Fall Rads 2014

Gilesmt

Pontiacpeg, I have parents who are doctors, dentist, chiropractors, lawyers and such. I have had 5 families in ten years, about two years each. I refuse to sign a contract for a month, then I stay with the family as long as they want. I dumped two families in the first month, one mom was a drunk, the second one mom micro manages from her office, I allow nanny cams if parents want, I am a mother you want to make sure your kids are safe. One mom would watch the camera, when I put the kids coats, hats, mitten, boots on to go outside, she would tell me to change the coat to a rain out, I would say It is not raining, she would say so I told you to change the coat, or I would bath both kids, get them all dress and she would tell me to undress them and put on different cloths, or I would cook lunch sit the kids down and she would tell me to re cook lunch to something else. I told her in my mind to go to hell and walked out refusing to sign a contract. One family I lived in with for a year and the second year I lived out. All my other families were live out. 

This family will be live out. I will work 6 hours a day with a 16 month old little boy. Mixed race. Another thing my families seem to have in common, most have at least one parent who is not from US, I have had Chinese, India, Burma, french, Japanese, and spanish. I guess it helps that I speak fluent in French, Spanish, English and sign language, now I know some, Chinese, Japanese and India.this little guy is Chinese and american.

Nannies, are the parent when mom and dad are not their, at least that is how I work. If mom was here would she feed him McDonald's or cook his lunch, cook it. If dad was here would we play tackle and football, or sit and play video games, football it is. If mom wanted baby to sleep she would take a walk, then rock the baby, so that is what we do. So to me it is very important that I pick the right families, so I ask questions like do they watch tv, I have never turned on a TV in any house I worked for. Do they love to read, I read more than two hundred books a year and I will read to baby daily. Do they love to cook healthy. Do they believe in schedules. All this tells me if we are a good match. Then I just act like mom and dad to help raise baby the way they want when they are here, and I learn the longer I stay that the parents I work for are raising healthy, happy, and well educated kids and I am helping them. Very satisfying.

Gilesmt

here is my family joke, when your next question why I speak so many languages fluently. Well my grandfather was the only male to carry on the family, his brother became the priest so he had to have the kids. He came from Spain and landed in Canada and met grandma. He spoke Spanish, she spoke french, it took them 21 kids for them both to learn to say NO in English. My dad was the last childs born to them. Papa always spoke Spain, Nana always spoke french. So we learned all three languages from infancy, just like my dad did.

I forgot to say I can speak Italian also, when I married my husband, his mom came from Italy and she spoke Italian to him. We tried to speak all the languages to our kids but since my first was CP we had a hard enough time to teach her English so we just stopped trying.

I speak sign language because my cousin was deaf and we all learned it growing up to talk to him, it was the only language I had to go to class to learn.

PontiacPeggy

Giles, you sound like the type of nanny any family would want.  They are very lucky to have you.  Parents micromanaging you are sure on the way to being helicopter parents later, aren't they?  

Susug

Hey Peggy my son helped with my pic. hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, its a beautiful crisp day in Tex.Susu

PontiacPeggy

Susug, great picture.  You  look cute.  See?  I told you you could do it!  Now you can put photos in replies too

Susug

Thanks Peggy, yes I can't wait to put the pic of me ringing the bell. I have a few friends that are going to be there my last day then we are going to lunch and have and have margaritas 

PontiacPeggy

Now THAT'S the way to celebrate, Susug.  They didn't have a bell at my place but they did give me a lovely send off that left me weepy.  They had been so supportive when DH was critically ill with pneumonia and I was running to radiation from the hospital and back.  Can't wait to see your pic!

jeanelle

Puffin - Congrats on finishing rads and ringing the bell.  We don't have a bell here.  We get a certificate and some other little stuff and put our hand print on the wall (well a giant paper on the wall).  

Giles - Congrats and good luck with the new job.  You sound like the nanny that any family would be happy to have.

Susug

Good afternoon to all, About an hour a go I started having shooting pains in my left breast that's getting radiated. Wow!! Those little suckers hurt. Has anyone eles had this issue.I have had 25 trearments

agatha6

just joining the group! Dx in Feb. triple negative BC, stage IIb, almost 5 cm tumor, 3 of 22 nodes positive (2 macro 1 micro) smallest margin less than 1 mm. Finished radiation (33 days) the end of Oct. skin is still sore, peeling a little. Some swelling at one end of Mx. scar, shooting pains around there. Small lump noticed above end of scar as swelling decreased. Slightly worried as lump feels hard, previously there was a ridge of bone from my chest wall that protruded a little but can't remember how much. See onc this week. 

I hope everyone is feeling good!

Agatha

PontiacPeggy

Welcome, Agatha!  Please make sure to update your profile.  That is a big help to all of us.

Sorry you're peeling.  Hope your lump is just that - a lump of nothing.  As I recall I had a lump at the end of my scar too.  Nothing now.  Those zingers must be really annoying.  Quite a number of women have them - the nerves just have to heal and calm down.  

Take care and many HUGS!!!

Blownaway

Susung - What part of Texas? Im north of Houston in Spring. My center is MD Anderson.

clarrn

Definitely getting the zingers/zaps!  Ouch!

agatha6

thank you Peggy! I turned on my diagnosis for public view. Guess I should do that for treatment too. Happy to hear the shooting pains can be normal. Hopeful the lump under the swelling is too. The skin is also itchy. What does everyone use on their skin post rads? I am to use sloe until the two week post rads mark then moisturizer. 

Agatha

Susug

Blownaway- I'm from Longview 

PontiacPeggy

Agatha6, (damn I forgot to submit- very blonde tonight!).  Thanks for turning your dx and x to public.  It all helps.  

I used Aquaphor for the slight skin discoloration I had.  I'm allergic to aloe so that was out.  Now that I'm 2-1/2 weeks past rads, I use it off and on. Probably won't use moisturizer.  My RO had to tell me my skin was pinking up - I hadn't noticed.  On the itchiness, I found that I was happier not using anything for it, sometimes the Aquaphor annoyed it.  

Hugs!

MarieNJ

Agatha & PontiacPegg -

My incision is at the crease under my breast and I noticed a lump the other day as well.  I also have this terrible red raw soreness along the crease.  Tomorrow I will be 3 weeks post radiation.  I had no problems with radiation.  I used Eucrin and the Derm gave me a script for an antibiotic cream.  A week after using the antibiotic cream, I have this awful red rawness along the crease.  Happy that I see the onc tomorrow. Has anyone experienced this rawness. UGH

Marie

Lolis197138

Today was my last radiation!!!! I got a bit emotional and had a few tears while receiving the treatment. I don't know what I am going to do now that I don't have any more treatments o_O 

jeanelle

Lolis - Congrats at finishing!  

Susug - I've had those shooting pains for the last couple of weeks. They told me they were completely normal.

I developed some sort of rash this weekend over my chest.  Not sure if it is the rads or a reaction to the lotion they are having me use.  I'll be 1/2 way done after today!

PontiacPeggy

Yeah, Lolis!  I'm sure you'll figure out something to do with that spare time - sleep, nap, read a book

Generation3

Lolis cograts on finishing. I'll be done on Friday. Just bave 5 boosts left. Yeah!!!

Jeanelle, I also developed a rash. It was red, raised bumps that were very itchy. I got it on my chest and my back. My RO said it was radiation dermatitis. She said to put an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream on it which helps a lot. The rash hasn't gone away but it helps with the itch. My RO said she can give me a script for a stronger hydrocortisone cream if needed but so far the 1% cream has done the trick. Well have a good week ladies!    Wendy

jeanelle

Generation - That sounds exactly what I have.  Red raised itchy bumps.  I'm going to talk to the nurse today about it.

PontiacPeggy

Jeanelle and Generation3, I had "punctated" skin - little red bumps in the hair follicles on my breast.  I didn't notice them until the RO pointed them out.  Luckily they didn't itch.  Just there.  Hope you can get the itch under control.

jeanelle

Peggy - I have that too.  The doctor pointed it out to me last week.  He told me if that itched to get some hydrocortisone cream.  It doesn't itch.  This is different and itches like there is no tomorrow.  It seemed to have appeared overnight.  

PontiacPeggy

Well, YUCK, Jeanelle!  Hope the cream helps!  

Susug

Jeanelle- I have that rash also it started about 3 1/2 weeks in  my RO gave me a script the first day I saw him it has cortisone cream in it. It works great for the itch.. It's called Tramcinolone Acetonide substitute for

Susug

Jeanelle Sorry I accidently hit submit to soon    It's a substitute for Aristocort  after today I have 7 more treatments left  these singers are very painful hope the go away soon have had them all day  

Blownaway

Lolis - go shopping!!!!!

Susug

Lolis,congrats! so happy for 

Lolis197138

Thank you ladies!!! Good luck to all of you still going thru it!!!!

I was given a cortisone prescription to use when the skin gets itchy. I am thinking to get it filled in the next days as the skin it's starting to itch.

Blownaway - I wish I could go shopping but first I have to do an inventory of things that I have and too lazy for that lol