February 2018 Starting RADIATION

miranda2060

That is great to hear, Blair. It's easy to get scared of all these treatments. Here's hoping none of us on this board have undesirable side effects.

sweetp6217

This just figures. The RO location brought in a "new service" (whatever that means) and mentions that there is a learning curve associated with (converting) learning the new system, etc. So, for some days, lately, my appointment has been delayed. Today by 2 & 1/2 hours (which I called to cancel). Once there, the treatments seem to be the same, but I don't have a good feeling about this. I don't want to go there until they are back up to speed (ie: not distracted by mundane system changes). The reason I don't want to go back there is because, prior to this, they explained the delays as "the machines". I still have two regular treatments to go and 5 focused next week.

Am I being silly by putting my treatments on hold until they improve?

P.S. the place I go to has a very good reputation. Very good.

rdeesides

I'm really red and increasingly itchy. No skin breakdown yet though and I have a prescription for the itchiness. 12 more out of 33 to go, so still 1/3 left.The red splotchy area is where it mostly itches. Some kind of rash that the RO says is normal

miranda2060

rdeesides, mine looks very, very similar (one more to go out of 30). Like a bad sunburn. They say just keep using the lotion. Even though at this point it hurts to touch the underarm area.

My RO always says, "You're doing great." I'm sure he says that to all the rad patients.

rdeesides

Miranda2060,

My RO says the same! Haha! I keep asking if I look like everyone else at the same point and he just says “yes, you’re doing great!”. Maybe they are taught to say that in medical school. Lol

I’m somewhat “lucky” I guess that I had a mastectomy because I only have feeling in a limited area.

miranda2060

Same here, rdeesides; all but a few areas of the right (implanted) breast are completely numb.

It's funny the things we are thankful for these days! I guess that's a good thing.

Happy holidays to everyone! Have a joyous, relaxing weekend.

IzzyShepherd

Hi all..Today was my 30th treatment. I have three more to go. The last five are called boosts where the beam is only directed at the tumor cavity. The last ten days or so my breast went from red to cooked..The area underneath is very sore and the skin has broken and is oozing like blisters. They gave me a foam pad to wear that keeps the skin separate so as not to rub together. One night I was woken up by sharp needle like pains that lasted a couple minutes and sometimes I notice a uncomfortable achiness. RO said that is caused by small nerve endings which could occur many months from now. Advil helps a lot so I have been taking that often, especially at bedtime. RO said my skin condition is what she expected and that it would get a little worse for about a week then should start a rapid healing. They put about six round stickers on me about the size of a dime that they use to help align me on the table and the doctor said when I'm done next week and can take those off most likely skin will come with them. I told her maybe I will let them there awhile lol. Everyone there has been so nice and I will actually miss them some. At least while we are getting active treatments it feels like I am in charge of things a little more. I made an appointment with my OB\GYN next month to get his opinion on taking my ovary out (I only have one left, had the other one removed five years ago due to cysts) so see what he recommends. In May I see the ONC and he will pick some kind of hormone meds. I think he mentioned tamoxifen. Then we enter a new phase of adjusting to a new medicine and a watch and see.......I hope to be able to mentally put this behind me but I know I will never fully be able to. Feels like a dark shadow lurking behind. I hope a day comes soon where I actually don't have cancer enter my mind. I told my husband I want to go away for a weekend together after I heal and just enjoy ourselves. Wishing you all well and have a blessed Easter.

Diane

randrgirl

After my treatment today I will have 3 left. Wednesday will be my last one. Right now they are boosts where they focus on the tumor bed. My breast is very burned and peeling worse than a bad sunburn. My RO said it’s normal and to just hang in there. Like others have said, my RO said I’m doing great managing all of this.It’s been hard .... but it will be over soon. Have a great weekend.

Doofuscat

Hello all. It sounds like everyone is heading towards the end of their radiation odyssey . It's been about 10 days since I finished up. Not nearly as tired and feeling pretty good. I missed the routine the first few days since everyone at the RO's office was so nice but I am sooooo happy now that it is over!!

Rdeesides, I had the same problem, radiation rash. So itchy I wanted to use sandpaper on my skin. The RO had me start using silver sulfadiazine cream and cortisone cream. It has helped a lot but 2 1/2 weeks since it started it isn't gone but the itching is vastly improved. One day I hope to have a breast again that looks like a breast and not a scabby pink thing. One day at a time.

Ladies I'm hoping everyone finishes up quickly and without problems. Keep in touch, I want to hear how everyone heals up and how everyones next adventure with those wonderful anti hormones goes. I'm going to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville in mid April for a consultation/ second opinion on the next 5 to 10years of treatment. I’m hoping they have some encouraging info on new drugs on the horizon that don't have so many side effects. I'll let you know what I find out.

Hang in there and have a wonderful weekend!!

Blair2

Just a note to wish everyone a good, happy Easter holiday. It's nice to read the excitement everyone has over the end to their rad treatment. My skin is getting speckled- like tiny sun spots appearing, but not irritated yet. I started putting aloe gel on it - feels more soothing than the greasy Aquaphor- sort of alternating both.

I found out I'm having a PET scan (not cat scan) on my back Tuesday. I hope it's not serious. I don't like the fact one gets a radioactive IV before it. How much radioactive things can a body take? Ugh!

This rabbit sort of has my fuzzy hair

miranda2060

Happy Easter and Passover to everyone!

I finished up on Friday, and was a little sad -- brought some chocolates for the very nice receptionists and for the technicians. They made things as pleasant as they could be. Skin is speckled, red and angry under the arm, but not as bad as it could be, I guess.

I have an appointment with the MO Friday and find I really have my back up against taking the aromatase inhibitors 5-10 years. Discussed it with my counselor, the specific side effects sound bad to me. Doofuscat, a second opinion on this is a great idea -- I didn't get second opinions on any other phase of my treatment but maybe should consider doing so about this.

Blair2

Hope everyone had a good Easter weekend. I have a question for those of you who have finished or about to finish their rads. I have noticed my feet and ankles are swelling at the end of the day. Also have semi-diarrhea just in the mornings. I thought it was due to maybe something I ate, too much sodium, but after watching what I eat, it’s been continuing. I did read that these symptoms can be caused by radiation, but when I mentioned it to the techs today (who are very young), they said no. Okay, here we go again with the “what causes” game. I will see my doctor Thursday and mention it, but wondered if any of you have had these side effects. I can live with it for a while, but hope it’s not a permanent on going thing

miranda2060

Blair, I didn't experience those symptoms, but that doesn't mean they aren't rad-related. Hopefully your doc will be able to address them.

My first weekday post-radiation, and I decided to avail myself of the hospital's reiki treatments. It's funny how similar it was to radiation (lie on table with a warm sheet over you), though with soft music and gentle laying on of hands instead of radiation beams. Skin still pretty dark pink and angry under the arms. Will be glad when it's all healed.

Hope everyone had a nice holiday and is doing well. Hang in there, almost done!

rdeesides

Hi,

I don't think my skin can get any redder than it is now. RO said we will stop regular treatments and switch to boosts so that we can give some of the skin a rest since it looks like it may break down. Then we will switch back to regular treatments after boosts. Has anyone else had this happen? It makes me nervous because the rest of my chest will be getting a break and that seems not good. I should have asked him about that when I saw him, but you know how it goes.... sometimes it's hard to think of questions in the middle of a changing course of action. He is smart and kind and I trust him, but I just don't understand how a 7 day break from treatment of whole chest can be a good thing. Boosts are on nipple only.

Rebekah

Blair2

Thanks Miranda. My ankles aren’t swelling much tonight, but I’m also eating very bland food today in preparation for my pet scan tomorrow. Won’t like the fact I can’t have coffee in the morning. I just hope this swelling isnt on going like my back pain. It also makes me nervous because my ankles did this prior to my badheart condition.

Rebekah - I asked my RO last week why was it that some women had boosts done earlier than others. She said it didn’t matter when they were given, but for women who have the external treatments first will have more pain with the boosts towards the end (because they squeeze the breasts like a mammogram between plates). Your doctor probably felt it was best to get those out of the way because of your irritated skin. They don’t squeeze the breasts as hard as the mammos, and the techs will ask you if it is too tight as they close in on your breast. So don’t worry, and let them know if the plates are too tight. I think overall it’s a scheduling thing as to when the boosts are done, but they can change the scheduling for cases when women are too irritated. I started with 4 externals and was put on 8 boosts, and then back on the external for the remainder of my treatment.

I have 10 left to go. Some pinkness and tiny little bumps or rash is developing, but doesn’t bother me much - so far.

IzzyShepherd

ALL DONE TODAY!!!!! So glad to have this behind me. Skin under breast is healing and the areas where I was allergic to the stickers is doing good also. Overall the experience was positive for me and everyone there was very nice. Felt good ringing the bell. Looking forward to enjoying spring. Best wishes to all.

Diane

Veeder14

Congratulations!! Glad your done and can move on.

miranda2060

Congrats, IzzyShepherd!!!

Caught a glimpse of my radiated skin in a store dressing room mirror yesterday and was pretty horrified -- I guess I've kept myself pretty well wrapped up and haven't looked at it that much in mirrors. I had no idea it was so dark (like a brownish, brick red). Gah! Hope it lightens up soon. (I had my last treatment last Friday.)

randrgirl

Completed rads today. Rang the bell. My breast is a mess but will heal over time. Wishing you all the best. Glad this part of the journey is done.

IzzyShepherd

I know what you mean by the ugly color. When I showed my adult daughters they were shocked. A lot of the dark pigment color around the nipple even disappeared. Doctor said by next followup appointment in a month skin will be back to normal. May still have a slight tan. Best wishes to all

Diane

miranda2060

Congrats, eightoutof8! Doesn't it feel good to be done with it? Sadly, my hospital doesn't have a bell. The end was unceremonious, but that's OK.

IzzyShepherd, mine is already getting a little better (the color lightening up, less "angry").

rdeesides

Blair, My breast isn't getting pressed between plates during my boosts. I am laying down and the machine is just directly over my breast and it clicks a few times and that is it. Pretty uneventful. But the rest of my breast is getting a rest as the boost is only on the nipple. My underarm area is what I'm concerned about. The skin looks like it is about to break open. It is what it is but I'm trying to keep it soft and supple with lotion so that maybe it will hold up. We'll see.

Rebekah

randrgirl

rdee- yeah I had my boost laying down. No squishing of the breasts. I guess every place is a little different.

Miranda20- thanks so much. It was unceremonious for me too because I got my treatment at the end of the day so no one was there when I rang the bell ... my nephew took a picture and sent it to my family but otherwise it was quiet. I will say I am relieved to be done. It was not as bad as chemo but it definitely was not easy for me. My RO said I will begin to heal over the next several weeks but that the color may never lighten back to the way it wasn’t originally... its pretty gross right now. Oh well.... glad that this treatment exist and I appreciate all my docs.

Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences here as we went through treatment together.

Blair2

Yes - congratulations Izzyshepher and Eightoutof8 for finishing today!

I’m so tired of all these trips. I have 7 to go and redness is kicking in, but not irritated too much.

Rebekah- I had Accuboost boosts and thought that’s what everyone else was having. A lady at the cancer center explained to me that hers wasn’t like mine, so I then realized there are different methods of boosts.

I now need an MRI for the back pain. My doctor told me I had a compressed fracture that was causing the pain, and another area below the fracture lit up on the scan, so they want to test or check to make sure it’s not spinal cancer. I thought the pet scan I had Tuesday was to rule out any cancer. I’m not a happy camper over this news. I don’t understand. I’m still hoping my fall had something to do with this now that I can’t blame the pain on chemo. The scary thing my doctor said was that cancer cells from the breast can metastisize to bones even though they didn’t invade the lymph nodes. I thought it took years for that to happen. Not at the same time. Now I wonder why they just didn’t do an MRI in the first place.

Well - I’ll try not to worry, but it’s hard not to.

sweetp6217

Congratulations to all of you on your continuing treatment and those who have completed the rads.

Today, I started peeling in less irradiated places and got some "water" blisters too. It's itchy more than anything else. I've been told by my RO to keep to the Radiaplex cream for 2 weeks once I'm done, then I can try just about anything else "including crisco".

rdeesides

Blair - I’m surprised that they aren’t gonna do a bone scan. Keep us posted on the MRI. It does seem like a fall could very well be the culprit.

Rebekah

miranda2060

Blair, here's hoping for good news. I know how scary everything can be.

Blair2

Thanks girls for comments. I have 6 treatments to go. My skin is darkening with what looks like sun damage freckles and tiny blisters that are t painful, but my doctor gave me a prescription of hydrocortisone to put on this area.

Anyway, I talked again to my RO nurse, who is so nice. She said that pet scans most of the time can detect cancer tissue, but in my case the images were unclear except where they found the compression fracture that is causing my pain. That alone can take months to heal. The area below it needed to be looked at closer to absolutely rule cancer out. She even said that my fall probably caused all of this, but there's always the possibility of it being cancer. She also said that they want to dissect those areas with the MRI images so they know how to treat it. So, now maybe I won't worry too much. If I had had the back pain prior to my fall, then this would be a huge concern. We also discussed that when I fell, I was "out of it" and could have slammed myself onto my back, not feeling immediate pain. I do remember my mouth and face hurting the most as I literally bit through my lower lip. By the day after, the chemo drugs were kicking in, with the following days of taking pain pills. She also mentioned that I had steroid drugs in my system that could have masked the back pain until 6 days later. My son in law, (who's a flight nurse), also said that the fall could have partly fractured my disc and days later fractured more from everyday movement that caused the stabbing pain to start after 6 days (which I haven't had since).

So, will learn next week what they find

Doofuscat

Blair2 I hope all goes well with your MRI. If the cortisone doesn't help your skin, ask about using silver sulfsdiazine cream. Its for treating burns. It was the only thing that started healing my radiation rash which started out just like you are describing your skin. Good luck :-)

Blair2

Thanks Doofuscat!

My texting got a bit messed up - so far other than looking awful, it’s not hurting much, but has a slight itch that I’m trying not to scratch. I’ll remember sulfsdiazine. I’m sure this next week, it will get worse. The ride continues