APRIL Rads Anyone?

Hi Jules -

I know what you mean - that it seems so "real" now.  I'm a little tired too - but probably from the anxiety of anticipation and you are right - no big deal - I had a "meltdown" over the weekend about the reality of all of this finally starting . . . . before was just waiting . . . this is my first "treatment" for BC - didn't need chemo because of low Oncotype score - so hurry up and wait and here I am . . .

I feel the same way!  After all the waiting, finally, the plan is in place and the schedule is in order!  I think we are both feeling a bit tired because of the relief that we feel! And my place is great - they answered every question, however stupid, that I had - like about bodywashes and self-tanners (white legs in FL in the summer - NOT!) and really went out of their way to focus on what was necessary for the "affected area" and what was not.

Hello Beauties!!

I had my 6th rad tx this morning...skin's a little pinker than it was on Friday, but I'll be using the RadiaGel that's been prescribed, as well as Aquaphor if I get itchy. I also have an exam on Mondays to guage how things are turning out, and I was shocked (not really ) to see that my weight had gone up another two pounds. My rads doc stated that the majority of women who are treated for breast cancer will gain an average of 30 pounds after they finish chemo. When I asked why, she said that it's because the hormone supply has been shut off.

Needless to say, I was not a happy girl.

For those who haven't started yet, don't worry...the machine does the exact same thing it did when you got your simulation done! Piece of cake!

Robin 

Robin are you kidding me? 30 pounds? I don't know how much more my rear can stretch lol!! I am in trouble!

30 POUNDS... GOOD GRIEF!  WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED TO CONTEND TO??

I had my simulation yesterday.  Quite uncomfortable laying on that hard table for an hour.  So for some reason I thought I would tell them when I wanted to start and what time I wanted my treatments to be... NOT!  Oh well.... they only had one time slot open in the mornings, which is the best time of the day for me to do my treatments considering I am working and have to pick up my daughter from daycare a few days after work.  So I won't be getting into work until 11:30 every morning during the 5 weeks.  I'm actually thinking that might be better for me anyway considering how tired I have been from chemo.

kjbell- I have t/e's also, and worried about how it will react to the rads, let's just keep our fingers crossed!

Sue

I had rad #6 yesterday. Every Monday I get an xray and see the radiologist afterwards, I had nothing to report...no problems so far. I put on Emu oil 3x a day.

Good Luck to all of you just starting this week.

Elaine,

When was your last chemo?  Could it be that you just have not had a break in between to rest up even a little bit?? 

Oh wow.... I'm surprised your onc. would have you start rads so quickly.  Mind wanted me to have at least a 4 week break before I started. So of course you are still tired from chemo , you poor thing!  Are you working during rads?

It's alot to deal with!  I started having hot flashes and yesterday I was SUPER cranky and moody.... my poor husband and daughter.   Every week my onc. asks me "how are your spirits?"... I think next week I'll have to change my answer, cause I have been doing good until lately.

ARe these permanent tattoos that we have to get??

I had my last chemo March 18th. I had my CT and markers (no tattoos) Tuesday.  Tomorrow, I do simulation and get my first zapping.

You don't HAVE to get tattoos.  But you do have to ask NOT to be tattoo'd.  If you don't want to be tattoo'd (I didn't), they just write on you with permanent marker, and then cover those spots with tegaderm.  Seems like a much more reasonable option, but it is maintenance for them, and if I should pull off the tegaderm and wash off the permanent marker, then they would have to do the setup again, but I'm really not planning on doing that. 

Just know you have options, but you have to ask, and be determined.  The rad onc did try to talk me into getting the tattoos, but I knew I didn't want to get them.  She asked me if it was the pain, etc, that I was worried about. I told her it wasn't the pain, it was just me, and I just don't want them.  Hard to argue against that one.  She told me to think about it.  When I went yesterday for the CT and to be marked, the consent form was marked that I permitted them to do tattoos. I told the tech absolutely not and "unmarked" that from the consent form.  The tech was fine with it, and showed me the tegaderm dots (very small) that they would leave on to protect the permanent marker marks.  If you have an allergy to tegaderm, I'm not sure what the option would be, but allergies were not an issue for me.

HI, had tx #3 this morning.  I'm also feeling tired.  About 7:30pm I'm scouting out for the bed and by 9-9:30 I'm down for the night.  I've been blaming it on the Arimidex because I also thought fatigue wouldn't set in until week 3-4.  If it is the AI and the rad fatigue is still to come then I probably will fall asleep at work!

My tattoos are so small I can barely see them.  But then I have many moles on my back and chest so they are just blending in (altho the moles are brown and tattos are black).  They also are in spots that will be covered by anything I wear, even spaghetti straps (not that I wear them anymore!)