Winter 2015-16 RADS

Duzy

congrats Moondust. I bet the cookies were great and I hope you were able to do something special for yoursel

VickiRides

For those in the peeling/hurting stage I want to let you know that I had a big improvement to my clavicle area 9 days after treatment to that area ended. The cool gel pads have been wonderful! I've been applying those over a mixture of Silvadene and lidocaine gel.

KateB79

edwsmom, YES. Rads was the hardest for me, emotionally speaking. I was a mess a lot of the time. I promise that it gets better when you're all done.

I'm just stopping by to congratulate all who are finishing! I finished a month ago, and things are good. Tamoxifen is what it is, but other than hot flashes, I'm not having SEs. Herceptin every three weeks is no fun, but it's the magic juice for HER2+, so in it goes.

I did actual pushups today, on the floor. I used to be able to do 20+ at once, but now I'm limited to ten. It surely feels good to move again!

Sending love and light to all.

Katja23

Congratulations, Moondust! I'll be done next week. I had the boosts sim last week and the measurements with marker circle today, although I think the boosts start the day after tomorrow. The woman two time slots before me finishes this Friday, so I'll get there a little early to see/hear her ring the bell. (I don't know who is after me, because I moved up a time slot. But it seems to be someone who does not have BC, as she does not change into the johnny-robe like the rest of us.)

Regarding skin issues, my guess is that mastectomy vs. lumpectomy is also a factor. If there is breast tissue there to absorb radiation then there is less on the skin. Maybe a bigger breast helps too. Mine is a decent size. I am a little more red/pink under my arm and on my chest just under the breast, but the breast itself is only very slightly colored (I would not even say red or pink), and it's been 27 treatments so far.

I've gone to the spring rads group and back, just like the weather here. We had daffodils and forsythia blooming, and then it snowed Sunday morning and again yesterday all day, accumulating several inches. I actually went cross-country skiing yesterday after dinner. I'm still hesitant of the bouncing I would get from jogging, but the cross-country skiing is smoother exercise.

KarenR0618

Congratulations Moondust and everyone who has finished.

The weather here is so crazy. I think I am happy it is cold. I am glad I am not sweating and having the heat irritate my skin more than it is already irritated.

Windward

Hi Phoebe58,
Thanks for reassuring info about the black spots disappearing after rads are over.
Again for anyone thinking of using pads to cover wounds or keep lotions on breast, get the non- absorbent ones. They have a kind of film over the gauze so the lotion stays on the skin, not the pad.

With surgery, chemo and radiation taking up so much of my time and mental and emotional space these past 8 months it will be strange to go back to "normal". Or maybe there will be a new normal, with a greater appreciation of life and living?.

Wishing everyone a speedy, and painless journey to the end of your weekly rads, and a happy springtime ( once it comes for real).

DisneyGirl16

mdoc524 and barbe1958, I was pretty surprised when I found out that insurance had denied the doctor's suggested radiation treatment. I am sure it is all about the cost since the procedure is newer technology.

I had my first of 36 treatments yesterday. It seems like finishing is a long way off but I'm sure it will go by quicker than I think. And I can see why everyone is so emotional at the end of the treatments. The people in the doctor's office are so nice and you get used to seeing them and the other patients around your appointment time.

justmaximom15

edwsmom - I certainly feared the every day treatment to be exhausting but for me, it was scheduled every day at the same time and just fit into my schedule so nicely that it was never an issue. I dropped my son at school, went straight to rads then on to work. My office is about 10mins from the cancer center so that helped a lot.

Best wishes to all and congrats to those who have finished.

barbe1958

I have to drive over an hour to the Cancer Centre at a different time every morning - leaving home from 7 to about 10 am. Then my treatment and an hour drive to work. After working 7 hours a half hour drive home. My DH is driving as I sleep on the way to work.

Moondust

Thank you everyone for the congrats. I am still trying to relax and get used to not having to be at rads every day.

KateB, glad to hear you are doing pushups again. I'm at the same stage as you for pushups. I used to be able to 20+ pushups and now it's hard to do 10. My shoulder got really tweaked by positioning it for rads. Now that I'm done, it is starting to feel better and I hope I can do more exercises with it soon. It sure feels good to be almost normal again.

Windward, I've got the same black spots as you.

Barbe, that's a grueling schedule for you! I'm glad your DH can drive some of the time, but it would sure be better to be able to sleep in your bed. I'll be doing a daily countdown for you!

My office is just minutes from the cancer center, so the only long drive for me was from home to the center, then back home after work. But I've been doing the commute for 27+ years so I'm used to it. I listen to lots of podcasts and books during the drive.

I'm doing a daily countdown for all those still in treatment! Now that I'm done, I want you all to get to the end too!!!

Kkubsky

6 more treatments to go! I don't know what I will do with myself after....

Tomorrow I am getting rescanned for my 2 boosts. I had/have a seroma post lx and they want to see if it has gotten smaller....

DiDel

congrats Moondust!!! Whoop whoop!!

Good luck to everyone in treatment and wrapping up this week. Keep moisturizing!

Diane

barbe1958

I moisturize before I change into my clothes. I've been bringing my DH into the change room to do my back. I have him do deep tissue massage on my shoulder as well and that's helped me not seize up like I was in the beginning. I moisturize before I go to bed, too.

Finally got a prescription med for my nausea yesterday and it seems to be working! I feel 80% better. Am getting a CT scan repeated on my head to make sure the "disease hasn't gone to my brain", as per my RO. Naseau plus headaches and the fact that Gravol and Zanatac wasn't helping has him looking elsewhere for the cause. I get to see him next week, too, to get the results.

mairew

Last boost this morning. I have made some buddies in the patient waiting room so its hard to leave them behind.


It was very emotional to be on the table for the last time, a tear escaped onto to my cheek before I realised it and then I was blubbering.


Feeling good physically. I cant remember who was doing the informal survey, but I did not experience any fatigue, and my skin held up well. Sore and red but didnt break down.


Thank you to Mary for starting this thread, and thank you to all my rads buddies here. The information and support you all provide is amazing. You all carried me through.

Moondust

Thanks, Diane!

Congrats, mairew, for being done!! Hooray!! My skin was like yours, and I didn't have fatigue either - just my normal tiredness at night.

kkubsky, I'm counting the days along with you! It won't be long now.

Barbe, good luck with your scan. I'm sending waves of health your way to help it be a clean one! Glad the new medicine is helping.

VickiRides

Congratulations, Moondust and mariew!! So glad that you made it through in good shape.

Barbe, wishing you a good outcome on your scan. My thoughts are with you.

Duzy

Congrats Mariew. I hope you were able to do something special for yourself and your skin held up for you.

Kokomo26

Hi Everyone! Congrats to all who have finished rads and best wishes to those currently in treatment...hang in there...it will be done soon. I finished on March 24th and having some peeling and skin very dark tan now but still moisturizing 3X daily.

Mary, again many thanks for starting this topic and keeping it up to date. To all my fellow rad ladies who posted so regularly and gave lots of tips and advise...Thank you so much. It really helped me on this leg of my journey.

Barbe1958...wishing you a clean scan and very best of luck!

Will start Letrozle tomorrow (made by Sandoz..is that only in Canada)? I will head over to the Femara Topic and try to get some tips on dealing with the SEs.

Best of luck to everyone! Wish I could meet each one of one and give you a hug. You are all so special!!

HappyHammer

Duzy- this is my broken record...but, seriously...cooled cabbage leaves gave me the most relief when in the throes of rads burning and ITCHING!!!

HappyHammer

Yay, Moon, for finishing rads...woo-hoo!

barbe1958

Is everyone else moisturizing their backs? My zaps are from behind at two points in the treatment cycle.

KarenR0618

I haven't had any issues with my back.

Andraxo

barbe1958 - I moisturize my back the same amount as I do my chest....3x/day, extra thick at night. One of my zaps - aimed at my clavicle - exits the back and the area is as red as the front...and I just noticed it is in the shape of Tennessee! Ha! It matches the pattern I see on the plates of the kitchenaid.

- xo

Duzy

Happyhammer thanks for the advice. I am 3 weeks post rads today and my skin is healed I just gave one small are by my armpit that is still pretty itching. Hopefully that will clear up as well pretty soon. How long did it take for your skin to completely heal and stop itching

Peabrain

Hello everyone!

I am five weeks out from rads and stopping in to say that everything starts healing fast when you are done and it's great. Last week I finally started looking like myself - skin, color in my face, clear eyes. And I mostly feel like myself too (with a little help from Effexor to control the hot flashes and insomnia). It's wonderful! As a celebration, DH and I visited the Grand Canyon and Sedona and I have even been able to hike on the bunny trails. Lots better than the days when I had problems stepping up a curb.

Hugs

Sunnyone22

For some reason, this thread was dropped from my favorite topics list and I missed several days of posts. Sorry if this post is stale.

Disneygirl16 - what radiation treatment did your insurance deny? Is it the normal, 5 or 6 week rads or did you have intraoperative electron radiation? The reason I ask is because my intraoperative rad (IOERT) was denied and I'm appealing. My IOERT actually saved my insurance company the cost of 5 post- surgery boost rad treatments (and saved me the skin SE's of those extra treatments). I covered the whole cost of the IOERT because my surgeon is convinced it is much more effective (since electrons are applied directly to the open tumor bed during surgery).

I'm fighting my insurance company to cover the IOERT in full (it cost me thousands of $$) but even if they don't pay me back the full amount, I still want the cost of the 5 boost treatments I saved them from paying..

Disneygirl - hopefully you'll let me know what your insurance didn't cover. Also, any others in the 'denial' fight?

LM070917

22 rad sessions down, 3 more to go! Area slightly red under arm, but moisturising twice a day and onco says looks good, no other than SEs Barbe1958 yes i am doing the back, as also targeted from 3 different angles.

DisneyGirl16

Sunnyone, My insurance denied Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) which is an external radiation treatment that is given for standard 6 or so weeks. It is a newer technology than the 3D conformal radiation that they did approve, and I'm sure the 3D is much cheaper. I was told by the RO nurse that the IMRT would cause less skin irritation and, other than that, there was only a negligible difference in effectiveness, etc. I did some of my own research and decided it wasn't worth fighting insurance over it since it had already delayed my treatment for several weeks. I did call them and express my displeasure and tried to get an explanation as to why it was denied. All of the reasons they gave me were bogus and I refuted them all based on my own research, which just leads me to believe it is all about the cost. I trust my RO doctor so I am hoping he is doing what is right for me. The nurse at my first appt did share with me that a lot of times the doctor will let the insurance pay for the 3D and still administer the IMRT because he feels the patient is more important than the money. Reaffirms to me that I picked the right guy for the job.

barbe1958

If there is only a negligible difference in effectiveness, why do it?

I still can't believe that you guys allow insurance companies to dictate your healthcare! In Canada if a doctor says do it, it gets done.

Sunnyone22

Disneygirl - thanks for letting me know the treatment your insurance is denying. I've heard of IMRT and it makes sense to do it since it minimizes skin irritation. I agree - you got one of the good RO's if he did it anyway and just claimed conformal.