MAY 2009 Rads

Thank you for all the prays for SIL. She has made it through surgery! I can imagine how much that would hurt to have your ribs cut and pealed back. YIKEES. It hurts your back too. I am going to wait a few days to see her. I heard that they have her on morphine. Her children and my brother have been a constant at the hospital. She is going to be fine.

#6 today then THE WEEKEND!!!!!!! Do you love it or what? My MIL is in town and we are going to Santa Barbra on Sunday and the planetarium on Saturday. The fun never stops. I sure feel good compared to chemo. Stronger everyday and hoping for a non eventful radiation chapter. I hope that for everyone. I want our post to be just for fun and curiosity. No skin breakdowns and energy drains. All those in favor? The eyes have it!

Hi Radettes...

I had number 16 today and officially have 17 more which is pretty close to halfway done...YEAHH...

I met with my med onco doc yesterday and he explained to me that even if you have been through menopause ...women continue to produce estrogen in their bodies.  That is why they are concerned about the estrogen meeting up with the tiny cancer cells still floating around in our bodies...the onco docs will recommend either Tamoxifen or in my case Femara/Letrozole to stop any if there are any cancer cells from forming along with the estrogen production.  These drugs will be taken for at least 5 years after intitial therapy (chemo and rads) has been given.

I had to have a bone scan yesterday and blood work this morning to see if I have early stages of osteoporusus and/or high colesterol.  If I am given an all clear I will then be able to take Femara/Letrozole.  According to my onco this drug has fewer and less severe side effects than Tamoxifen. 

 Jess....so sorry you are having such a hard time.  Take care and rest...

justannie...ONE down and a few more to go...good job!

 lisalisa...good luck with everything...you sure are a trooper....

deb lake..sounds like you are taking rads well...good girl...

Ohio..Deb...what a crazy situation...but you know I am thankful that they want to be accurate when they start zapping you...hang in there...It will be all over before you know it.

Have a SUPER Radatious weekend Radettes....

Thank you for your support CRUISE4LIFE.  Oh yes, I will hang in there. 

Debonthelake---rad buddy--- I hope you have a great time on the lake.  Which lake ? what state? 

just annie--whooooooooohooooooo!!!!  one more and that's that.  gotta feel good.  A TOAST!!!

Good morning, Radical sisters!  Finished up the week, and only 7 more regular treatments to go!!!  Then, on to boosts.  The onc nurse feels I should be able to get through the treatments without any burning or peeling - I noticed last night that not only is my skin getting tan, but the nipple too.  Looked kind of weird next to the other one, like I went on some sort of crazy vacation with a one-sided bikini.  Feeling more breast tenderness this week, which is to be expected.

Just think, ladies, once this month is done, most of us will be finished with the long-term major treatments and we can move on to maintenance treatments.  Yay!!!!

For me, it's been 8 months since surgery. Today -- I feel like shoe shopping!! Normalcy!!!!

Hang in there everyone. 

 LisaLisa, good luck with your surgery. 

Bold, I'm glad your sister-in-law is doing well.

Americanpinay, good luck with the burning!  Hang in there and you'll be through this soon (relatively).

When I read Chelev's post from earlier today I remembered thinking at the beginning of this year what a great one it was going to be and feeling so optimistic about the country in general and about my life.  Since then, it has been a rough one for a variety of reasons, most importantly the DCIS diagnosis.  So far, the year hasn't been great.  BUT we'll all be done with rads by the middle of the year (more or less) and I am hopeful about getting finances into better shape after that, so I'm still optimistic about things looking up for the second half of the year!  I hope we all have a great second half of 2009 (and an even better 2010)!

So far, rads is going OK for me.  11 down, 14 to go.  I've been very tired the last 3 days or so and the doc attributed that to the rads.  It isn't bad though, just having to really fight the urge to take a nap.  The doctor said it may get worse.  I figure if it does, I'll just go ahead and take that nap!  Skin is pink but not particularly sore.  I did have a new mole appear, which I thought was kind of weird.  The doctor thinks it looks OK though.  I wonder if it is something that was there all along, but not visible because it had never been out in the sun, but getting the radiation has caused it to appear.  That's my theory anyway.  The shooting pains in my breast have definitely increased since the start of rads but they don't last long, so not a big deal.  The people are really great where I am getting my rads and overall so far radiation has been OK.  Not something I'd choose to do, of course, but certainly not as difficult as I had feared.  The first few times I was really nervous when they turned on the machine and I could feel my heart rate go up and my muscles tense (I tried to make them relax because then I'd worry that with tense muscles the rads would be aimed at the wrong spot) but now I get through treatment without any of those anxiety-type physical effects.

I hope all of you have a great weekend!

yes, Margo I post on two places.  I was sort of in that same situation with the chemo as well.  You had rads on with a te?  I

Deb, what is it supposed to be for?  I think most of us are using over the counter creams and gels (aloe vera, etc.) to help our skin during rads.  That's insane that you should have to pay $65 for something that you might be able to just go O-T-C for!

Hi Jess,

No my TE was removed in DEC 2000 and replaced with the permanent implant-silcone shell with saline inside. RADS are to kill any lurking cancer cells in the skin since there is no more breast tissue. The Bolus was used for each ZAP.  Dr does not want to Radiate when I am so burnt because the skin is so thin. Going to ask the DR what the game plan is going forward tommorrow.

On a happier note, I had lots of energy today-I should after 12 hrs sleep both Friday & Saturday nights! I have two furry ragdoll cats that LOVE to snuggle with me!  Making homemade red clam chowder with my hubbie, gardening-we have 3 big raised beds and I finally planted the Iris's my sister in law gave me. I should get blooms because the bulbs have 6 inches of green growing!!

Hope you had a great weekend!

Good morning ladies! Today I get my 22nd zap -- that makes me 2/3 of the way through. Just four more boosts and I can wash off this ink that's fading into my bras. Actually I've only let it ruin two.

It's been 6 days since the entire area was radiated, and the light rash as well as the freckles are still there.

Still have my burn.....now it is peeling and is so raw!  I'm havin fun NOW!

Good to hear everyone else is doin good and not burning.

Princess.....a medical DEVICE???  Wow...thanks for the explanation.  It is very good cream.....makes my skin feel so soft.

hugsss to all

Deb, sorry you have to delay - that really stinks!  They could have taken films and started you at the same time!  Maybe your saggy boob is impressing them or something?

Deb how frustrating. I hope that things go smoothly for you from this point on. Remember to keep your stress levels down when you can. Much easier said than done. Try to think of it that they want to do a real good job. Still I know that it sucks. I want this done too before it gets to hot. I want to be able to go swimming.

I am only having number 7 today. I got a phone call this morning at 8:30 telling me that they had to move my appointment to 4:00. RUSH HOUR!!!!!! there and RUSH HOUR back sooooo that means about 3 hours sitting listening to the radio. I will make the best of it and try to relax. My MIL is in town and its been pretty much non stop.

I am just a little bit sore on the inside but nothing except a little pinker on scar. I consider myself lucky. 8 weeks post chemo and feelin better everyday.

Hope everyone is doing OK. I am worried about you Genia. Your in my thoughts and prayers.

Thanks Bold....My Dr. said it's gettin better?  lol....sure don't feel like it to me.  The techs found a place under my arm today.....can't feel that one because my whole underarm is numb.  Hopefully both the neck AND underarm will get a break while they are doing the boost just to my breast.  I feel at times like I'm being barbequed!!! 

Over the weekend....when I was putting my antibiotic cream on my burn.....I thought I had dirt around the raw place....NOT.....it was my skin.....and it was blackened and peeling.   Bout made me cry.....I guess it just dawned on me just what we have to put our bodies through to try to kill off the remaining cancer.  Not saying it isn't worth it.....it will be......just hard dealing with it all sometimes.

Sorry....just having a down day.

Good Afternoon Radettes...

Had #17 this morning and knock on wood ..still no SEs or having to use any lotions or creams.  I did get a little sun this weekend and the techs told me to cover up the chest area...oops.

Deb...if you haven't had any rads yet...why get the cream?  You may not even need it.  Take it back and wait til you absolutly need it...and as someone mentioned there are other creams that you can try that others have found useful.  It seems that every Rad clinic and docs have different opinions on what to use and how to react to Rads....I think they get kickbacks from these cream companies...LOL

Genia...sorry you are not doing well...it will be over soon...hang in there.

margo...hope someone can provide some insight to your situation...good luck with this part of your journey.