Fall Rads 2014

PontiacPeggy

Jaimieh, Mine was just an "Oh I need to stretch that" moment.  A few stretches seemed to do the trick.  No tightness at all today.  So I'll just do a few every couple of days until I don't need to.  I also don't want to go to PT and can't see any reason to right now.

RunnerGirl, Good luck with having only 20 treatments instead of 33 or 35.  Aquaphor worked well for me and I hope it does for you.  Four weeks and then you'll be ready to settle into hormone therapy and normalcy (whatever that is!).

PontiacPeggy

Generation3, if radiation has made my treated girl any smaller, you'll need a magnifying glass to find it!  Luckily, it seems to not have done that and I finished rads 1-1/2 weeks ago.

Puffin2014

StrongEnough: no deodorant on your radiated side unless RO has approved it - many have aluminum in them that can disperse the rads where they shouldn't go. Also, mild soaps on that side, like Dove Body wash.

PontiacPeggy

StrongEnough, if you can use aloe, Tom's of Maine deodorant is acceptable.  I wound up using nothing and smelling  I used Dove bar soap.  Still am in my affected area and probably will until the redness goes away.  Then I should think that the skin will be strong enough for my regular olive oil based cinnamon/clove soap (the smell is wonderful and the soap very mild).

jeanelle

Just thought I would throw my 2 cents in.  

I am very large chested (DDD).  My affected breast is a little smaller than my other breast but that was because of the surgery.  I'm not sure how radiation will affect it.  I do think if it does shrink considerably after radiation, I will probably consult with a PS to see what I can do to make them more equal in size.  

Yesterday was my 10/30 treatments.  The fatigue is really starting to hit me.  I seem to get exhausted really easily and seem to hit a wall in the afternoon.  At that point, my brain doesn't even seem to function properly.  I also am starting to get some redness.  I'm hoping my skin holds up okay through this whole thing.

Jeanelle

PontiacPeggy

Jeannelle, I didn't notice any shrinkage - just the change from my lumpy, a very interesting shape now.  I'm an A, if that matters. 

Hope your redness doesn't get beyond just being red.  Mine didn't.  Any itchiness I had seemed to be from the Aquaphor but would eventually subside.  

The fatigue IS annoying.  I was out to dinner with a good friend one night and at 7:30, I said I have to go home.  I just couldn't function one minute longer.  Luckily, she was driving!  I'm still tired.  Not as bad (nearly 2 weeks beyond end of rads).  None of this is helped by stress from DH's situation.  

HUGS!!!!

Blownaway

StongEnough - My sim machine was a tube like you have described but when I went in for the "real deal" - the machine was different. It moves all around me to get to the various angles it needs to shoot from and the "bed" I was on moves up and down and forward/back as needed. I have a fall leaves scene on the ceiling.

Imheretoo

My bolus thingy definitely covers my whole treated breast.     Drapes over my whole treated side, in fact, from past the midline between the two breasts down to the table.      Got a look at it today as they were putting it away.      It seems homogenious,-  so it's not that just a small portion of that thing is bolus and they carefuly postion it.       So guess they just need to bolus me all over to get the field right.

Puffin2014

Three rads left, the finish line is in sight!

Beachlady28

Just met my radiology doc today and treatment will starting early/ mid Nov.  Have to get a CAT scan before treatment. Also was told I would be in a prone position facing down during radiation.  Has anyone else needed a CAT scan - I think the doc said it is needed to find the best position for radiation.  And anyone else used the prone position?  Is it like the stereotactic biopsy table with the hole in it which by the way was very uncomfortable.  Thanks for any info.

PontiacPeggy

Beachlady, did not have mine in prone position.  For my sims they did lots of scans to get the best position for me and they did my tattoos at that time.  

clarrn

The CAT scan is standard here (aka CT scan) too.

Puffin2014

Beachlady: yes, I had a CT as part of my sim too, to determine where my heart and lungs were in relation to my breast so they could plan how best to avoid them.

StrongEnough13

2 down, 33 to go! No big deal so far, except I have a lingering cough from chemo and was afraid I wouldn't be able to go 10 min without coughing. Once I got in position & relaxed it was ok, just tried to gently clear my throat instead. The tech said if I coughed, the machine would stop & spit me out & then he could reset it to pick up where it left off & in I would go again.

I'm getting IMRT, intensity modulated radiation therapy. Here's how it goes, I'm pretty sure: the table moves me into the tube for a short scan to be sure I'm in the correct position (after being lined up by 2 tattoos and a fortuitously positioned mole), then back out for a couple minutes. Then it moves me back in a little shallower and this is the actual treatment. I hear something whirring rhythmically as it moves all the way around the tube, stopping periodically at some points. While this thing is going around and around, I am moving further inside the tube, so slowly as to be imperceptible until I open my eyes and see I'm not where I was a few min ago. This takes about 10 min, then the table moves me back out of the tube and I'm done. Anybody else have this? The tech seems confident that I won't get red until 2-3 weeks in, and then we will switch to the 10 boost treatments to give my skin a rest, then go back to the whole breast treatments.

Blownaway

strongenough - that sounds like the machine I did my sims in but my treatments are with a different type of machine. Lucky you, to have a mole in the right place- that's funny.

MommyQ

I don't post much but I've learned a lot reading everyone else's posts, so thanks for all the help getting through rads!

Only one more boost left! I am so glad radiation is almost done. My poor skin hurts from the burns and I am looking forward to it healing back to normal. Those of you who didn't burn are SO LUCKY! It was during the fifth week that the skin burned and started peeling. After treatment #25 was when I noticed the areas that had peeled off had started to hurt. Fortunately, #28 was the last full breast radiation and I switched to local boosts, so much of my skin could start to heal. Now after boost #4, the areas that were burned and hurt are starting to feel better and turn back to "normal" skin color instead of bright red. Such a relief. I'm also looking forward to not having to slather Aquaphor on myself anymore!

PontiacPeggy

I'm still using Aquaphor after nearly 2 weeks post-rads, but I find that I forget to use it now.  I've only used it at night.  Sorry that you had burns and peeling, MommyQ.   But at least your skin is improving!!  HUGS

Agent99

is anyone extremely tired? By 9 pm I am so exhausted its unlike anything I've ever experienced so far I don't know if it's leftover from my last chemo or from radiation which I'm only on #6. I feel loopy or buzzy.

StrongEnough13

Agent99, I am very tired, but I'm fairly certain it's leftover from the chemo. I'm only on rad #2, so it can't be that yet, right? I just had my last chemo 2 weeks ago today, and you know how they say the effects are cumulative... It took me almost the whole 3 weeks to recover from the previous one. How long ago was your last chemo? I'm thinking I'm just not quite up to being up and out of the house every day quite yet, so feeling extra tired just from going to the clinic. I've been falling asleep on the couch before 9:00 most nights.

MarieNJ

Beachlady28 - I was in the face-down position as well.  I was told by my RO, this position protects your heart and lungs.  I only needed 16 treatments, but from my understanding, the dose is the same.  My RO said there was a study that the benefit was the same as 25 for women over 60..  I guess there is a benefit of being over 60! LOL  I started off with edema and a pinkish color on my breast. My BS said it will take time before it goes away.  Unlike some of you gals, my breast is a little swollen.  However, I do see an improvement. It's probably from the Eucrin in the morning and the antibiotic cream at night that the Dermatologist prescribed.  It's been 2 1/2 weeks since my last rad treatment and I'm feeling pretty good.

Blessings to all!

Marie

jeanelle

Agent99, I finished treatment 11 yesterday and I'm extremely tired.  I hit a wall about 2 pm and find it really hard to function afterwards.  I've been making sure all my work is done by then so I can sort of veg out at my desk until I leave at 3.  I'll be so glad when this is done.

clarrn

I am also hitting the wall around 2 and nap until 6!!!  Yikes!  Today was #11 for me too and I am a little pink and swollen, but lucky to be able to stay home and nap (when I have someone to look after the 3 y.o.) !  I find a brisk walk keeps me alert until then but in the afternoon there is nothing that will keep me up.  

PontiacPeggy

I don't know how you women manage with kids, family and a job.  I have only my DH (when he comes home from rehab) and that's more than enough.  I'm 69 and retired (and retiring???)

CoyoteNV

Hello, Fall Rads ladies. This is my first post on this topic. I'm still trying to come back from chemo #6 that was 9 days ago. I'm hoping I'll be in good form next Tuesday for my consultation and sim. I had a phone conversation with my RO about the accelerated treatments, but my MO is not on board because 1) I'm 3N and 2) This is a recurrence. I'll accept whatever the board decides gives me the best prognosis.

I've been following along with all of you for a few weeks, and feel encouraged by how well everyone is doing. There are some here that are friends from the July 2014 Chemo group. I figure I'll actually be a Winter Rad Warrior, going from Nov to Jan. Of course, Winter in NV tends to be pretty short.

Thanks for helping me understand what is ahead.

PontiacPeggy

Welcome, CoyoteNV.  Whichever way the board decides, you'll do just fine.  I think you'll find that the rads are much easier than your chemo - just a daily grind which can get old real quick.  Many HUGS!!!!

Puffin2014

Welcome to the rads forum Coyote. I have 2 more left, I ring the bell Friday, and friends are throwing me a Ring The Bell party on Saturday. I'm just a little pink, have needed a couple extra naps but haven't been terribly tired. So much easier than chemo was.

Puffin2014

I had a meltdown this morning, cried my eyes out. Radiation was tough
today, for some reason I couldn't take deep enough breaths to reach the
minimum level, and had to keep doing it over and over and over. Of
course the more I had to repeat it the harder it was to take the next
breath. I lost it in the dressing room afterwards, and since then I've
continued to be weepy. Everything just catching up with me I guess.
Tomorrow is the last session and I ring the bell in the lobby. Hope
tomorrow's breathing goes better, would hate to be all red-eyed when
they take my picture.

Blownaway

Puffin - I couldn't take as deep breaths today either as I have been all along.  The tech was telling my that I was not expanding my abdomen enough, only my chest. I felt like I just couldn't get enough air. Afterwards, I worried that maybe my heart/lungs got radiated.

PontiacPeggy

Oh Puffin how awful for you.  I agree that everything just caught up with you.  Many HUGS!!!  

Puffin2014

Blownaway: my gals came back to the dressing room afterwards and gave me hugs and reassured me that if the breath doesn't fall between the acceptable lines there is NO radiation beam, so heart and lungs are fine. Whatever time my breathing WAS within the lines I got radiation, so it was in several little spurts instead of a long 15 second breath hold. It's so tiring to do it that way though, and I really was trying to start my deep breath with my abdomen.