Winter rads 2014-2015

CassieCat

Congrats Mags!

I did #19 today, of 28. Monday they'll get prepped for my boosts. My skin's hanging in there, but my armpit was more sensitive today than it has been. Every day that's tolerable is one to be grateful for! I feel for those of you driving so far. My cancer center and the adjacent hospital are about .6 miles from my house. I walk to my appointments when possible.

mqt64

Congratulations Magdalene 51! Great pic!

Leslie58

Sorry I've not checked in, but life has gotten in the way.  I'm down to my last week of treatment and travel.  Started my 4 boosts today.  Blistered and raw under my arm, but thankfully the 4 boosts are mainly around the nipple area, which seem to be holding up.  Very sore and so tired!!.  That however is the least of my problems and stress....last week my mother was diagnosed with possible pancreatic and liver cancer.  With spread to the lymph nodes in her stomach.  She will have a biopsy Monday to determine what's what.  She will go to the Huntsman Cancer Institute/University of Utah Hospital...one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation and the one I'm currently at.  Primary physician said there are 3 pancreatic specialist in the nation, and one of them are at Huntsman, so that gives me hope.  To say that I'm sad, scared, and worried is an understatement.  I can't imagine my life without my mother!  She has been my biggest support through my own journey with cancer.  Prayers for my mom, Louise, would be greatly appreciated!

Congrats to those that have finished rads!  I will be among you soon...only 3 more and I'm done!  Yeay!!!  Hopefully I'll have no more blistering and fast healing!  Then I can be there to give my mom the same support that she has given me.  I'm also looking forward to not having to travel 4 hrs a day to treatment!  I've forgotten how it is to be able to be at home most days! 

Ok...I must get to bed.  Take care ladies, and Thank you for sharing your rad experiences.  It's helped me a lot!  I'll check in as soon as I can.

Leslie

zjrosenthal

Oh Leslie, I'm do sorry to hear about your mother. Prayers just went up for both of you. Love, Jean

quiggy

Leslie58;

My heart goes out to you, your supportive mother and your family. Praying for her

Congratulations! You're nearly done with your RADs!

Sending you gentle hugs of support and wishes for a quick and complete recovery.

WndrWoman

Oh, Leslie, more difficult days ahead. You will at least have more energy to support your mother once rads are over. Sending caring thoughts your way.

dacre

Last Radiation today!!!! Not sure what I will do with all my free time.....Can't imagine not having to see a doctor, technician, nurse, or be weighed on a weekly and/or daily basis!!!!

quiggy

Congratulations dacre!!!

Welcome to the other side. Take a big breath, be happy and start working on your new normal.

Yahoo!!!!

Annie88

Congrats ladies finishing rads! Leslie hugs and prayers for you and your mother. I am 2 weeks out from RT and definitely can relate to those of you that have had the long drive. My drive was an hour each direction for RT. My afternoons are mine again that is for sure. I have a lot more energy now and have started working out again. They said that I can wear a bra again starting this week and decoderant. It is the little things! For those of you having skin issues-I hope you get relief.

Dacre-congrats! It is odd not seeing the rad gang daily! I am glad to not get weighed so frequently, lol! My flashing days are behind me! I felt as if I were flashing regularly during treatment for the sake of markings

CoyoteNV

dacre ~ Congratulations on your great day.  Finishing rads really is a big deal. Every day - every day - every day....does wear on a person!

Annie ~ I know I said this before, but everything is an hour away in Texas!  All you wonderful folks in Texas deal with miles and miles of miles every day!

CoyoteNV

Leslie ~ I'm so sorry to hear about this diagnosis for you mother. Huntsman really is on the cutting edge of cancer care, and your mom could not find better care.  They have caring and extremely good doctors.  Many prayers for your mom, you and your family. 

WndrWoman

dacre. Enjoy the feeling of finishing. Happy for you.

Annie88

Coyote- Yes, so many miles in Texas! 45 minutes here, 45 minutes there! It doesn't help that I am as far south as one can get. My BS is in Houston 7 hours from my home, as well as my MO. I have a local MO here locally too. On Friday I will see the MO for my first follow up since I completed RT and began my Tamoxifen. I am not sure what he will be doing. Maybe blood work..

kayfry

Leslie, so sorry to hear about your mother's diagnosis. Life really does pile on sometimes. I'm glad you're very near the end of rads, and know that you'll be there for your mother.

kayfry

Major congrats to you ladies finishing now. Yay!!!! I just finished #6 of 19, so I'm almost a third of the way there. No SEs yet, but I don't love the daily commute. Can't even complain, since some of you have had to travel so much further for treatment, but the very badly-timed (for me) road construction on my route is making my 40-minute commute TO treatment about an hour and 10 minutes (though the return trip is still only 40 minutes. So today I just made my peace with it, left a half hour early and arrived slightly early for treatment considerably less stressed than yesterday. On Friday my time changes to an hour earlier in the morning, so I don't know whether the traffic back-up will be the same or worse (I seriously doubt that it'll be better). At least I should get home an hour earlier, giving me at least a LITTLE time to work. When I finish, it's going to feel like I have so much time. Something to look forward to!

dacre

Let the celebration begin! It's been a very long 8 months. I went for my annual mammogram in August 2014. My first mammo was when I was 35, baseline. Next one, 5 years later....let the drama begin! Call back...changes.....frantic me....everything was okay, then. After that I had to have annual ammo's which always resulted in a call back for further "investigation"....diagnostic mammogram's, needle biopsies, surgical biopsies, etc. and the results were always "no cancer". I actually went for 2 entire years....2012 and 2013 without even have a "call-back"....everything looked perfectly normal!!!

In July 2014 I went for my physical with my Primary, who has been on my case (or should I say *ss) to have a colonscopy. I agreed and she wrote the script....my physical and my health were terrific...I take no meds for blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, anything really.... Then I said...oh, by the way, I need to have my mammogram. "Of course you do" and she wrote the script. Called both places to make appts and had no problem. Told the appt nurses from the 2 different offices that since I "multi-task could I make the appts on the same day. No problem.

Was able to schedule the "procedure" and the mammo....different days of course. Much to my surprise...my life changed after that mammo.

Bottom line....it's been a very difficult time living with all this. I just wish that I had a dollar (for every time since I was 35 yrs old) that I have had a complete stranger(s) look, touch, feel, discuss, make decisions, operate, remove, advise, recommend anything involving my breast(s). I would definitely be able to retire!! I thought "giving birth" was humbling....that was a piece of cake!

Thanks for letting me vent. Feel free to tell me to "shush"....my hubby does all the time....my oldest son calls me a "yapper"!! Good thing I don't have anyone's phone #..LOL.

It's about 50 degrees out today!!!! Yahoo!!! Actually hung some stuff on the clothes line!!!

Professor50

dacre! YOU DID IT!!!! That is so amazing. My certificate is a "purple heart" hanging on my fridge. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

All you women finishing up on this thread, remember when we were so scared? We have done it (or have almost done it), My Dears. I am so proud of all of you Amazingly Strong Women!

dacre

Thanks Professor50.....I really didn't want to go today....but as the saying goes....SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP! and I finished!!!

CassieCat

dacre, congrats!

dacre

After being told "over the phone that I had breast cancer" life became overwhelming. I know the fear. With all that we have to face, try to accomplish and just continue through this journey called Breast Cancer, I understand why many don't want to share their dx or their treatments with friends, family, co-workers, perfect strangers. We are all here to support, guide, care, advise, or just listen.

My personality requires that I share, talk, complain, cry, laugh, make fun and then continue on with my life. I'm very active on FB and all of my friends, colleagues and family follow everything that I may post regarding my progress. I had to thank them all for their support. I just wanted to share with everyone what I asked from them:

I know that many of my friends, family and even people that don't know me personally have followed my journey. I'm a big girl....and as much as I love and appreciate all the thoughts and prayers, I would much rather have you're prayers and strength directed to the children and their families that continue to struggle every single day.

No Child should ever have endure the suffering from cancer and/or it's treatments. My prayers are to you and your family, to give the strength, hope and endurance to carry on through treatments. AMEN.

That's my prayer. AMEN

kayfry

What a great day, dacre. Revel in it. Here in PA it's also warm and springlike today, which feels somehow encouraging. Not to speak metaphorically but also literally, there are still potholes in the road ahead.I could go on ("water running over the bridge" with all the melting snow, etc.), but I won't subject you all to any more!

magdalene51

Dacre, congratulations on winning this race! I am also a sharing type. Not everything always, but selectively, and certainly to those who care enough to ask.

My incision looks and smells disgusting today, and my right arm aching so bad it hurts to type, even on iPad.

WheelyGirl

Leslie - so sorry to hear about your mom, you are in my prayers.  I could not imagine life without my mother either, my heart goes out to you!

Did 5 of 30 today I am 1/6 of the way there.  Whoo Hoo!  So far so good, don't really notice anything other than my nipple being very touchy.

CassieCat

20 of 28 regular rads done today. While I'm very red and my armpit stings a bit, my tech said that my skin is still holding up well for being at this point. So I continue to be glad for each day that it's still very tolerable. She had to readjust me after we thought I was in the right position. Afterward, she let me look at her screens and showed me what she was seeing and how she knew my left arm wasn't positioned quite right. It was pretty fascinating to see.

chrissie29

Leslie-so sorry about your mom and will definitely add her to my prayer list.  Glad you will be done soon so you can support your mom.

Dacre-Congrats on finishing.

Professor-I do remember being so scared for rads, and now that they are almost done (2 more days and done), this was so much easier than chemo.

windgirl

Leslie I am sorry to hear about your mom and can't imagine how hard it must be. I wish you both strength as you go through this. I hope that you will both be healthy together one day.

ladyb1234

Leslie - so sorry to hear about your mom, you are in my prayers. Outside of my DH my mom has been biggest supporter too during this Journey. I could not have done this without her. I am glad you will be there for her. My heart and prayers go out to you and praying for strength for the both of you!

LARock

Leslie, I'm very sorry to hear about your mom. I'm blessed with two very healthy parents in their seventies. They live in GA and I'm so excited that they are coming to visit on Sunday!

Dacre, congratulations!

Today was 3 of 10 boosts and my skin is pissed at me. Thankfully, no blisters, just red and sore

mqt64

Congratulations dacre! Relax and enjoy all your new freedom.

Leslie, so sorry to hear about your mom. Sometimes life really doesn't seem fair. Hopefully you'll start feeling better soon so you can be there for her like you want to. Prayers and good thoughts for both of you.

ladyb1234

22 of 25 completed! YaY! My radiated side hurts like the dickens though. RO looked today and said ouch. She then went and got a medicated gauze strips -- name I don't remember right now -- And applied two onmy skin and gave me enough to last until next week!