MAY 2009 Rads
Comments
-
Crack, it will come..once it started coming in like yours is now, it just took off....keep rubbing your head t oo! LOL, laugh all ya want but I did it and it's making it grow faster...guess the hair follicles like it...I've also stopped wearing a wig, hat or anything else if I don't have to...Look at all those cowboys (the country singers) they're all bald from wearing hats! LOL..........but it will start now that it's coming out and before ya know it, it will totally cover your head!
Love ya
Dolly
-
Wow Dolly that's a lot of hair.
I'm 6 weeks out from Taxotere. Mine is approaching 1/4 of an inch long. It is also dark and gray, but, then it was like that before the chemo. Perhaps more gray now. My eyebrows are much lighter than they used to be. I'm half way done now. My skin is holding out better than I expected. My energy level is pretty good this week. I only crashed once early this week. My mood is pretty good. It is so nice to be so close to the end of treatment. My SIL had surgery on her eye today. They won't know if the tumor is cancer until early next week. She'll need radiation on the rest of the tumor to get it to shrink some more and she'll still need her hysterectomy and maybe chemo. I hate that she is starting this journey all over again. Keep her in your prayers. It is the one thing that is scary for me and makes me blue. But, I try to be grateful for improved health right now. I'm planning to be around a while. TGIF
Have a Great Weekend you Radiant Radiators.
-
OH CRACK I forgot to mention too, Brittney Spears has hair extensions...........LOL....
Deb your sister in law will be in my prayers...theres a young boy around here, he's 8 I think he is..maybe 9..anyway he developed an inoperable tumor behind his eye..he went through chemo and rads and they say today he is doing great! So there's hope hon....
And as for the hair, my hair naturally is light brown with red highlights, NOT BLACK! ARGHHH...But it's ok because as soon as it grows enough, I'm off to the salon to have it dyed blonde with highlights!
-
I'm here aj. Just havin a terrible time right now. I'm red as a beet and in a lot of pain. I took a Lortab that I had left over from my mastectomy....and it has really helped. I have one more boost on Monday then back to the regular tx's for 6 more of them. Then I will be DONE DONE DONE!!!!
Love you all.......hugssss
-
Genia- BIG ((((((((HUGS))))))) to you. I just said a prayer for you. Perhaps you can check with the Dr to get a script for painkillers of some sort. I wish I had a pic of my burn from 3 weeks ago-I would email to you. If it's of any comfort my skin did heal from the painful beet red-- as of now it's just tannish pink with very light peeling. Take care.
-
HI Ladies: Whoa, I have a champagne buzz --- and I haven't even had any - LOL!!! Thank you for all the well wishes. You are right behind me -- it'll be done before you know it. I will miss seeing those wonderful radiation techs every day...but sure won't miss the machine...or the drive. I go back in 3 weeks for a check-up and learn my follow-up plan. Had a lovely dinner with DH yesterday - he was darn near euphoric that I am done. Nice outing with friends today.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
-
Almost forgot -- I shaved and used regular deodorant today !!!!!
---- WOOHOO!!!!! -
Deb-Dolly...thanks for sharing...that's a lot of hair...I'd flip the wig too when I get to that point...if not earlier...it's getting warmer and warmer here...oh, yeah...mine's way grayer than pre-chemo and shorter on the top too...grrrr....
Debonthelake...your SIL will be in my prayers...
Genia...sorry to hear you're having a terrible time...hope you feel better soon...
Take care all...
-
Genia, hang in there. I have been taking Advil for the pain and it's also an anti-inflammatory which helps the swelling/redness.
American: the blistering is only on about 1-1/2" of the skin on my side, just below my armpit. Of course it would be in an area that got rubbed, right? It's tolerable, believe me.
I'm not quite 8 weeks out from taxotere, and my hair is about as long as Deb's. I'm not ready to flip the wig in public, but it's been gone around the house for a few weeks now. Funny that I have sideburns that are about 3/4" long but the hair on top and in the back is barely fuzz in spots.
Eyebrows are about 10 hairs each, and same with the eyelashes. Can't really see too much without a magnifying glass. Still no underarm or leg hair. But OH the chin hair!!! What's THAT about???
-
Kathy - that's what I'm looking forward to the most!!! Regular deodorant!! I'm going grocery shopping today and am stocking up on my old brand, and the minute I'm done on Friday, I'm going to enjoy being perspiration (and stink) free!!
Genia, so sorry you are still struggling with the skin issues!
I hope you can get some relief from the pain - I sort of understand where you are - the skin on the side of my breast now that I am done with the main treatments is VERY irrirated, reddish brown and looks horrible. I'm just shocked it hung on till the end, but now it is so uncomfortable I can't have anything rubbing or touching it, and forget laying on that side for long. My rad onc offered me pain pills, which I declined. I'm sure they would call something in for you. You are almost finished!!Debonthelake - thinking of you and your family - hope your SIL is going to be okay.
Cindy, the hairy fairy missed my house too. Maybe we can go on a hunt? Either that, or we're the baldie twins. I'm getting some in, but not compared to these beautiful heads of hair here!!
-
Genia: Sorry to hear you are in such pain. It will get better. Just takes time. Having some issues with the skin myself now. Peeling some in the armpit. Ouch!!! Very tender in the crease under the boob. Hopefully it will clear up this weekend.
Sounds like all nearing the end is doing well. Will be right behind you.
Have a good weekend!
-
NO RADIATION TODAY!!!!!!!! Had a good time last night with my brother and SIL and of course DH. She just had quadruple bypass surgery two weeks ago and is doing pretty well. These bodies can sure take some abuse huh?
I am halfway and have no real redness but internal soreness and nipple tenderness. I have not worn a bra since I started maybe thats why the nip is sore,
Genia damn girl! I hope that you get the pain under control. Maybe just rest and read a good book to pass the time and heal.
Seven Graduates next week. WOW life after cancer begins!!!!!! Hope everyone is planning some great parties. This for the most part is a pretty happy thread. I mean its not like our chemo threads. Remember UGGGGGG! I might be cocky because I have not had skin issues yet. I hope that I sail through it. Stranger things have happened.
Have a wonderful weekend. I am going to clear some stuff out of the garage to make room for the car again. DH mad he couldn't put the car in last night and it rained. BOOHOOO!
He has been patient with me and getting stuff done. I start things then wear out. I will use my big brown eyes and bald head to make him feel sorry for me. 
-
Morning Ladies...
Had to pop in and see what's going on....woke up this morning and I think the Hair Fairy is too busy to stop by my house...
You have to laugh at this....My DH and I were invited to our friends house for a BBQ last night...I made some tri-tip kabobs to take ...yummy...(strung with veggies - zuchinni, mushrooms, bell peppers and red onions)...it was hot here yesterday and the kitchen was even hotter...so we were getting ready and we jammed into the car to go over to their house. I drove as I am a faster driver than my DH so as we were driving over...my husband looks at me and says..."where's your eyebrow?" I looked at him and said "what?" he repeated....and I looked in the rear view mirror and GASPED.....
holly crap..I was working so hard getting those beautiful kabobs done and being hot in the kitchen I must have wiped off one of my eyebrows...GEEZE...When we got there I quickly asked my friend to use her eyebrow pencil...Next time before I leave I will look in the mirror...you know I never had to worry about these things before...Dolly...that's right Britney does have hair extentions...but remember when she shaved her head and then the next day she was long and blonde again...geeze....she must have paid the Hair Fairy lots of money to get that look...LOL
Debonthe lake..our prayers are with your SIL and hope that everything works out for her...
Genia...girl..I am red and sore too...I can't put enough cream or patches on to ease the pain. I take Advil every 6 hours...and BRA LESS and letting the girls all hang out...Hang in there with me...we will get through this...You and I will be done on the same day...just think only 7 more to go...and we can then start to heal...
Happy RAD FREE Saturday Radettes.....
-
omg! cruise......you just set me off on a laughing fit! LOL! DH asked why I was laughing so hard. I told him and I ended up with the hiccups!
oh my......we have to laugh at some of these things or we'll cry!
-
My hair is starting to grow but my eyebrows are coming out. There are very short light colored eyebrows coming in but the dark long ones are shedding. I guess I'm going to have to buy an eye brow pencil. That is one little make-up trick that will be new for me. Sigh..................
DH and I did make it out on the Lake this morning in the Kayak. It's only the second time we've been able to go but it was so nice. I harvested beats today and I'm in the process of making pickled beets. I just finished a bowl of pintos and a bowl of beet greens. Yum. I love fresh eating in the summer, especially when it is out of the garden.
-
my husband was treated at City of hope..we drove from south orange county every day altho they have cottages....they are awesome!!! Everyone from the minute you walk in the door is so helpful. Things are done with incredible efficiency. I am a health care professional and if I lived closer I would work there. Having all the information helps them make the best recommendations and decisions for your treatment. They have the latest and greatest as far as equipment which is untrue of many institutions that you would expect to have the same. best wishes.
-
Hi medrith I am being treated at City of Hope for my Radiation. One of my friends works as a speech pathologist there a well. It is a lovely facility.
-
Bold, I had planned all along to have a big shindig when I finished treatment. But now that it's here, I'm so exhausted that the thought of having a bunch of people at the house is pretty overwhelming. I think DH and I will have a quiet celebration.
-
Cheers to quiet celebrations. Hang in there Ivory Mom. We have to be real with ourselves sometimes.
-
Quite is wonderful. TEX: You have had a ruff road do what you want when you want it. I know that the road is not over it is just going to move to another aspect of treatment. I think the treatment that is up to me is going to be the hardest. diet and exercise. I do not want to fail myself. But this is not happy thoughts. I will do it and with grace and I will reap the rewards of my efforts. Have a wonderful time with DH. He has been through a lot too.
-
I was just thinking about that this morning Bold. My diet has been pretty much "spot on" for a long time. I have been heavily into good nutrition and eating healthfully for more than 20 years. Pre-diagnosis, I was exercising about 3 hours a week. That needs to get bumped up to 4 hours according to that study that showed the 37% reduction in recurrence risk from exercise.
The other area I'll be diligent about is household toxins such as cleaners, weed killers etc. We live in the country, and I work from home, so my exposure to city air is limited.
The hormone blockers and regular exams round out my list of precautions.
I can't believe I'm at the point where all this stuff becomes my only safety net.
-
Cruise-I almost choked on my pretzel, I was laughing so hard. My daughter came down and asked me why I was cackling. I draw on my eyebrows-so ready for the new ones to come in. No signs of much else. I do have gray hair on the sides and darker hair on the top of my head. I went away for the weekend and a guy at the gas station called me "sir". Ack!!!! Hair extensions here we come!!!!
-
Bold & Texas - I need to get on the diet/exercise program too! I was actually really good till I started chemo and haven't gotten back to it yet. I did, however, walk almost daily during chemo (3-5 miles). But, I haven't walked much since starting rads....I haven't wanted to be out in the blazing sun! How can we keep ourselves accountable? Should we check in here? or start a new thread focusing on diet/exercise?
Jess - ok....I lost it with Cruise' story last night. Now, I'm laughing (with you) at yours! Yikes! I'm afraid the same can happen to me! I've been wearing EARRINGS every day to make sure I look like a girl! oh, and be sure to paint your nails. How sad, that those are the 2 most girly things about me right now LOL!
-
oh....it's finally happening. i have one more regular treatment left tomorrow. just last night, the RED skin at my collarbone started PEELING. same thing under my arm. OUCH! should I call the on-call rad dr. to get silvadane or whatever people are using? or just stick with aloe and aquafor until tomorrow when I can get a prescription?
Surely I can manage one more treatment! Then, starting Tuesday, I'll do the boosts. Chime in if you've done boosts. Are they more intense since they are in a small area?
thanks!
Lisa -
Lisa, Ouch!! Sorry you are peeling so badly! If your appt is early in the day, you can try to stick it out, but keep your skin moist. If you are like me and late in the day, you might want to give them a call and see what they recommend, especially if the silvadine (or however you spell it) would help before your treatment. I hope you can make it through the last one!!
I started boosts on Thursday, and have 5 more and then I am done, and boy is it so much better and less invasive than the regular tx!! I swear it takes as long to get it set up, but it is a one shot treatment, only a few seconds, and then you are done. I have not noticed any redness (it's hard to tell, I'm still pretty pink/deep tan, and developed blisters on my last day of regular tx) across the scar. I can tell the tenderness in my breast area is not as bad as it was, but I have been hit with severe fatigue #2 today, all of a sudden, like on Wednesday. Bam! All of a sudden, I'm reading a book and realize I've just jolted awake. The rad onc nurse said it comes in waves. She wasn't kidding! Good thing I wasn't driving!
-
OWEEEE! lisa I am so sorry. I would use the aloe and aquafor till tomorrow. Thats just my opinion. I would also take advil for inflammation. Peeling is different than blisters. or open sores. You are doing so well I hope to do as well as you. I hope you feel better soon. Don't forget that your walk and heart are all woman. Didn't Cruise start diet and exercise thread? I know that I am going to have to do it like the starting of the next phase of treatment. With the seriousness and the commitment it entails. I am not sure what my final decision is with hormone therapy. Being 2% ER+ is in such a gray area of effectiveness and then when you consider the potential SE it makes it more complicated. But I think with a good diet and exercise program and certim supplements that I am now researching, I might be able to match the potential for estrogen management. I am now after chemo in full menopause. I am getting hot flashes every 40 mins or so. OH BOY!!!!! I had already gone through a very harsh what I thought was menopause 6 years ago. I was surprised when I heard that I was on the cusp. (peri) Now my SFH is in the over the hill bracket. I have three weeks to make my choice. I am going to go to the hormone thread and see if I can muster any support. I need an expert maybe a alternative and endocrinologist may have interesting takes.
-
lisalisa: I'm peeling also but just under the arm. I said something to the techs about it Friday. I was told only to use the aloe vera and no creams. I have kept putting aloe vera on all weekend just to keep it moist and not dry out.
-
Cruise did start a weight watchers thread. But, I really like you ladies. Either join that thread or lets set up a new one. Diet and exercise are our only safety nets now we need each others support. After this radiation I'm dropping another 5 pounds. I want to get the BMI down to 21 that's about another 5 pounds down. This summer my exercise has been really good close to an hour every day. The challenge is going to be when I add work back to my schedule. I'll need someone kicking my butt to keep me active after working all day.
-
I'm all for keeping up with this thread.
I subscribed to a free magazine called CURE and just got the first issue. In it, they talk about the 30-40 mins of exercise recommended. But they added that if you're too fatigued to do that much, aim for 10 minutes a day and build on that.
-
About the peeling, mine started Friday night. I've got an 8 a.m. rad appointment in the morning but I don't see the doctor until Tuesday morning after my last treatment. They won't make me stop treatment, will they?
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team