! For what it's worth my RO told me to have my mammo 6 months post rads.

Dogsneverlie

I would like to join this group as well.  I have my second lumpectomy on Monday Feb 24 and then will be set up for radiation.  Very scary.........I know it is easier than chemo; just everything is so scary.

Donna

keepthefaith

thanks Pam, will have to ask my BS and MO what their recommendation is I guess. I think my BS told me 6 mos post surgery, which will be next month. Guess I can do it before rads...having bone density test tomorrow.

any advice on timing of port removal in respect to rads?

Donna, you're right, everything is scarey right now.  Good luck with your 2nd LX. Just one step at a time.

MaryFox

Hi, everyone. I'll be starting rads in March.  Final chemo is next week.

Mary

TB90

Had my first tx today and had to drive in a snow storm to get there.  Damn this weather.  We are in another deep freeze for at least another week.  It has been relentless.  But as I promised myself, I bought spring flowers (forced bulbs) to brighten up my home.  The technicians were very sweet, but sure do not waste any time.  It is almost obscene to drive 1.5 hours to get there and have a 10 minute tx.  Trying to enjoy the city a bit if I have to go there so much.  I get a schedule at the beginning of each week and my appt. time is different each day.  Anyone else have this?? Sure glad I am not trying to work or schedule child care or drivers.  When I expressed my surprise, the receptionist became a bit defensive and stated that is how it is most places.  So I would like to hear from others.  I just might prove her wrong!

Redlessi:  You are one day ahead of me.  I agree with Pam.  Check with your team.  I was told to cream lots with laxal base (Canadian).  I already feel a little sore over the scar.  I was reading for a number of weeks about others' experiences and I think it is pretty normal to feel some hotness or soreness right away.  We know that it is working!    

Pam358

Welcome Maryfox!

Keepthefaith - my RO wanted my port out for at least 3 weeks before I started radiation so it was healed properly. He did also say he could work around it if my MO thought I needed to keep it in. (My port was placed on my BC side)

Pam358

Welcome Donna! I agree, lots of this is scary, glad you are here to get support.

sunnyside70

Welcome to dogsneverlie and MaryFox!!  Hopefully we can all bounce things off one another and get through this with flying colors!!

Pam358

Tomorrow (Monday) I am going for my Rad simulation - I'll let you know how it goes!

TB90

Pam:  Good luck tomorrow and don't worry.  It is not bad at all.

dragonfly45

Pam, Thanks for starting this thread.  iI started rads on 2/10 and have had 10 of 30 treatments so far.  I finished Chemo on Jan 24 had my mapping done the following week.  It just has been one roller coster ride after the other every since the tumor was found 9/30.  My skin so far is fine.  my radiologist told me to use my creams twice a day everyday and to take my bra off when i got home from work.  From what i have been told, I will start feeling the effects soon. 

I worked part time through Chemo but have exhaused all of my vacation time for this year and have already used up two weeks from next year. (Our year is July to july).  The last Chemo knocked me down pretty hard but I seem to be doing better right now.  In fact my husband keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I have been cooking again and started reading more than magazines. (Chemo Brain is on its way out :))  I have my rads early in the morning so i can get to work on time, 8:30 and have been working full time now for three weeks.  My comute every day to rads is 1 hr and then 20 minutes from there to work.  My work commute is 1 hour anyways so it doen't bother me either way,  the problem is the weather.  Any snow increases my comute by 15-30 minutes.   But before we know it we will be done with treatment, Spring will be here and maybe maybe we will have some hair.

I will also be following the winter feed as I am courious on the SE to come. 

Have a good week all!

redlessi

TB90 all of my appointments are at 7:40am each day Mon-Fri. It certainly makes it easier.  I asked the RO about creams and he suggested using baby powder without starch under my breast to keep it dry and to make sure to keep the top moisturized. Ha it all seem so scary but so far its been ok.

TB90

Red: I think most places schedule like yours and it does make sense.  I wish departments in hospitals thought about looking at how other similar departments do things and think outside the box for a change.  They get stuck and any thought of change becomes a threat. I wanted to say more to the receptionist who hates to be bothered by others' scheduling needs, but as I will have to greet her for 23 more days, thought better of it!

Anonymous

Good Evening Ladies

I started rads today and will be having 25 regular sessions and 6 boosts. I was told to only use 100% Aloe Vera Gel. I have about an hour drive one way. No SE so far. Best wishes to everyone.

dragonfly45

Our treatments are tough, but we are tougher!

Pam358

Redlessi - Glad it's been OK so far.

TB90 - I got my schedule to start rads and the appts are all at the same time for the first week, but I also know from my previous radiation at the same clinic that my times varied.  

Welcome Dragonfly - you are right, this does seem to be a roller coaster ride.  You get a lot of credit for working through chemo and rads. It sounds like many of us are dealing with commutes and the winter weather factor.

Welcome SlowDeepBreaths!

I had my mapping done yesterday and all went well.  The tattoos hurt a bit, but then it was over. I was thinking that the tattoos would mark the spots where I would get radiation but I think it's more to line you up as one of them is on my left, non cancer, side. I will start on 3/10.  I asked for the extra week to avoid one more week of winter driving to my appointments.  That schedule was what my RO and I previously agreed to but then they moved my mapping appointment up to accommodate a scheduling change on their end. I had radiation at the same clinic in 2009 for salivary gland cancer and it was nice to find out that the same technicians are still working there 5 years later.  They were great the first time and are still wonderful.

Mercy5nj

Hello Ladies:

I start my RADs tomorrow I hope it goes quick! I am anxious.

Anonymous

Pam, thanks for the welcome! Day three for me today and so far no side effects other than tightness. They've done x-rays every day - not sure if that's normal or not.

Mercy, good luck tomorrow. You will be in my thoughts.

Bluegrassharp

Hi, everyone -- I'm 2 weeks out after my last chemo (6 X taxotere/cytoxan), feeling better every day, and taking a deep breath to get ready for rads. I've had my mapping done, and start the whole process of dry run plus 33 daily treatments the week after next. I live in the foothills of the Rockies up a 4 mile gravel mountain road, so I'm almost more fearful of the drive and the weather than the SEs;-) 

A quick question I hope someone can answer -- does it help to start the moisturizing routine BEFORE starting rads? If so, how long before? My RO recommends 3/day front, side, underarm, over the shoulder during rads for me. I'm not a fan of moisturizers at all although I've been faithful to keep my hands and feet gooped up throughout chemo. But I'm even less a fan of weepy peeling skin, so I would start early if anyone thought it might help.

It's a beautiful sunny day here today -- it's reminding me that spring WILL eventually come, my hair will grow, and rads will end, too!

Pam358

Mercy - Welcome and good luck tomorrow! Let us know how it goes!

Bluegrassharp - Welcome!  I went to an occupational therapist to assess for any lymphedema and work on my range of motion and she was adamant that moisturizing everywhere is very important. Here in MN, dry skin in the winter is almost a given. She said that when your skin gets dry there are tiny tears in your skin that are prone to infection so it's very important to moisturize to minimize your risk of infection. She even made skin integrity/ skin care as part of my treatment plan and checked it the next time. Sooooo I've been moisturizing!  I think we will be starting our rads about the same time.  My first appointment is 3/10 (mapping already done) and ironically the traveling in winter weather for a little over an hour each way is the part of all of this that makes me the most anxious as well.

SlowDeepBreaths - I know they told me they would be taking pictures the first appt, but didn't say if they would be after that.

TB90

Slow:  I just had my 4th treatment today and they explained to me that they take an xray before each treatment.  I was thinking, UGHHHH.  More radiation.  But I think this is standard and necessary.  I will ask tomorrow as they always welcome questions.  I was surprised when they told me and didn't think to ask why at the time. Will let you know what I find out.

Anonymous

TB, thanks for the response. They didn't do x-rays today which got me in and out a lot quicker. It looks like you are a day ahead of me - I had my third today.

Bluegrass, My RO told me no creams or lotions. It's funny how different doctors will recommend different things. He said if my skin starts to get bad, I can use 100% aloe vera only. So far I've had no reaction, but it's very early in the process.

dragonfly45

Good morning everyone!  I just had my 13th of 30 today.  I see the Dr every week so she can check my skin and answer questions.  She is adament that i use the moisturizer twice a day even on weekends. today she told my skin is doing great for being on my third week or rads.  I am using Eucerin Aquaphore at night and right after rads before i get dressed.  I also get xrays but only once a week. I asked and was told to make sure the original mapping is still okay and if not to make adjustments.  SE? so far not too bad, my breast aches , and yesterday i was starting to feel fatigued.  Nothing like when i was in chemo but still there.  My RO told me the fatigue will accumilate and the last two weeks will be the worst.  Plus I am aware that the effects last for awhile after.  I am also looking forward to spring, planting flowers, and just making everything look fresh.  Have a good day all!