Radiation April 2019

Garnersuz77

Yay Sunocean! So happy you are done and on to the healing part.

Keywestfan - haha! But just think by the time you are 115 there will be so many new treatment options available to conquer any consequences of all that radiation. ;-)

Sunocean

thank you for the well wishes !

Hope you are all doing well. Sending everyone a hug.

santabarbarian

I had 2 x-rays every single time I went to rads-- for proton rads.... ARGHHH

Freebee

My last one tomorrow! Champagne is already in the fridge. My breast is very sore and red. The areola is completely shredded and blistered. Ouch ouch ouch. Thank gawd this is almost over. I’ve had enough

santabarbarian

Freebee in about 10 days it will be soooooooooooo much better. Yay for the last one!

Annie60

Sunocean - congrats on being done. Thanks for the tip for putting cream to the back. I am just getting started.

Wereflyn

MOM2-3girls

I was told they use the tattoos to line you up on the table consistently each time. The marker comes off even with the clear stickers. This way mistakes are avoided. My RO said not to have them removed Incase they are needed later😱.

I'm not sure if you are aware the effects of the radiation are delayed by 2 weeks. Use the creams from day one until 2 weeks after you are finished. I finished 33 treatments on May 1st and am still seeing changes in the last area treated.

I felt the same way about it never ending but once you hit the halfway point you begin to see the light at the end of tunnel.

You are doing great and it will be over before you know it. It is kind of like child birth it bites when you are going through it but looking back it doesn't seem that bad.

Sunocean

I had to take another norco last night. omg the pain. Just burns and under armpit the skin is definitely peeling and looks gross and is super tender. I was not expecting this to hurt so much. I have a high pain tolerance too. I've taken more pain meds these past 4 days than with surgery. everyone told me rads would be so easy. And yes they were but now omg hurts so much. Mind you I have always had low white blood cells and low blood platelets so maybe that's why I'm in pain more. But this is no walk in the park. Burns and creams provide relief only temporarily. Ugh.

PiperKay

Sunocean, I am so sorry you are in such pain. With the thrill of victory - last treatment - comes the agony of defeat - this after-effect. Ugh. Feel better soon!

I've only had xrays taken once since I began and I'll be doing 12/20 today. I was told they'd be taken once a week, and the first week didn't count since it was only three treatments. So I expect they'll be done today or tomorrow for the second time, then again once next week, and probably not the following week since there's only two left then. But we'll see. I would be concerned with daily Xrays. That does seem like a lot.

RosieRed

Freebee - Yay!!!!!

RosieRed

Rad # 24/28 - I asked my RO yesterday if he was going to keep the wet towel on me for the remaining treatments and he said yes. Bummer. Feeling pretty cooked and I know it’ll get worse before it gets better.

Fritzmylove

Rosie, thanks for the Keane song on the CD today. I used to listed to their album all the time in college. Had to try very hard to not bop along with the song during treatment!

14/33 today. Very slightly pink under my arm, and slight fatigue. Almost half way there... just keep swimming

Freebee

Santab and Rosie, thank you for the encouragement! Sun, I know what you’re going though. No cakewalk.

Just finished my last treatment. I should be thrilled as I have waited for this, but I feel so battered. And it getting worse. The RT said my breast was looking very angry. Yes, indeed. It’s mad as hell. But I am going to drink that champagne anyway. Cheers to you all

Sunocean

Freebee congrats on being done!!!

Open up that champagne bottle. Cheers to your health!

Hang in there. My skin under the arm is completely fried. Reminds me of Freddy Kruger. gross. Layer of skin is now falling off

Benji69

I had #24 today. This is the first week I got really red. I mowed the lawn this morning and it’s hot here. Now I am redder. Do you think it’s related?

jessie123

I finished my hypo fractionated whole breast radiation Tuesday and I'm red and looks like a little rash on one area, but no pain. My nipple is dark brown and ugly looking. I also have brown small freckles over much of my breast. I ask what that is and they said that people prone to freckle get those sometimes --- didn't say they would go away --- acted like they won't. Anyone else have the freckle problem? I'm not someone with lots of freckles but I do have a few --- didn't expect them on my breast. Also my thoracic spine has been hurting from laying on that hard table. I noticed it hurting just a little a couple months ago when I would turn over on my very thick microfiber mattress -- don't have back problems so who knows what this is. However after 16 sessions of the radiation it started hurting more so I've taken the rest of the week off and will start the 4 boost next week. Will be so glad when it's over even though it's really not bad.

Fritzmylove

Jessie, I was told to expect new freckles, and for the ones I have to get darker. To also make sure to get checked regularly by a dermatologist thoroughly because that area is now more prone to skin cancers.

purplejc5

Sunocean what cream are you using

purplejc5

jessie123, I am also having the 16 treatments staring next week. How is yours going? A little nervous about the concentrated levels of radiation but want it over with. What creams or lotions are you using

Carpediem56

@wereflyn......." My RO said not to have them removed Incase they are needed later."

My RO told me I would be all burnt red, peeling and sore (under breast, on breast under arm). I am not! I only have one spot about the size of a quarter under my arm that is red and sore. I hope I don't have to redo rads....How do I know if rads worked? Anyone know?

Congrats Sunocean and Freebee!!!

@purplejc5 I used Aquaphor after every rad treatment....3X a day and candula and at the end Miaderm (great stuff). Good luck!

Sunocean

I thought once you got rads you can't ever get radiated in the same area ....

I am using aquaphor and miaderm and calendula.

Freebee

Carpe, I sure the Rads did what they were meant to do, ie kill any cells that are not your friend. Your skin just tolerated the burn better than most.

Jess, I have tons of freckles. My boob is so red now however, that the freckles are had to see. They showed up right away. I think they will be permanent, like sun spots.

My areola is awful looking. Burnt to a crisp and completely raw. Under my breast is also starting to blister. I've got a cold compress under. Not sure if recommended, but soothing

Garnersuz77

Curious how many of you are positioned prone on your stomach for treatment? I read that is better for avoiding heart and lung but it isn't something my RO discussed or offered to me.

Carpediem56

@sunocean Thanks I didn't know that!

Wereflyn

@Carpediem56. I would like to know the answer to that question too.

My Oncotype DX score is a 15 but the cancer center I go to said since it was in 1/3 nodes I needed the “full protocol“. I will be really annoyed if this sucker comes back after a double mastectomy, chemo, 33 rad treatments and 10 years of Letrozole.

I will be interested if anyone has an answer to your question about knowing if the radiation works. Thanks for asking it.

Wereflyn

@Sunocean

That is what my RO said. In my aftercare instructions it said “do not try to remove the tattoos" Perhaps should you need additional radiation treatment it shows the area previously treated

My underarm is the only area that sore a peeling. It started as a small area that hurt then it turned really brown and peeled. It was a relief to see white healthy skin under it. I am 10 days post rads.

RosieRed

3 to go! So excited.

Hope all of you have a good weekend

Sunocean

yay Rosie!!! Almost there !!!

Enjoy the weekend. my skin is getting worse. Ugh. Getting these painful zingers. Big sigh. This is how my skin looks now. I will delete this later but just so you see. Everyone reacts differently so hoping better results for all of you. The chest area is not painful. But the underarm is. It's starting to peel as you can see. Gross

RosieRed

Sunocean - thank you for sharing the picture of your skin. It helps me measure how I might look soon. The skin under my arm is getting dark and under my TE as well. What lotions did your RO recommend for your skin as you recover?

Carpediem56

@Sunocean Ouch! I only had 15 rads and no boosts! Thank you for telling me about Miaderm and Calendula!! They didn't tell me to lather up ubder the arm until the end of rads!

Congrats, Rosie

Happy Mother's Day!