APRIL Rads Anyone?

Sue-yes, going to radiation everyday is a bit much, but if that what it takes... Did you ever think about how many doc appts/test appts you have been to since this started? I know I have had at least 1 cancer related appt every week since this mess started in September, and as many as 5 in a week. What will I do with myself when I don't have to go to an appt?

Hi all!  I hope you don't mind i chime in.  My last day of chemo was 3/17, i started Tamoxifen 3/30 and rads 4/1.. 33tx....  So far so good.   I keep the lotion on they gave me and no burn yet. This is a heck of a lot easier then the chemo.  Never knowing what s/e you may or may not get.   I have not been to tired yet either, but then again i have learned to go to bed if i am tired regardless what time it is.  I work f/t but still can get my rear in bed early... I can't wait till this is over....

Afternoon all.

Sue, I have tx at St Peters in New Brunswick.  I work in Liberty Corner so it's on my way.

Ellen, you're right - these boards are a wealth of information.  When one of my docs  asks at the end of an appt "do you have any questions" I always want to say - 'just remember each and every question any of your patients have ever asked and give me all the answers!'.  Really, how is a newbie to this ordeal supposed to know?  They should have the knowledge to give us all the information we need to know about our particular situation without expecting us to ask first.  Can't ask for something when I don't have a clue.

Okay, no more ranting.  I'm not even in a bad mood but just wanted to get that out.  It's been inside since my dx in October.

Welcome marienet!

Am I the only one with funky SEs? My mouth is definately acting up, right after tx, I start over salivating, the metallic taste shows up. My mouth taste a little funky right now, I can't say that's it's altering my taste quite yet. I'm also getting nauseous, more like a queasy feeling that doesn't get worse than that, still annoying though. And that's only after 3 zap! And I'm not one for making up SEs in my head and convince myself that I have them. Oh well... only 30 to go! LOL!

My radiation onc. told me that radiation can bring back chemo side effects. And visa versa. He said it will wear off soon.  Do you think that is why your stomach is upset etc? I just had my 10th radiation apt. So far so good, I feel a little sore and my breast feels"heavy" but ok.  Tami

Tami,

 That would explain why my neuropathy from the Taxol has been worse lately as well.

Room for another at the April Rads Group??

I started rads 4/15 and just had the 2nd treatment today.  Finished chemo TCH 2/18, then had a mastectomy 3/13 and now on to radiation.

So far I'm not enjoying the radiation, I think it's more the enviornment, the techs I have to deal with seem to have passed on the sensitivity training.  I mentioned that I felt nauseated after yesterdays treatment and they said that it definately wasn't from the radiation.  Glad to see some posts here that I'm not quite as crazy as the techs would like me to believe.  I think also I'm getting frustrated with being marked all over with sharpies everytime I go in there, even though I did already get the tatoos, and then they are always taken all kinds of pictures with their stupid digital cameras, and it seems like when I'm lying there half naked there's a revolving door of multiple different personnel coming in and out.  Maybe they figure that I'm not really exposed since I have no boob left on the right side, but I really feel like they don't leave me with a shred if dignity.  I'm so mentally frustrated with this group of clowns that chemo is actually beginning to look like it was a walk in the park, crazy huh??

kjbell - My fingernails are doing exactly the same thing!  It started towards the end of March, even though I finished chemo in mid February.  My onc said to keep them as short as possible and hopefully they will grow out past the weak points without coming off.  I thought when we finished chemo we just had to ride out the side effects beginning to go away, I didn't think it was going to be possible to get new ones, but ahhh Chemo the treatment that keeps on giving!

Tawdry -- sounds like we started the same day (Weds?), I too have been more pooped the last 2 days than most of my chemo time.  Wondering if it's all in my head b/c I also heard the rads-induced fatigue isn't supposed to start until around week 3.  Maybe we're just "sick & tired" of being "sick & tired???"

Lainey & Susan -- I'm also worried about sleep aid dependence.  Tried Ambien & Ambien Cr & Ativan, but I always wake up at 4 am & can't get back to sleep, + the daggone night sweats have me waking several times to kick off the covers/strip, then put everything back on, rinse & repeat.  Poor DH!!  Tried several consecutive nights w//o the "pharmaceutical sandman," but they were horrible (like, 2-3 hrs. of sleep total).  Figure that means I'm probably already "dependant."  My dad (retired onco.) says I take the dang things & wory about dependence after my Tx is done in June b/c my body REALLY needs all the sleep it can get at this point to heal from surgery, chemo, & now rads (even if the sleep in ? is not "natural").  So I'm taking his advice & bellying up to the pharma trough each night so I can at least get 6 hrs. or so.  Just wish I could use my new early-morning wake up time to do something productive, like work out!!!  If anyone comes across any good advice for sleep-aid detox, I'd love to hear it!

HJope everyone enjoys their 2-days "off!!"  Walking the Race for the Cure here in Indy tomorrow -- praying for good weather so my kiddos don't complain for the whole 5k!

Hi - this is very interesting reading about rads side effects - I did not get chemo,but after my 13th rads treatment, I developed a very itchy rash for which the rads onco nurse suggested 1% hydrocortisone, which seems to be helping a bit.  I have been using Fruit of the Earth 100% aloe vera gel with no alcohol and no dyes - suggested by my rads onco nurse and my pharmacist, the latter who is very well acquainted with radiation side effects and creams for same.  Also recommended Aquafor, which is good for the evening before bed since it is rather goopy.

However, I am also feeling very queasy and nauseous and my appetite is not very strong right now. Also the affected breast is very, very, very sore and achy.  My rads onco said that is to be expected, but it is becoming more and more uncomfortable and it is difficult to sleep unless I am lying on my back. Also, tremendous fatigue.  When I go there again today, I am definitely going to address this again.

I wonder if there are any other women on this board who also did not get chemo but who are also experiencing these side effects.

OK ... you know you are having a bad day when you would rather be at work then what you are doing!!!!  AGHS.  Just got back from my ct scans and bone scan.  The oral contrast for the ct scans ran right thru me, nasty stuff!  I had a whole 2 hours of waiting around after the ct scans to have them do the bone scan, and it's so nice out that I wanted to take a walk into down (was in downtown Princeton, nice shopping, etc.) and I couldn't, had to stay near a bathroom the entire 2 hours!  Then they had to re-do my head for the bone scan cause the radiologist said my head was too tilted...WTF!??!?!  Oh then yesterday after my mapping the nurse told me that during my simulation last week the tech pricked himself with the needle that he did my tattoo with... and they had to file an employee incidence report. Then she tells me that they need me to have an HIV and hepatitis blood test, to make sure the tech was not exposed..... another WTF!??!?  So I was there yesterday for 2 darn hours instead of what should have taken 30 minutes.  But I still laughed and smiled... up until this morning, just had a bad morning. I hate scans.  At work now trying to eat and keep something in my stomach... they gave me a free lunch at the hospital, oh so nice of them ey!? ;-)  Ok, I'm going to smile now:-)

Ladies, have a nice weekend.  I'm going to have a cancer free-thinking weekend!

Susan!

WTF is right!  Did they do a hepatis and AIDS test on him so you know you didn't get anything from him??  I would ask for a copy of HIS results!

"Putting the cap back on the needle"?  Why was he doing that??  You are never supposed to do that. You are supposed to put it into the sharps container when you are done.  Why was he recapping it if it needed to just be tossed?  If he was recapping it to hold until they were ready to do another tattoo on you, then it is possible your blood mixed. I would ask for a copy of the report they have to fill out.

Sorry, something just doesn't sound right.  OK, I'll take some deep breaths and sit down

Elaine, you're too funny! I don't blame you, I was thrilled to find out that the 3 rads tech are girls.

Susan, sorry you're going through all this. I would flat out refuse to take those test until I saw HIS results, then, I would flat out refuse to PAY for those test. If they're not giving the option to take the tests, make them pay!