Winter rads 2014-2015

CassieCat

I started out with some itchy spots, but now I've moved from itchy to hurting. My underarm is very red and hurting more each day. I haven't heard anyone mention this here yet, but my RO is going to alternate some boost days with some regular days, to give the outer areas a break and a little chance to heal. I've done 23 of 28 regular rads and got set up today for boosts. Tomorrow will probably be a boost. I don't know how much it will help, but I'm welcoming a day off here and there for my poor underarm. I'll still get all of my treatments, ultimately.

kayfry

scubawoman, kudos to you for insisting that they find you a functioning machine so you can stay on schedule! Do you have to travel farther for that?

I think I was imagining I would be immune to SEs, though I have no idea why. So seeing the red, rashy areas and itchy spots was a bit of a shock, silly me. Changing bras and a bit of cortisone seems to be helping that for the moment, but the tiredness I'm feeling today is really surprising me. I'm not even into my third week until Thursday, so this is a bummer. Even though I feel tired, I pushed myself to exercise today, which everyone says helps. I walked up and down hills with my dogs for a half hour, and later took another break to do a session on the elliptical machine in our basement. Maybe it helped a little. Tomorrow afternoon I will ride my horse, which I love doing but which requires a certain amount of energy and stamina, so I hope I can find mine.

scubawoman, I'm having 19 total, to your 20, so I'm thinking we must both be on about the same protocol. I wondered if getting the higher dose of rads for the shorter course has anything to do with how soon these SEs appear? I'm revising a book, and sitting down to work on that is kind of deadly. I guess I'll go to bed early and hope things go better tomorrow. Wishing the same for you, and no more panic attacks. You're doing this, and doing it well.

kayfry

CassieCat, that seems like a brilliant strategy on the part of your RO to me. I really hope it helps your painful area to settle down some. How many boosts will you have?

Annie88

Leslie and Wino- The fatigue for me passed after I was done w/ RT for about 1 week to a week and a half. There are some new SEs now unfortunately. I do have peeling skin that just started and last week there was shooting pain in my breast. Maybe these are delayed, but my labs indicated no issues. Today pain is gone and I even have been working out at the gym. I figure my body has been through so much so it is now screaming at me. Hope you get energy soon.

quiggy

Hi CassieCat, sorry you're hurting.

I finished last week, 28 + 5. Week two I moved from pink and sore to red, swelling, blisters and pain. Underarm was one spot that really hurt! Not just burned bur throbbing and deep pain. RO passed it off as probably something not RAD related. She did that often.

Now, a week out, I still have red and blisters at boost site but the "deep" pain isn't constant any more, just occasionally.

Hopefully you'll fair better! But, just know it SUCKS but does get better down the road.

Sending you, and all my bc sisters, strength and hugs!💪

zjrosenthal

I found a tip for itching when it gets bad. Scratch your leg and it fools the brain. Love, Jean

CassieCat

I have five more regular rads and seven boosts. My RO and techs have all been really compassionate and are being up front with me each step of the way. They ask me things like, "Any blisters yet?" They aren't sugar coating it, which I appreciate! I made through 4.5 weeks already, so I just need to do 2.5 more and then it's time to heal. I got through chemo, and I can do this too.

WndrWoman

scubawoman. So glad you persisted and they could keep on schedule for you.

CassieCat. Try to let your underarm get as much air as possible - loose t-shirt, arm away from body. Do you have Silvadene or Medihoney? These have been soothing and healing for many of us.

WndrWoman

kayfry. There has been some earlier posted advice that exercise should not cause sweating, especially where the bra band touches the fold under your breast. Even while we are moisturizing, we are told to keep the area air dried.

Annie88. I was told that it is not unusual to have zingers during and after radiation as repairing goes on.

kayfry

zjrosenthal, thanks for that tip! I love that the brain can be fooled that way, and I'll be trying it, because at the moment I'm feeling pretty itchy in the rads area. Mostly just isolated red, itchy spots, and more of an actual rash-looking area right underneath, where any bra lies against the skin.

WndrWoman, since it's still fairly chilly in PA, sweating hasn't been much of an issue. Thank goodness this isn't August! Good be too much of a good thing, since I'm seeing forecasts for snow on Friday morning, so hope I don't have another commute to rads in a snowstorm as I did not long ago. Anyway, since I'm small-breasted, without much droop, skin-on-skin moisture hasn't been a big issue for me either. If other people got this symptom of itchy red areas fairly early on (I did no. 10 of 19 today), did that eventually progress to overall redness and or blistering or other nasty stuff? I'm applying Miaderm right after my morning treatment and once or twice more every day, and a dab of 1% hydrocortisone with aloe on the itchy spots as needed, which does seem to help but not totally eliminate them. Trying to avoid wearing anything even remotely scratchy, like a sweater, just a big cotton t-shirt at night to sleep. I'm not about to go braless during the day but have returned to the stretchy, soft Coobie bras until my skin settles down after treatment, however long that takes. I hope it doesn't get too bad, but I do have a ways to go.

kayfry

Also, the fatigue hasn't hit me hard yet today, but I kind of got walloped yesterday. I'm going out to walk with my dogs and then to ride my horse, hoping staying active will help. I think I'm more worried about this kind of crushing fatigue than I am about skin issues!

WndrWoman

kayfry. I can't even stand to think of more snow. I am done with winter. Sounds like you are taking great care of your skin. I had the itchy "rash" which was just angry hair follicles. It started fairly early but never got worse and was not in the areas where my skin peeled near the end of treatment. So hopefully that will be the case with you if it is the hair follicles.

Sjacobs146

Hello Ladies! I and done, done and done. I have been given my graduation certificate. It was all a bit anti-climactic. Treatment was on time, no one else was around. I baked a Dark Chocolate Guinness cake with Bailey's Irish Cream frosting for everyone in the department. Everyone was so nice to me and tried to make me as comfortable as possible. They kept a close eye on my skin. Except for a little dryness and peeling under my arm, everything looked good. I'm red in the boost area now, but I expect that will subside soon.

Follow up appointment with my MO on March 30th when I expect that I'll get my Tamoxifen prescription. So glad that this chapter is over

WndrWoman

Sjacobs146. Super St. Patrick's Day news. Irish Baileys Cream and Guinness cake was very appropriate. Enjoy your good results and freedom from daily appointments.

CassieCat

Sjacobs, congrats!!! Your gift is very creative.

Kayfry, I only started having more pain and less itching last week, which for me meant somewhere around rads 17-22. I had a boost today, which means I have 5 more regular and 6 boosts to go. Of my 5 regulars, three will be with a bolus and two without. I don't know what they're planning on doing tomorrow (boost or regular) but I'm hoping the little breaks will help my armpit not get too much worse.

scubawoman

Congrats sjacobs on being done. The Guiness cake with Bailey's icing sounds wonderful.

KayFry -- The treatment center is on my way into work from home (and closer to work than home) so yesterday worked out okay. Like you, I'm starting to get the fatigue. My RO said today that he expects I'll "hit the wall" later this week, but should be able to get through it. He's glad I'm continuing to work out every day and just advised that I cut back on work hours for the next week or so -- though he also understands that my job's in busy season right now. Just gotta let go a bit -- things will get done and my staff do have my back. Skin is in pretty good shape except for hair follicles which make it look like I've got a whole new set of freckles across my chest and get itchy when they get warm -- so trying to keep them cool. Starting to get pretty pink under my arm, but only have 2 more regular treatments and then 4 boosts. After the infection after the lumpectomy, I think I'll be able to handle 6 more treatments.

Happy St. Paddy's Day everyone.

CoyoteNV

Sjacob ~ Hooray to you! This is now behind you. 

kayfry

Sjacobs, congrats on finishing. The cake sounds amazing.

Thanks, everyone, for the input on itchy rashes and fatigue. The itchy rash is annoying tonight, but I do think the dabs of hydrocortisone are helping it a lot. My husband made a scary suggestion, that maybe I might be allergic to the Miaderm I'm slathering on. I don't think so, but tonight I'll put some of it on my "good" breast, just to see. It seems to me that the radiated area is just kind of messed up, what with the angry follicles and all. So then anything touching the skin gets a reaction, so it's worse under the bra band in front. But I also have some spots in other places on the breast. Who knows, maybe I'll wind up going braless out in public before this is all over! Yikes. Happy to say that I felt much less fatigued today, even though I was quite physically active, doing the things I love (walking dogs, riding my horse). There must be a lesson in that, or maybe I was just having a good day. Or a bad day yesterday. This is all kind of confusing. 10 down, 9 to go. I can do this.

JeniferE

Dear Coyote,

Add a smiley face to my name. Finished today! Red,red,red and itchy, but it could have been much worse! The staff loved the oatmeal cookies. I will miss seeing the techs and also will miss the security of doing something to still kill the CANCER. Thanks to all of you for your wisdom, honesty, and practical ideas.

Virtual hugs,

Jen

Sjacobs146

Sounds like like one of the benefits of chemo before rads is no worries about hair follicles.

kayfry

CassieCat, I don't really know what the "bolus" is about. Could you explain? You're getting close!

kayfry

Sjacobs, I was just thinking about that this morning, as my own hair follicles are itching like mad. I was wondering if folks getting chemo also have the itching of hair follicles, but I guess not?

CoyoteNV

Congrats Jen ~ Done is a great feeling!  Looking at your situation, it appears that you will be continuing on with some long term treatments. Right? 

All you non-chemo ladies ~ Do you mean there was some advantage to chemo?   The longest hair on my head is a thumb's width long 5 months after my final chemo, BUT the hair follicles were not a problem during rads.  BTW: The first hair to grow after chemo was on my face and chin and it came in with extreme enthusiasm.  Fortunately, it has calmed down after an initial waxing. I was getting ready to apply for a job at the circus side show.

CoyoteNV

This is our list of Winter Warriors as of March 23, 2015 - We are coming 'round the bend.  Hooray!  Spring is here!

October / November Start

MeneK – Oct 24 .................... MagicalBean - Oct 28......... Mmtagirl - Nov 3

MarieBernice6234 - Nov 4  ... Hope50 - Nov 5 ..................  dennyvol - Nov 5

CAS4 - Nov 6 ........................ Beachbaby65 - Nov 4 .......... CoyoteNV - Nov 10 

Lush61 - Nov 13 .................... Rosa54 - Nov 13 .................  Beachlady28 – Nov 17

Nomatterwhat - Nov 17 ......... LMVerma  Nov 18 ................ katieC12 – Nov 18

Lorrilynne - Nov 18 .............. Gongshow18 - Nov 20 .........Yikes1 - Nov 20

Birdgirl11 - Nov 23 .............  Perfectlyimperfect39 - Nov 23 Singsing1020 -

December Start

Pita119 - Dec 1 .................. SandyLovesLucy - Dec 1......... AnasNana - Dec 1

 HockeyCat - Dec 3 ......... . CanuckMom Dec 4 ................  MeanMomto3 - Dec 4

JustJean - Dec 5 ...............  runningcello - Dec 9 ............... carynbrit - Dec 10

 ForHisGlory - Dec 10 ........ Davida58 - Dec 10 ....................SCMom - Dec 11

eileenpg - Dec 16 .............. Linzer – Dec 16 ....................... WndrWoman - Dec 16

 sweetbanker - Dec 16 ........  labelle - Dec 17 .......................  Slavrich - Dec 27

InGodshands - Dec 18 ....... Catie57 - Dec 18 ........................ lilactulip - Dec 18 

 PoppyK - Dec 29 .............. kpmacmill - Dec 29 ....................  Jlynn13 - Dec 29

 gretchy - Dec 29  ...............Bellegirl - Dec 30 

January Start

reader425 - Jan 2 ................ILCMom - Jan 2 ....................... Purrrrana99 - Jan 5

Cath57 - Jan 5  .................. Professor50 - Jan 5 ....................fossf - Jan 7

Lulubelle1 - Jan 8 ............. lescover - Jan 8 .......................  Nancy6540 - Jan 12 .

Saltygirl - Jan 12  ...............aj103014 - Jan 12 .................... Fionascottie - Jan 13  

Magdalene51 - Jan 15  ...... quiggy - Jan 19  ....................... Annie88 - Jan 19

chtease - Jan 19 ................ Bippy625 - Jan 20 ......................Dacre - Jan 20

feelingoverwhelmed - Jan 20 ....KYBLUEEYES - Jan 20 ......Beachbum1023 - Jan 22

Cavalier - Jan 22 ................ mqt64 - jan 26 ........................... Sjacobs146 - Jan 26  

Windgirl - Jan 28 .................. Hotdrodmommy - Jan 29

February Start

JeniferE - Feb 1 .......................  LARock - Feb 2 .............  Chrissie29 - Feb 2

gemmafromlondon - Feb 2 .keri71 - Feb 6?.............................  ladyb1234 - Feb 9

Mm68 - Feb 10 .......................... CassieCat - Feb 12 ..................... Texas94 - Feb 16

Leslie58 - Feb 16 ..............  farmerma - Feb 23 ....................... Dotwithkitties - Feb 23

SunnySydeUp - Feb 23 ............ Allmodestyisgone - Feb 24 ............ brandyrose - Feb 26

Scubawoman - Feb 26

March Start

gtlucky - Mar 2 ............................. sybilskelton - Mar 2.....................  Kayfry - Mar 4 

WheelyGirl - March 5 ................... Booklady1 - Mar 9 .................... Hygeia - Mar 13 

zjrosenthal Mar 16 ........................Redhead01 - Mar ? ................... cbooklvr - Mar ?

Shelleym1 - Mar ?

Special Sister Warriors and Warriors who stopped for a visit, but for various reasons didn't stick around. No start date determined.  We wish them well.

Minnielee; surrrana99; Coloradocancermom; Shuf; bjeaneg, knittingPT, Shayne36, KGotThis, ckr1956, funthing42, MaggieCat,  intothewoods

No Rads needed !! Hooray!!

ThinkingPositive .....................Mary59G

= Reported Complete

 = Should be Complete by now.

CassieCat

JeniferE, congrats!!!

I had chemo first but my hair had started coming back before rads started.

Kayfry, a bolus is a thin, rubbery sheet they lay over my skin to draw the treatment somewhat closer to the skin. For me, they do this every other regular treatment.

windgirl

I finished rads yesterday, you can mark me as done, yay! I will go back in about a month for follow up. I also asked for a physical therapist prescription as my arm bothers my despite my efforts to stretch, maybe I am doing it wrong and a pro can guide me better. I already started peeling and the skin underneath looks fine, slightly darker than normal still.

I ended up giving them a small iPod and speakers as the CD player they had was very old and the same cd would repeat the entire week since no one had the time to change it. The music had helped me a great deal when I first went and was nervous, and hope they can play many tunes this way. I engraved it "maximum strength radiation relief"

kayfry

Thanks for explaining bolus, CassieCat. Guess I'm not getting that

Windgirl, congrats!

Number 11 for me is done as of this morning. The itchy spots have been pretty intense the last day or two, but they're not widespread (yet). Today after treatment I saw the nurse about that, who said what I've been doing—just liberal use of the Miaderm lotion and little dabs of 1% O.T.C. cortisone cream as needed on the very itchy spots, is the thing to do. I do have an especially irritated area just underneath, in the fold under my treated breast, and she seemed a little surprised that I have that since I'm small-breasted so there isn't even all that much of a "fold," really. She asked about my bras, if they're tight or whatever. I think the problem started over a week ago, when I started wearing some wireless bras I'd found, to get away from some of the sport bras and things that seemed a bit too tight and confining during rads. At that point, I didn't have any skin issues that I could see or feel. Unfortunately, I think those little wireless bras, though they felt comfy at the time, were maybe digging in under the boob and eventually the radiated skin rebelled. Bad decision! I switched back to the soft, stretchy Coobie bras I wore after surgery once I realized what was going on, but who knows whether I can undo that early damage before it all gets worse—which, the nurse told me today, I can expect to happen, probably by next week sometime, when my skin will "erupt." Which sounds a little ominous, like a volcanic explosion! I asked what that will look like, and she said just like what I have now, only a lot more of it. Can't waitShe also kind of walked me through what I can expect with my skin from now until the end of my regular treatments (15 total, number 12 tomorrow), how things will start recovering from those about the time I start the 4 boosts at the end, and then about a week or so after I finish boosts on March 30 before everything ought to start to settle down. Hopefully I won't have skin breakdown; if I do, I'll have to have a special dressing for that, which I know I've seen some ladies here describing. So it was kind of helpful to know a little bit more about what to expect in terms of the timing. Now I think I'm motivated to go braless as much of the time as I can, such as when I'm just home working (as well as sleeping, of course, which I've already been doing), to hopefully not create any more problems than necessary.

WndrWoman

Congrats Jen and Windgirl. That was a very thoughtful gift idea.

Kayfry. I found Aquafor helpful in the fold. It was great that you were given such a detailed idea of your possible skin changes. Hopefully your efforts will slow any changes.

Sjacobs146. Funny to think of a chemo benefit during radiation. :-)

ladyb1234

Coyote, you can add a smiley face to my name. I am Finished with Rads. Yay!

My skin did not hold up over the last week. I am burnt and very crispy, my response to my RO like a hotdog that has been on the grill too long (big smile). My underarm around my ALND incision scars and underneath the breast look the worse. I continue the routine of protecting the skin and have a follow-up scheduled at the end of March. RO did say call or come in if needed.

Wow all done with treatment. Feels good but strange. I will miss seeing the techs, nurses and RO and having the security of doing something that focuses on killing the Cancer. But I am glad Rads are done. Not sure what to do with my time. I can really began to settle into my new normal. Wow!

mqt64

Congratulations Jenifer and Windgirl! Enjoy your newfound time and use at least some of it to take care of yourselves. May your recovery be smooth for both of you.