SEPTEMBER 2008 rads group

Hey y'all...here I am, at my job, for one more month...  The budget is really tight, at school, and I only work 2 hrs a day...I'll become a musk ox wool knitting fool...lol!!!

Well, being up here, my other half and I usually take steambathes, not the usual showers.  It's TOTALLY different here, than in the city!  We get charged for taking showers, since it's more 'economical' for people to shower at the washeteria than at home...go figure!  Anyway, I've been moisturizing the radiated areas with hydrocerin, and I think those areas look almost back to normal, except the dark area around the outside of my armpit.

YUP!  There's about 1/2 foot of snow on the ground up here, and it's only going to get worse, and last for another 5 or 6 months?!?  

I'm really, REALLY glad NancyD started this thread!  I can't thank y'all enough for your support, and I thank God most of all, for getting us all through this dang mess!

Y'all have a great rest of the week!

No, you didn't miss my order. I've been silent lately. This whole process is taking a toll on me. Thanks or the drink. Thanks for starting the chain and thanks to everyone for their support.

Tracy, I think you may be the last one. Congrats to everyone.

Jane

Hi girls, remember me?  I finished on Oct. 21 but decided to pop back in to see how everyone is.  I was laughing so hard when I saw NancyD still making drinks for everyone.  Who knew, NancyD, that you would be #1 cocktail server?  Congrats to everyone who has made it! 

 After being done w/rads, my skin is just a light shade of brown now.  I felt the pangs for awhile but nothing now.  I've been sooooo busy lately, so I get exhausted at night.  Not sure if it's rads related or just life in general. 

I was supposed to go on to tamoxifen and for some reason the dr. hasn't called yet for an appt.  I don't know what this means but I'm REAL SURE I'm not going to call them because I'd rather not go on tamoxifen.  I'm sure they'll get a hold of me sometime.  I was supposed to have a 2 week break from it all, it's just lasted a little longer than I thought.

 For those of you finishing, life just somehow returns to normal.  In my case, people tend to still ask how I am doing but since I don't have much to report, the asking has phased out.  The cancer thing is off my mind for the time being and conversation is back to normal.  Does that make sense?  (Of course, the medical bills still pile in to remind me).  I'm getting bills from my biopsy in May!!

I also want to thank NancyD for starting this Sept group.  It's definately helped.

Yes, thanks, NancyD, for initiative, support & supreme bartending! 

This was a great group of women.  Let's keep checking in with each other now & then.  Easyquilts' rads groups ("June/July Rads") still check in & keep up with each other.  It's great.

Thanks to everyone for sharing all the helpful info, tips & hugs.  Kathi

Thanks everyone. Not sure where I will "see" you agoain. I am ER/PR negative but Her2+ which doesn't seem to match up with many of you. No hormones for me. Still Herceptin for another 7 months which makes me feel like I'm not done with treatment but I'm going to pretend I'm done.

Love to all.

Jane

Aha, just when you thought the bar had closed.  I finished today!  I have been very silent lately - work & rads taking a toll.  I just wanted to pop back in and thank everyone for the helpful tips - the information I found here was incredibly helpful.  My start date pushed from the 29th to Oct 1, but I followed you all along and stayed with the Sept group.

Cheers and thanks to everyone.

Jean

Congrats Jean!!  I will gladly share my Mudslide with you!  I'm glad you followed us and found helpful information.  Will you be joining us on the "About to start hormones" thread? 

Hi Ladies,

I have an insurance question.  Once a week during rads, I had to meet with the rad onc. He requested the meetings, not me. They lasted about 2 mins per week.  Now that rads are over, I am getting billed for an office visited with a 20.00 copay for each of these meetings.  Did any one else have to pay for these?  I have HarvardPilgrim and was told that radiation was covered 100%.  Any thoughts?

Congrats Jean!

Makraz - not sure about the visits with the rad onc - I've wondered that myself after I got the bill for the first visit with the rad onc before rads started - my insurance covered 80%.  I'm starting to see bills (really EOBs from the insurance) with balances for my 20% (I think just for doctor visits) and I'm having a hard time figuring out what they are for - I guess I'll have to wait to see if I get an actual bill.  The part I am worried about were the initial 3 simulations I had (which is what I think these bills are for) - I don't think they were all necessary, so I am hoping I will not have to pay for all 3.  The first one was done at one cancer center and because I wanted the mammosite trial they needed specific requirements and couldn't get a good enough picture there, I had to go to another center with a newer machine, then by the time I was denied mammosite, they decided too much time had passed so they wanted yet another simulation.  I certainly hope they don't make me pay for those plus the weekly visits for the doctor to say - how are you feeling?  I guess it would be worth it to at least question it.

Congratulations Jane, Chris, Tracy, and Jean! We are warriors, armed with our senses of humor, our delectable mixed drinks, and each other! Jane, I hope things start feeling better for you soon. I hope that even if you're not taking Tamox, you'll still check in sometimes. Sharon, glad you're happy and home. I am so grateful to have all of you. NancyD, thanks for being our fearless leader. After deliberation, I think I'm going to try Tamoxifen. If the antidepressant switch isn't too much for me to handle, I'll be seeing you all on the next thread. I'm going to try to check in with the November and December girls once in a while also. Since we've been there already, we might be able to help them a bit.

Cheers!

Ace 

My rad onc hasn't billed for any copays, I was really afraid because my copay is $40 and that adds up in a hurry.

Makraz, maybe I haven't received everything yet, but I thought the way it worked was one office visit co-pay for the beginning of rads, then those weekly check ups are like when you go back to the surgeon.  They are just checking on your healing progress, not really a doctor visit so all included in the price of the radiation.  I think that's the way mine worked as they billed me for two cop-pays, one for the office visit and one for the one radiation co-pay, $25 each, total $50.  The actual radiation bill was close to $20K, yikes.  I didn't know it cost that much!

Tomorrow I'll be three weeks out from my last boost.  I still have a big bubble or blister spot in the boost area.  It seems to have fluid behind it.  Last week in a call to my rad onc, she said it was normal and would heal.  She said new skin is growing under it and the fluid will be absorbed and the top layer of skin will peel off.  But when?  I don't hear anyone else on this board referring to any lingering skin problem.  Am I the only one?!  They had scheduled me for a follow up a month after my last boost, so I don't see the rad onc til next week.  All along they checked me every week and I had little problems.  Now that I have what I consider a major skin inconvenience, and nobody seems concerned about it.  Anyone have anything like this, a blister that has been the same for three weeks and does not appear to be going away anytime soon?  I'm so frustrated as I thought I'd be back to running and wearing regular bras by now.

I finished with rads on the 13th of Oct. and just this week the huge blistering oozing mess from the boosts has healed.  The rad doc said it was very slow to heal..it was really very painful..partly from the soreness of the skin and from the muscle damage below it. I tried the silvadene cream as directed and broke out in hives which are just now clearing up.  It seems in addition to the other drug allergies I have I can now add sulpha.  Everyone else seemed to be doing so well I thought I was the only one with lingering skin issues.  But take heart if will finally clear up..I now have just a big crusty (but dry crusty) area on my chest and it doesn't hurt anymore..you will get there soon.  Good luck--Embmom