Winter 2015-16 RADS

HappyHammer

Twinkltowz- like your new avatar- lookin' good!

HappyHammer

Mary- thank you SO very much for getting this thread of fabulous women together!! WIll be thinking of you and hearing bells ring as you finish your rads. This group has been grand- hate we are here but damn...great group to be with in a less than happy time. Again, thank you- best wishes and Hugs!

DiDel

Brimton whoop whoop!! 💃💃💃happy dance!! Congrats will be dancing out of rads tomorrow ! ! Can't wait..so far they said my skins held up no tears. Let's hope it stays that way!!

I swear this thread got me through with awesome tips and great support

Thanks Mary for starting it! In 12 hours I will be DONE...I started chemo on St Patrick's day 6 years ago..I hope to end my cancer journey for hood tomorrow

Hugs to all

Diane

Findaway

Hi all. Thank you for the kind welcome. I am happy to find you. Today was day #8 for me. Every day is psychologically draining. I have wanted to bail on the treatments every day. I guess you can say I am going in fear. I know I need to change that thought process around. I have an alternative medicine background and have read the research on radiation on both sides of the coin and I am thinking I have made the wrong choice for myself.

I am also struggling with the antioxidant thing. I was not told to not take antioxidants by my RO until I asked her on Friday (the weekly touch base with you meeting) and she said not to. I told her I was drinking a ton of alkaline water and it was high in antioxidants but she said go ahead and drink it. Mixed message there. There is a great deal of research that shows it does not interfere with chemo or rads and actually enhances the killing of the therapeutic modalities of cancer, decrease side effects and protects normal tissue. I am not suggesting that you take antioxidants I am just sharing where my head space is. Anyways I am glad I can drink the water, that gives me some peace of mind.

I have adopted a new mantra "change the soil so the seed can't grow". It's a nice thought when I lay on that table every day.

Thank you for listening

MissV123

Oh Congrats Brimton ! I have a smile on my face for you today too.....and Brihel, best of everything, it will seem like forever.....but believe me you can do this.....

Sunnyone ! I love the gumballs, what a great idea..

I am loving the conversation about vitamins and supplements, I am seeing my MO next Wednesday and Im making a list of questions to ask him . You all have given me so much info to talk to him about...( since I was taken off all vitamins during rads). I will find out which medication I will be put on.....

Im 9 days post rads, healing well, but I am having a lot of trouble with fatigue,memory,and confusion....my regular MD says its a type of PTSD !!!! With everything that has happened since Oct. the diagnosis, surgery, rads and shingles ( which kicked up again last week) and my poor DH loosing his job....and me having to go to work through everything, everyday......I guess he is right....Im a total mess. Im planning a nice quiet weekend with friends and out to dinner....If I have missed congratulating anyone, Im sorry, It's just my lack of concentration......Hugs to you all.....hang in there.....sleep well.....

Duzy

Ok our final day is here tomorrow- good luck Mary and Didel an Adarkadapted on Friday. It is more emotional than I thought it would be. I met with my RO today and he prescription the Silvadeen?? cream to start using after tomorrow and then I asked him do I follow up with him and he said no only if you want to. There is no reason to come back and see him. So after tomorrow I do not see any of my doctors until April and then July. It seems weird to me that you go through survival mode for so long (last summer for me) and then all of a sudden they just say ok go on with your life as before. They told me to start my hormone pill one week after rads end and to call if I have problems.

As for the vitamin/supplements I was told to remember the ACE method. To stay away from those vitamins - A, C, E. I took a Vitamin D pill weekly as the Chemo made that tank so trying to get it back to normal range. It is amazing how there are so many different thoughts and recommendations on the topic.

Brimton so glad you are done - I thought of you during treatment today and did a secret happy dance for you.

Mary I stole your idea and did that for my techs and one for the valet parking attendants. They will not accept money and it was so nice to do everyday.

Jowe I have had that pain and they tell me it is the nerves ending regenerating. It comes and goes real quick.

Twinkltowz and Sunnyone love the idea of the chocolate and gum balls. What a great treat for you each day.

Marijen I hope your skin heals some during your break. Mine is definitely breaking down so not sure if a break would have helped me.

Moondust - I wish you well on starting chemo after radiation. Glad that was still an option and you were able to make a decision you were most happy with. My thoughts will be with you as you navigate through.

HappyHammer and Twinkltowz and those that have finished glad to hear your skin is starting to heel. I have a trip planned the end of April so I hope all of the peeling and blisters are healed by then and I can wear normal clothes without hurting.

Welcome to the newcomers - you will get through treatment sooner than you think. Once you get into a routine it goes by pretty fast.

Have a good night everyone.

Sunnyone22

Big congrats Brimton!!

Moondust - thank you for sharing the reason you are doing chemo after rads. I was curious.

I can say, though, that it sounds like intuition told you to do chemo. The fact that you felt a weight lifted from your shoulders after coming to that conclusion is, in my opinion, the best evidence that your choice was the right one for you. Anyone who has experienced an intuitive epiphany understands that feeling.

My onco score was 20 - not as high as yours but still in that gray, intermediate zone. I struggled with chemo/no chemo and got two opinions from two oncos before deciding not to do it. Like yours, mine was ultimately an intuitive decision. It's one I can (and will!) live with.

Day two of rads was a breeze. Got in early and got out 7 minutes after my appointment time. Hope it goes that way for the next 26 sessions!

I'm chomping on my second pink gumball right now! Five more days and I get my first glass of champagne

Twnkltoz

@happyhammer thank you! I used to be so used to my bald head, but now that I have hair again, I don't like looking at those old pics anymore.

barbe1958

You don't have to be brave, you just have to show up.

Brimton

Good morning thinking of you Mary DUZZY and DeDil May the kitchen aide be kind to you. I'm holding your hand and dancing as you get the last one! Let the healing begin.

Birdysmom

Glad to see so many are done and starting to heal skin-wise. A few more days of nuking yet for me and am already peeling and red in that area. Loved the conversations about the vitamins and stuff...that is a very confusing area for me and it seems for the docs. Am taking that curcumin though. Kate, keep an eye on that Herceptin and what it's doing. Glad the doc is monitoring its effects so you can pull the plug on it before it gets too damaging. That unpleasant drug has so far lowered my "LVEF" by about 11 points. Doc says we can recover from that, but I won't believe it until I see it. You guys are all so great on here! Love you all!!

KateB79

Welcome to all newcomers!

Brimton, YAY!

Birdysmom, I just choked on my coffee (in the best way). The coffee that I drink again, and call "healthy" because it allegedly helps with tamoxifen metabolism. I have an echo today and, if Herceptin is messing with me, my MO and I will have a very frank conversation. I'm not one who is willing to take a ton of heart meds just so I can get another med, if that makes sense.

Question for the group: I'm a week out, and I'm healing really nicely overall. I do have one scaly, peely patch under my arm--any advice for what to slather on it, other than Aquaphor? I made the switch earlier this week to some kind of organic body butter (alcohol free, all oils, all ingredients I can pronounce), and while it seems to be speeding healing on my "tan," it's NOT helping under my arm. Perhaps it just has to peel. Ah, life with fair skin.

JerseyGirl22

Kate, I went to slathering more Miaderm, had the same thing underarm and it cleared it up really fast... Hoping your ECHO goes well today!

brithael

Birdysmom - LOVE the Kitchen Aid cartoon!

#3 today - starting next week, I get a better time 9:30 a.m. for the rest of the sessions. Looking forward to that.

Today as I was doing my manual lymph drainage, my dogs jumped on the bed, and right on my boobs - not sure if that helped the drainage, but the door is closed from now on.

edwsmom

Hi everyone,

It's time for me to join the group. I start radiation on Tuesday (I'm a little nervous). I'm told that I will have to go for 6 weeks.

I'm also really nervous about the combination of treatments. I'm doing my ongoing Herceptin (which will go through September) and my doctor wants to start me on Tamoxifen soon as well.

I work full time and I'm a mom to a toddler so I'm really hoping that this doesn't knock me off my feet. I just started feeling like a human again post BMX.

Anyway - I'm reading backwards so I can learn from all of you who have gone before me.

VickiRides

Brimton, Mary and DiDel - Congratulations on finishing! I bet it feels great!

I will get treatment #19 today. My skin has definitely started to "pink up" especially in my underarm and right on my collar bone. It's a little tender, but not too bad.

MissV123

Happy St Patricks Day ! Happy Ending Day for Mary , Duzzy and DeDil ! Goodbye kitchen aid !

Kate, I agree, the Miaderm has worked wonders.....in only 9 days....Im just peeling a little on my scar...but what a relief.....

Birdysmom ! Im laughing so hard at the pics....love them.......

Duzy

it's official. I'm done

Hope it went well for you Mary and DeDi

biscuits

Duzy...what a great picture! You look so happy and I am happy for you! Today I start my boosts and I will finish up next Wednesday. Just in the nick of time, I say. Skin is getting pretty sensitive under the arm and some days I wake up to go to work and I don't feel very energetic at all. When the day comes to a close I think to myself "how did I make it through the whole day"? Anyway, I am doing an Irish jig for you today!

VickiRides

Congrats, Duzy!

El_Tigre

congrats Duzy!

JerseyGirl22

Congrats, Duzy, and all who finish today!!!! Yay!

Moondust

Congrats Duzy, Mary and DiDel!! You made it! Great photo, Duzy!

Birdysmom, I love your kitchenaid cartoon!

Biscuits, good luck with boosts.

I'm sending healing (not peeling) light to everyone with skin issues. Don't forget to eat lots of protein - meat, greek yogurt, eggs, beans, etc.

mdoc524

WOOT WOOT - Happy Danced into the rad center & Happy Danced right out! No Bell for rads - got a certificate instead - did not care! Treatment for me started 10 months ago with BMX then Chemo then Rads - today marks the end of cancer treatment I pray forever and the start in healing, moving on & taking my life back - cancer can't have it anymore! Duzy & Didel & Brimton & adarkadapted tomorrow - was thinking of you & all you wonderful Warriors while I was dancing!

Be back later - time to celebrate -. My boys are taking Mommy out to Dinner (husband out of town but sent flowers)

Hugs to all & Happy Irish Day

Mary

KateB79

Yeah, Duzy!

Brimton

CONGRATULATIONS MARY DUZZY DEDIL!!!!! We are done, we kicked it to the curb! Now on to LIFE! HUGS TO YOU ALL. Dancing in the street for you. It has been a long haul but you did it warriors. BIRDSMOM love the pics. Too darn funny. EDWSMOM Read our posts we will help you through. A ton of great warrior women on this site. You are now one. Rads are more emotional try to visualize something positive while you lay there. For me it was all of us holding hands in a circle. Then on to the "death ray" killing any cancer cells. VICKIERIDES thanks hang in there I think it really adds up after week three. Cream up and try, it's not easy to keep the sweaty parts dry. My RO recommends laying down after a shower and letting it air dry for awhile. KATE sorry about the skin. I'm still sticking with aqaufour for now let me know about the other creams. My underarm is peeling but I have real skin underneath that looks normal but no hair hehehe. BISCUTS boosts go fast barely time for the lead door to close. I wanted to write the person a note who took my time slot. HUGS to you all. Sending healing powers to you all.

Twnkltoz

So happy for those of you finishing, and sending lots of love and strength to those still going or about to start!

Sunnyone22

Duzy, Mary and DiDe -

Well done you three!!! You're an inspiration to those of us in the early days of rads. There really ARE smiles at the end of all this. And chemo + rads completion is even more reason to smile! Thanks for sharing your stories with all of us - it's incredibly helpful to me and, I know, to others. We wouldn't blame you if you disappear from this board and go on with living, as so many cured ladies do. But personally, I hope you'll hang around, at least for a while, and share the joys of just living normal lives again - lives that aren't centered around our next treatment or follow up doc appointment.

Good on you all!!!

Wenrisa

joining this group as I just finished chemo today (yay!) and I'm planning already for the start of radiation the week of April 11th. Is there anything I can start doing now that will help decrease my chances of skin irritation? I have pale sensitive skin that sunburns easily..

luzeelu

Yay, Mary, Duzy & DiDe! And to everyone else who has finished and are healing well. It's encouraging to know that it does get better. We just have to discover our new normals, I suppose.

Sunnyone, welcome! I've completed 21 of my 28 treatments and am just now beginning to feel a bit fatigued and sore. I use an aloe gel that the RO's office gave me and it's the only thing they want me to use, other than pure aloe from the plant. My skin is also a bit tight around my mastectomy area. I'm not very red so far. Supposedly it will get a bit worse, but hopefully not too much.

I'm not supposed to start taking my AI until a week or 2 after finishing rads. I think I will need to take Vitamin D at that point.

Hey edwsmom. Nice to see you made it over here!