I'm in the Gray Zone for Radiaton Therapy - anyone else?

I had a Bil MX in June, just finished chemo Sept 30th, my exchange scheduled for Nov 12th and an initial consult with the Rad Onc on Nov 2nd...I so want to be done with all this...

I have been told by my onc if it were not for the Her2+++ I would have been able to avoid chemo, but in order to get Herception, I had to to do chemo.   I am only 10-20% ER + but all research I have done and based on onc's recommendation I will be starting Tamoxifen as well. 

I had one small margin, near the skin just below the nipple that was very 'thin' .5mm, everything else was 1 mm to 3 cm clear  - I no longer have that nipple or any nipples for that matter but I am still meeting with the Rads onc because I do not want to look back and say 'I should have at least asked about Rads". 

I am really struggling with the pure thought of rad's - both for the possible SE's and cosmetically.  Am I being vain?? I am 38 and I really just want to move on with life the best I can.   I tolerated surgery and chemo well, am in chemical menopause and most likely will stay there with the Tamoxifen... I will never be the 'same' person I was before my dx but I really want a quality of life as well...

Has anyone had rads AFTER exchange?

To sharon 51: You say the rads hit your esophogus, can you tell me please how you knew this and what was the outcome? I am having a problem with swallowing since rads and am concerned.

SVZ - I am in a similar situation except I had no lymphatic invasion. When I was first planning my tx options my BS and Onc kept saying I was in the "grey" for rads but the way they said it led me to believe rads really weren't in my future.  Because of my HER2 + status I had 4 rounds of T/C chemo + Herceptin (Herceptin to continue until Aug 2010).   I met with the RO because I wanted to make sure I had all my options and Rads were recommended.  After careful consideration and lots of praying I have decided not to do radiation, but that is what is right for me.  

Most PS do not like to do exchanges until after rads because of the risk of CC...I haven't heard of having to deflate a TE for Rads but maybe someone else will come along with more info.

Wishing you peace in what your decision is.

I am also in the grey zone.  I have had one opinion from a RO who says he is on the fence. He said he was 65% against 45% for. I have another appt with a different RO in two weeks.  I did just see the ASTRO study was presented at a Radiation conference in Oct.  The study looked at radiation therapy following a mastectomy in patients 1-3 pos nodes.  Basically it determined that if the patient had any of the following then radiation would be recommended.....

*ER/PR-, lymph vascular invasion, two or three pos lymph nodes, extracapsular extension of the pos lymph nodes, Grade 3 tumor. 

It showed 5 year recurrence if 0-1 of the above met were 3.8%.  If two or more of the above were present then 15.2%.  The study was small. 271 patients or something like that, so will see what the next RO states. My 1st RO appt was prior to the study results.  Good luck everyone in making your decisions.