Summer 2015 Rads

ksusan

Yay, Hopeful!

sailorbev

Hopeful--Congratulations!!!!  Woo hoo!!

123--I had 28 whole breast treatments and will have eight boosts. The end is in sight!

Midgie--I hope your skin is improving now that you are done with the WBR. 

I love the idea of a giant kitchen aide mixer!  Maybe that image will help me feel less intimidated

Hopeful82014

Thanks, Susan! You're getting close, too. In the meantime, I'll do a rain dance for you. (We had a shower this afternoon but it didn't last long.)

123JustMe

Midgiemoon,
The Silvadene cream should help with both pain and healing. It's used in burn wards.
Should definitely help with the weepy areas.

ksusan

Thanks! Sprinkles here, only enough to streak the ash on the windshields.

Had another nurse look at the blisters. She then relays their appearance to the RO, comes back and says they're not atypical, but typical. I send her to check again. The RO isn't available to come in, but relays back that it's fine. I secretly roll my eyes and thank everyone for their time.

Labs back. Between PCP and MO there were a lot of repeats, which the front desk thought it had weeded out, but apparently not. This is both expensive and no way to treat an arm at risk for lymphedema. PCP will try to get the charges expunged. Two values on cholesterol differing only by 30 seconds and a different vial are markedly different. Again suppressing rolleyes.

PCP writes to say my cholesterol is too high and I can start a statin or have 3 months to do lifestyle change. She says the other labs are excellent, but--no praise for my great HDL, my normal range A1c (despite at least one set of steroids in the last 90 days), my weight kept off. Rather than writing back an irate response about chemo and ONE high cholesterol in this decade, during chemo, I take a deep breath, roll my eyes to exhaust my eye-rolling juice, and say I'll wait to reassess after I'm done with radiation, since I was told to eat more red meat (which I don't like) in January and haven't been told to stop, and I was told to keep my protein intake high, which I'm still doing. I look up how to lower cholesterol. I'm already doing all the increase-HDL-lower-LDL things. I walked 38 miles last week. I read that some chemo protocols can increase cholesterol. Uh huh. Context, PCP, context!

CAMommy

since having treatment yesterday and today I have completely lost my appetite. Surely it's too early for any radiation side effects no? I'm thinking stress....

123JustMe

Ksusan,
Context, PCP, context! Cracked me up! Thanks for the laugh!

queenmomcat

CAmommy: I'd bet stress too, especially if you tend to react that way to stress. (I do, in spades, at least for short term.) Rumor has it that the sim and the first treatment are the most stressful. Therefore, I'm planning a(nother) trip to the local barbecue joint those nights.

ksusan

One of the techs (I presume) has stuck a tiny piece of tape with a tiny smiley face on it on the edge of the part of the machine that hovers over the patient. I smile whenever I see it. Perhaps you could imagine the same.

AndreaC

Hi all!

Very mild headache today - nothing like the grief I've been having the past 10 days. No trips to ER today! Hopefully the migraines are a thing of the past. I am having an MRI of my brain on Sunday. All other tests have been negative and I imagine this one will be too, nice that all the bases are being covered anyway.

I finally start rads on Monday! The RO kept postponing the start because she could not come up with a feasible plan for bilateral rads. So we are going with rads just on one side, the left (which had lymph node involvement). Guess I should order some lotions etc. from Amazon. I do have some Jergen's aloe lotion which is lovely. I bought some cheap camis at Wal-mart but they were $3.00 instead of $1.68 since I'm in Canada.

Andrea

123JustMe

Welcome to camp Andrea!

SweetHope

Hopeful, and everyone else that has finished, CONGRATULATIONS! And WHEW! Relax, rest up, and then get in the garden and get muddy. It is sooo therapeutic. I am only able to go out before 8am 'cause it is so hot and humid here, but I have made a dent in the weeds that have accumulated while I have been laid up.

Has anyone else done the Color Genomics test? As soon as it was available at a cheap price, I sent away for the kit and I got my test results back last week. I thought I would tear right into the news, but I, unexpectedly, turned chicken. Why would I want to know if I have one or all nineteen cancer mutations? What good would the news do me?

A genetics counselor was available should I need clarification on the results; so after much hand wringing, I read the results. The kit has a preface that reads that most people have no mutations....and that was my case. I was able to put the info away without a care. But what if the results were different?

Hopeful82014

Thanks a lot, SweetHope - and thank you both for starting this thread and for your continuing encouragement. It has meant a LOT. I'm so glad to hear you're getting out in the garden again - it does help one get back to normal, doesn't it? Hope it cools down there some soon.

I had my genetic testing done prior to surgery and did learn I had two mutations - one that probably accounts for my breast cancer and that puts me at risk of other cancers. I'm actually glad to have this information since it means I will be followed up on and screened much more carefully than otherwise. I feel that it gives me a chance at heading off problems before they become untreatable - and that's a huge advantage. It also means that I was able to give me siblings a heads up regarding potential issues. I only wish I'd had that information five years ago.

I don't know that everyone would feel that way. That's just my experience. And I'm glad yours was negative, SweetHope.

Andrea, welcome to Camp Idonwannaburn! It's great to have another Pacific Northwesterner here. I think there's room for you in the Glow Worm Cabin. I hope your MRI goes well and is negative - please let us know. Good luck with your radiation treatment. I'm crossing my fingers that your skin and interior tissues handle it well. How many treatments will you have?

ksusan

Welcome, Andrea! That glow is your fellow campers, who were rain-soaked fluorescent white Northwesterners even before our MOs told us to stay out of the sun! Pass the Vitamin D!

Hopeful82014

That's for sure, Susan!

FWIW - my RO absolutely encouraged me to continue Vit. D supplements during radiation.

123JustMe

Fellow campers,
Can someone tell me what the vitamin D supplements do during radiation? I am confused.....

Thx!

Hopeful82014

123 - Vitamin D is believed to be beneficial to breast cancer patients; my BS tested my D levels on my first visit and started me on an increased dosage based on results. Thus, Vit. D. is considered useful throughout treatment, unless otherwise directed by one of your MDs.

In addition, there's some recent research on Vit. D. enhancing the effectiveness of radiation by sensitizing cancer cells to radiation.

ALWAYS ask your RO about any supplements you take. Mine said the amounts of anti-oxidants such as C, A, and E found in a normal multi-vitamin were fine, as was the amount of D I was taking, but to avoid mega doses of anti-oxidants. She advises continuing in this vein for 8 weeks after the completion of treatment. Yours may have other views.

123JustMe

Thanks for the information Hopeful!

Hopeful82014

You're most welcome!

Keys-Plez

My RO said no supplemental anti-oxidants. She said if it comes from food that's great. You can eat an orange, but no vitamin C, etc, etc.

They all have their own spin.

I didn't ask about calcium and D. My MO has already put me on Mega Doses of that since I'll be going on AIs later.

I'll ask my RO Monday when I start my radiation.

april25

I was told to stay off supplements with antioxidants in them, too. Food and creams with antioxidants were OK, since they weren't as concentrated.

I hadn't heard anything about Vit. D. Geesh. I get to learn all these things AFTER I'm all done! Oh, well!

I was just told "7 weeks" of treatment by my RO. I didn't know that included Boosts until I was over half-way done. I'd only heard of boosts through this thread... so at least I wasn't totally in the dark when they sprung that info on me.

I was wearing my regular bra until tx 20... but I think everyone is so very different, so I think most people will just have to wait and see how it goes. Right after that I was TOTALLY into the whole soft/cami bra thing... I didn't want anything very tight on me. I'm not a week and a half past my last tx and things are feeling pretty good. I think I could go back to wearing my regular bra if I wanted... but there's currently a heat-wave here, so I'm lying about in a very light little bra and not doing much in the heat!

I thought I would peel a bit at my boost spot, but didn't. It just got very pink by the end and stayed that way for a week after, and now it's fading. whew! A friend of mind gave me some of that silvadene (sp!) stuff in case of blisters, but I'm glad I didn't need it. But I wasn't sure I wouldn't until a few days ago, really! I wish I was able to turn off the worries all through the RT... It would have made things a lot easier!

Ha. I actually held my breath a bit, too, even though no one told me to! I think I was hoping to keep my lungs deflated and less in the way of the radiation, too!

I've got tons of lotions left over, aloe, calendula, aquaphor, etc. I'm still putting some on my breast, but now that it's not as red, I'm slacking off. I should try and stay moisturized and use the stuff up, though! We'll see.

I have piles and piles of pills and bottles and washes left over from chemo, too. For a while it seemed as if I was surviving on everything possible from various drug stores and medical stores... It's so nice to be able to cut all that stuff down!

Oh, and I only got a little fatigued now and then from RT... I was driving myself to my appointments-- only 15 minutes from my sister's house, where I was staying on weekdays, but I'd also drive to places afterwards, and never got too tired. I was also driving an hour and a half home on weekends. Every few days I'd want a nap in the evenings and a few nights I skipped dinners because I was sleepy, but I was mostly OK fatigue-wise. --So, again, it really depends on the person. And also what they are doing otherwise-- strenuous work or sitting around or very long commutes... Although I could have done it, I was VERY glad to be able to stay with my sister and avoid all the driving during the weekdays.

Congrats on those who are through with this crazy summer-camp! It all seems SO much better after it's all over!

ksusan

April, your description really fits for the quality of my fatigue as well. Evident, but not too bad.

molly1976

Hi guys! I just wanted to check in as I am one month out from the end of rads now and I don't think you can even tell I had radiation! My skin looks the same as it always did, except for a little redness around the nipple. I've also noticed the scars from my surgery seem less obvious since rads, but I don't know if that's connected or it's just that enough time has passed that they're starting to be less visible. There is light at the end of the tunnel! You guys will get there soon!

Hopeful82014

Good to hear such a great report from you, Molly! Thanks for the encouragement.

My RO did tell me that RT could actually help flatten the scars - something to do with the RT slowing down the replication rate along the scar, I think...

AndreaC

Hi all -

Hopeful: I will be getting 28 rad sessions. I've ordered some Aquaphor and a Frogg Toggs cooling patch, and I have my cheap camis and aloe lotion and Shea butter, so I think I'm set for tomorrow!

I had my MRI on my brain this morning, hopefully it will be clear. My head is feeling not too bad today so maybe the migraines are stopping? Please, please...

Re Vit. D - I saw my GP on Friday - I had been taking 1000 units a day (my decision...recommended to me by a work colleague, a very smart internal medicine doc). My GP told me that in Canada, we can all be considered to be vitamin D deficient - even though this has been an abnormally sunny year in the northwest. She recommended I increase that to 4000 units daily so I have been doing that. Vitamin D has been proven to prevent all kinds of things...cancers, arthritis, heart disease.

I have never been a supplement-taking person but my GP also recommended riboflavin and magnesium to prevent migraines. So I have started those too. I am certainly building my pill bottle collection!

Andrea

CAMommy

ugh. I think I'm part of the very few people who get nausea from rads. I have been nauseous since I started on Thursday. I thought it wa stress but the nausea stayed with me all weekend. Finally tonight it's starting to lift. I'll know tomorrow if it comes back that it is truly related to rads. I just hope they don't think I'm crazy and will give me some zofran for it.

lemonadehk

Hi all, I am new. I started my RT two weeks ago. I've had 9 treatments so far (chest wall and superclavicular lymph nodes). I noticed that I start to have bone pain all over my body, esp in my legs and shoulders. Has anyone else experienced the same? Thanks! Lemonadeh

littleblueflowers

Heading for my SIM in a few hours...the fun never ends!

Hopeful82014

Andrea, I hope you get good news from your MRI shortly and that your migraines let up even sooner.

Lemonade - I've not heard of bone pain being an issue but PLEASE ask the radiation nurse or your doctor a.s.a.p. Even if you don't have an appt. the nurses and or the MDs are usually available for advice on the spur of the moment. They NEED to know about these issues.

LBF - the sim will be a piece of cake compared for you but I'm sending good thoughts nonetheless.

ksusan

LIttleblue, when you get back from the sim, take your own photos. It helps if a sticker comes off, and for learning where to moisturize.

I'll have my last WBI tomorrow as well as my boost sim.