Spring 2014 Rads

AnnBR

Hello everyone! I will begin radiation on June 2 after a positive node was found during my recent DIEP procedure. Further testing showed no metastasized cancer, thank God, but I will have five to six weeks of rads. This will be new to me, so I appreciate all the knowledge everyone has shared on this thread. Radiation will take place at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester which is 3.5 hours from home. If all goes well, I may be able to stay at the Hope Lodge. This sure took the wind out of my sails, but I am thankful the node was found and that there is a treatment plan in place.

Ann

Redheaded1

Wow INKS, That's what I wanted to look like, but not what I got.

Congrats to you and Mary Fox!  Butter Pecan is a favorite of mine....'

I am starting to turn from Red to purple in my lower underam over to the breast incision,  It also looks very dark where my SNB was too, and that area hadn't even been pink.......See the nurse tomorrow.  Worried a little about the under boob, after 3 weeks of saline soaks, it looks worse to me.

Redheaded1

Ann- My dad did prostate rads there----and he stayed at Hope Lodge.  Quite a place to get treated. We stayed many times at the Brentwood Inn across the street from Hope Lodge before he was finally diagnosed.  It's inexpensive (relatively speaking) if you have to wait to get in Hope Lodge.   Good Luck to you----he wanted me to go there, but I had zero support network 3 states away from home.  I made a good choice, and so did you!

 

Redheaded1

Inks---that is a reconstructed breast?  Holy cow, that is nice.  I didn't realize it until I looked below at your DX/s.  You had a great surgeon!!!!!!

AnnBR

Thanks Redheaded! We've stayed at the Brentwood Inn too, very nice, clean rooms. I mostly likely will need a place to stay for about 5-7 days until I get into Hope Lodge. Brentwood will be my first choice.

Ann

flagirl

Hello All, well just wanted to check in and let you that life does get back to normal pretty quickly after Rads. I am two weeks post rads and my breast is slightly tanned, no more raw skin in the fold under breast.  I actually wore an underwire bra today for about five hours. I never had any major peeling just some slight all over.  The worst part was the fold.  My fatigue has just about gone, finally. Time to get moving and get my strength back.  In another week you won't even be able to tell.  My underarm scar is barely noticeable and you can't even see the scar around the top of the nipple area.  So, gals hang in there you are almost there. I have no appointments scheduled except for six week RO check, and ONC is three months for bloodn workup.  Mammo scheduled for October.  What a great feeling---- Hugs to all, take care.  I really enjoyed this page immensely and the support and good advice.

MomMom

Hi Ladies,

I cannot wait til I'm at the rads stage which won't be til early August or so, but I'm trying to anticipate what's coming up and getting tips on how to manage. 

Inks - You give everyone hope!  Thanks for posting the pic.  You look wonderful!!

Everyone seems to have lots of issues with the under the breast area.  I had a lumpectomy and have small breasts. I'm hoping that will help me??

muska

hi MomMom, I have a sizable -500ml- reconstructed breast and was radiated to lymph nodes including under the breast where my scar is. Got 28 Tx - 17 with bolus and 11 without. Got deep color by the end but no issues under the breast or anywhere else. The color is slowly getting back to normal. 

Sunshineinky

Anne its my first week and I thought to myself that I need to come up with a Friday treat. I'm thinking ice cream too! A nice chocolate milkshake! 

simplelife4real

Mommom, I just finished rads and basically had no skin issues (just a small "hotspot" on my collarbone.  I also have small breasts which I think was a huge help with my ease with rads.  When my RO (at Vanderbilt) saw how small I was, she immediately told me that I would have no problems due to my small breast size.  She was right!  Occasionally,  being small is a big asset! Going through rads is one of those times.  I bet you do fine.

MomMom

Simplelife - Thank you so much for these encouraging words!!  I was hoping that would be the case!

Redheaded1

Still having horrible issues with underbreast crease---and now the axilla where my SLN was done has also opened.  So saline soaks there too---they gave me this fishnet tube top stuff to put on and tuck a pad in to try and keep it comfortable.. not---

emotionally, I am spent.

Yes MOMMOM, being small is definitely in your favor.  After seeing INKS , I wish I had just got a small perky new set and skipped the rads..... But I was so scared of the lympha-demon.  Yes, that's what I am gonna call it from here on out.....Love you all.

Sunshineinky

Oh red my tech today said he was concerned about my under breast area.  I pray it doesn't get to bad.  I had a pretty bad hematoma after a stereotactic biopsy under my breast and it still feels delicate there anyway.  If you don't mind me asking what week were you in that you started having issues with the crease? 

Redheaded1

Sunshine, it was like week 3 maybe.  At first, we thought that it was a fungal infection---Because I am busty (40 D) I perspire underneath and every year when it  warms up, I fight with these little bumps that itch and burn.  So, we treated it from Fri-Mon with Lotrimin.  When the nurse and doc looked at it the following Mon, Doc said, this looks like its healed and now it is treatment related.... and it has just kind of held its own--no better, no worse, till my 3rd from last (26/28 ) reg. treatments.  I think one of the issues is that the radiation beam skims across this area.  Also the underarm area as well.  

I have learned (too late to help myself) that I probably should have taken a tissue and made sure that area was very dry before I got back to the treatment area.  I will always wonder--because I always got up at 7am, and lotioned myself, then had a treatment at 1pm.  Lotion probably ran under there and collected and it was moist by 1pm....

Some of the ladies have said their RO had them using Cornstarch- mine did not and she flat out told me NO I could not use the powder that the dermatologist told me to put under there for the bumps.   So, I wouldn't do anything without prior permission.

Sunshineinky

My tech was the one that told me about the corn starch powder.  I had lotioned up too and noticed today that I was moist under the breast.  Thankfully I had read on BCO where someone said to make sure to keep that area dry.  I think I'm going to cut some soft cotton and just keep it under there when I can't let them breathe.  I'm a 42d and at 45 the girls are not perky lol.  

travlmom

I finished Rads on Wednesday - I ended up with 2 off days last week.  One because I had to go downtown for an appointment with my MO and my Ro said my skin could use a break.  Went in on Thursday and my armpit was still quite red and sore so he gave me Friday off too.  Well on Saturday I figured out why it was so tight. I started peeling - relief!  I quit putting the cool cream they gave me on because I was more uncomfortable with the stickiness of it.  I used cornstarch under my arm and breast and the last 3 days of boosts were easie peasie!  Today I have had ZERO energy.  I wake up at 6 because I cannot sleep any longer by 7:30 am my head was bobbing.  Turned into a couch kind of day for me. 

It is great to be "done" with the hard treatments.  Now it is just herceptiin and tamoxifin until I make the final decision on a hysterectomy or not.  Wonder if my OBGYN can do a tummy tuck while I am under the knife!  lol.... 

I hope everyone has a good weekend and enjoys family time.

Anonymous

Wow, inks, you do look fabulous! I wouldn't post my picture for fear of scaring the newbies. I was unsure about reconstruction when I had my UMX, so the surgeon left extra tissue in case I decide to reconstruct. She said it will be removed if I decide against it. In any case, I am purple from rads, scarred and look like I have a 3rd boob where the extra skin/fat is on my back. Yikes! Anyway, 5 boosts left. I can't wait for rads to be over!

Deblc

Hello Ladies, I will be starting rads soon and am wondering if anyone had it done to the neck or collarbone area. If so, did you have any problems with taste or thyroid?  I'm finally getting my taste buds/appetite back after chemo, and would not want to have to go through that again!!

simplelife4real

Deblc, I had my supraclavicular nodes radiated and I didn't notice any difference in taste at all.  I also had chemo and had gotten my tastebuds back.  My collarbone area was the only area that I  had a skin issue with, but it was minor.  The skin there is thin and has been exposed to the sun in the past which is why there tend to be problems there.  Be sure to keep the area covered and protected from the sun while going through rads.

Amazonwarrior

I get the bolus every day. Is there anyone else who gets it daily as well?

Deblc: I have had 23/25 rads of 50 Gy's and the treatment area was large: chest wall, axilla and supraclavicular/ neck.

 I have not noticed any changes to my thyroid or tastebuds. The only thing I am mindful of is sun exposure, so I have been wearing a large hat on sunny days as well as a light silk scarf around my neck.  

This is a pic of what my skin looks like today. I have been taking 6g of Curcumin C3 complex with bioperine and applying emu oil and calendula cream as well as 30g of L-glutamine daily.

inks

Amazon - that does not look bad at all! Only a few more times left so it should not get any worse. Has your armpit held up the same way too?

Amazonwarrior

inks: I pretty much followed the protocol that your MO suggested. Thank you for that advice. 

Your skin looked fantastic! What was your treatment area? How many Gys? How many rads? Any boosts?

My armpit doesn't look much different. Here is a pic. 

I'll post another final pic on Wednesday after I finish rads. 

All: How far up in your axilla did you get treated?

Redheaded1

Sunshine, if yousekin gives the least hint of opening up, do not put cotton balls there-- it will put fibers into the wound.  I used roller gauze to make a little pillow .

Really miserable today---Wish someone would tell me before Tuesday if they know of a prescription aletternative to Silverdene for those of us with Sulfa allergies.   

AKJ

I just started radiation last week.  I seem to get the bolus every time and am getting the supraclavicular radiation as well.  So far so good but I know it's too early to get the burns and other side effects. 

Deblc

Thanks Ladies for your responses and especially the tips about sun exposure

have2laugh

Only one more treatment for me on Tuesday! Can't wait and already in mode of being done. Dinner out tomorrow to celebrate and will start Tamoxifen on Wednesday. Took two days off this last week as work is crazy busy and I was exhausted after working Friday night. Feel bad to miss work as I am know we are so short staffed but just don't have the stamina to run all night at this point. For ladies started out or midway through watch yourself if you don't feel well. I had odd shivers alternating with being warm-but no real fever- for week or so before I saw doctor and lab work revealed pretty bad UTI. I am prone to them but did not have any usual signs so keep in mind it is important to stay well hydrated during radiation and if you don't feel yourself don't shrug everything off to radiation fatigue.

 Happy to report on rash t-shirt, a little different than rash guard.  I heard rash t-shirt a little thinner and we live in Florida. Wore Oakley short sleeve version today out on boat with family-worked great and wasn't warm at all, dried quickly on end that hit water. My little one was happy we kind of matched! Funny how we take of their skin and not on our own. I ordered one size bigger so I could wear two piece underneath. I will be ordering more and I would recommend this brand.  

lonnie713

Amazon......I had bolus every other day.  My skin looks pretty much the same as yours.  Where you have no burn, I don't either.  My collar bone has more of a "burn" as does under my armpits.  No opening sores or anything.  My last rad is on Tuesday also.  

Amazonwarrior

all: How soon after rads are you starting with Tamoxifen?

Sunshineinky

Hi Amazon.  I actually started tamoxifen the same day I started rads.  My MO and RO both approved it.  I know some start immediately following though.  

Crazywabbit

my MO is starting me on AIs next week, 3 days before starting Rads.  He and the RO work together in the same CTC so it is OK with both of them.