August 2018 Starting Radiation

Djt

ingerp....CONGRATS

NVDobie

Ingerp

Congratulations!!!

Moth

Sorry to hear about the pain. Could it be something to do with the neck? C8 area could be reflected at pinky fingers. Does heat help? Hope it gets better soon.

Ingerp

Thanks, ladies, and moth—I hope you get a resolution to your issue. Not what you need right now!!

LIFE1963

Moth. I too am experiencing that tightness. My goes from my wrist up past my elbow. I have been gentle stretching out. Seems to be helping. I would appreciate if you were to let me know what they tell you. Thank You

Insideout2

Ingerp-Congrats

Moth- I was informed by my radiologist your range of motion can decrease as a result of radiation. I continue to do the stretches I did after my mastectomy to assist me with this. It's like starting all over but the range of motion does come back. I was told I would need to continue doing stretches once I finish radiation.

If I have a rest day I noticed that the tightness increases. I have to stretch more frequently the day after.

Two more days and I am done with radiation.

Take care everyone

moth

hey guys, I was doing my stretches after I posted & I did them in front of a mirror and now it's clear I've got some cording aka axillary web syndrome.

Unfortunately it's the long weekend here so I can't even get a call in to my breast center physio until Tues. I'm doing gentle stretches while I wait until I can see her. From what I've read on the web, this is a relatively minor thing usually and should resolve with some manual therapy and stretching so fingers crossed

Ingerp

moth the couple of times I’ve had cording it’s resolved on its own. I just continued with whatever I was doing at the gym and after a couple of weeks I’d notice it was gone. (FWIW—I believe both times it was connected to weightlifting. Not sure, of course, but someone in my BS’s office said that was possible.)

moth

oh that is great to hear Ingerp! really encouraging. I was worried since I'm supposed to be starting weight lifting more seriously to deal with the osteoporosis. Glad it sounds like I'll be able to continue with the plan.

Ingerp

Honestly I ignored the cording (it kind of grossed me out in the shower so I avoided thinking about it). I’m fine now!

Insideout2

Finished radiation. I'm happy. My WBC has dropped. If it does not increase within the next two weeks get a shot to increase it. Until that time I am just going to rest and appreciate the journey I've completed so far.

Take care everyone.

Ingerp

Congrats, Insideout! Feels good, doesn't it. Enjoy your relatively free schedule!!

Ingerp

I’m just curious how long y’all are putting anything on your affected breast. By the time I finished, the non-boost area was looking pretty good (just tanned, really), and I’m now nine days out of my last boost and even that area isn’t looking too bad. I feel like I’m close to not gooping it up any more.

moth

I've dropped down to once a day. I plan to continue partly because my skin is not quite 100% back to normal yet, but also because I read on an earlier rads thread that someone said massaging the breast was important to prevent soreness during mammograms later on. My radiated breast feels harder than the other one so I figure I might as well. I'm massaging the axilla too to deal with that cording....

Ingerp

Roger that, moth. I guess I’ll keep putting something extra thick on the boost area after I shower but not sure how long I’ll even keep that up. I mean moisture is good all over our bodies but I’m a little tired of focusing on that breast. It’s been an attention hog for six months.

NVDobie

Ingerp

I still lotion in the morning and at night. out of bed and before bed type of the thing. Mostly because I still feel irritation around arm pit, not near the incision, more on the backside of arm pit. It has been sensitive since surgery in Jan. Putting cream there make me feel i am doing something about it. :-)

Ingerp

Thanks NVDobie. I’ve been putting my extra thick cream on my chest/neck area when I put it on my hooter lately just for fun (I’ve told several younger women to put something on that area when they start using face cream—I wish someone had told me that). I think I’ll stop whenever I run out

Spoonie77

Dit -

I have a larger bust size too. I usually wear Cs but often I will get Ds too. Doing RADs right now, I can't bare going without a bra due to the pain and swelling. Thankfully the bras I ordered to get me through recovery after my Lumpectomy have worked for RADs too. They are comfy and compression that I need, keeping the SEs manageable for the time being.

I ordered "Amazon Essentials" Women's Zip Front Sports Bra in an XL from Amazon. https://amzn.to/2AdiUN4

I also have 2 Fruit Of The Loom Front Close Racerback Cotton Bras in size 42. https://amzn.to/2pV4D1C

Been wearing the sports bras when out and about, and the cotton bras for bed.

If you want to keep them the size they are when you get them, I'd suggest just a line dry as they do shrink a bit in the dryer.

Hope this helps! I had problems finding options that helped too. Good luck!

LIFE1963

Interg I forgot to tell you this on the other board so I'll tell you it on this one. Lol. My radiation doctor recommended that I get a good moisturizer and keep it up as the Anastrozole pill that I'm taking will also dry out my skin.

Ingerp

Good to know, Life.

Insideout2

Ingerp-thank you. I will continue to use my creams twice a day until I run out. My skin looks good, but I figure a little extra attention after all my chest has been through couldn't hurt.

moth

I saw my RO today for the final time and have been officially discharged from their service (still staying on the MOs service of course). The RO said to continue using a lotion once a day & that my 'suntan' discoloration won't fade till probably 6-8 months. He said that massage is a good idea, to just do gentle circular motions towards the armpit, without rubbing against the skin. He said inflammation of the tissues is normal and that it takes months to completely heal internally from the soft tissue damage of radiation. He did say they don't actually rx the massage because there's no proof that the massage is required but that many pts find it helpful so he said to do it and see if I thought it helped.

I talked to him about the cording and he said that yes, rads can cause it but that it's self-limiting and stretches will make it go away (mine is already a lot better and I'm seeing the cancer agency physio a week from now)

hope everyone is well!

Ingerp

Congrats on having one less doc in your life, moth!! That's a step in the right direction!! :-)

NVDobie

Hello to everyone.

My arm pit start to feel more tender and sensitive as i start some mild exercise recently, It has always been somewhat sensitive and easily irritated since surgery in Jan. I updated my wardrobe with loose fitting cloths as fitted clothing has become less bearable.

Anyone else has the same problem?

Britspeech

ColleenS80...Im also in education with young children and starting rads next week. Im going after work as I figured I could just go home and rest. Another young lady I "met" online goes in her lunch break. I think we should expect the fatigue and take short breaks during the day should we need it. Good luck!

Lomlin

Hi, I had 20 days of radiation. Last day August 7th. Still putting cream on, area still looks dark. I never had the skin peel on me, just got real dark or burned looking. I am on my 3rd bottle of tamoxifen. I was estrogen and progesterone + and Her2-. So far no really any kind of joint pain. But still a lot of pain where the radiation and the surgery was. Looks like drinking lots of water would help this? I stopped wearing my wedding ring (lumpectomy on the left side) as well as a fitness tracker too.:( Nothing tight fitting on that arm. I do not have the tiredness people are experiencing, but I did like the last week of radiation, to the point that when I was sitting in a chair, I would pass out for a couple of hours! So past radiation I have not experienced it, but I do like to keep active, move around, get on my stationary bike, do walks, weather permitting. However since I live in Illinois I won't be walking outside now, don't like the cold, so need to figure something else out. I used to lift weights but now my radiologist says not to go over 10 pounds because of lymphedema. Thanks for listening, wishing us all well.

Marymc86

Hi Linlin,

I lift weights, too. Had lumpectomy and 3 nodes removed. They scared me to death about lymphadema, but I am lifting again carefully. When I woke up from surgery and they were telling me all the things I now could not do, I cried. I did not take that well. I don't want lymphedema but I also don't want to give up the exercise routine that had finally worked for me. I'm in NC, so I can walk outside, but I do have a treadmill I use in winter. Sometimes I like it better because I can listen to music on it and get lost in my thoughts rather than being outside where I need to stay alert to my surroundings. The treadmill was a good investment. It's 25 years old and still going strong.

moth

fwiw, I think the weight restrictions don't make much sense. Lymph can't move on its own - it relies on muscles to compress and squeeze. I think the more motion and the stronger the muscles the better but hey, follow what your doc say I wear my rings and fitness trackers on that arm as well.

My doctors told me too that there isn't even much good evidence about the need to prohibit blood draws or blood pressure not being taken on that arm. They said it's just something we do but the actual evidence for it being helpful is weak. I even had an iv running in that arm for a while when I was in hospital for neutropenia.

I'm still dealing with cording post rads but no signs of lymphedema.

Ingerp

My BS also said not to worry about shots/blood pressure/. . . in the arm on my surgery side. I too have had several IVs in that arm and have been lifting weights for several months.

Lomlin

Well I guess that is good to hear about lifting the weights. It seems though after I have done that, the next day I am in pain and not like a sore muscle pain, but maybe the more I do the better the muscles as mentioned. When I did wear the tracker it felt like it was cutting off my circulation, I had it on pretty loose, too.

Marymc86

I saw a Physical Therapist that knew about cording and lymphadema. She encouraged stretching and exercise. She also knew I was lifting weights. I had cording, too. No lymphadema. My surgeon also said the evidence is weak about BP cuffs and needle sticks.