SEPTEMBER 2009 RADS

Christy - CONGRATULATIONS! I am right behind you. It is wonderful for you to have completed this challenge. GOOD FOR YOU!

Way to go Christy...now go out and party!   Like Pam said..it is wonderful to hear about everyone finishing up...we can do this...we have faced the anguish of finding out about our cancers, we have been together since, chemo, now rads....what hell we have been through these past 6-8 months..but we have come out of this....and it seems like we are stronger for it...if there is anything good about freaking breast cancer it is the friendships we have made and the support we have given each other through this....we have all listened to each other freaking out and been there.....thank God for BCO..to give us a chance to whine, complain, celebrate with each other...because ...even though we may have caring, supportive people with us..they really can't comprehend what we have gone through,,emotionally...it is so nice to come here and say whatever I want and know that I will get support ..now matter how much I freak...huge hugs to you all...we couldn't have done this without each other...ok..get out the violin...BUT I FREAKING MEAN IT!

Congrats to everyone--Christy I think back and think you and I were in the grey area and both decided to go ahead with rads--now you are done and I am almost done--whew!!!  Titan you said it all--I keep telling people I meet about BCO so many havent heard about it--and I cant emphasize enough how much it has meant to me-- 

Today I had my mapping for my boosts--5 to go but when they marked the area (I had a mastectomy not a lumptectomy so no breast tissue left and the implant is a little deflated  so hard to see the original anatomy) it looked a little too far over--I told my  rad doc and said the Plastic surgeon had pre pics would that help--he was really nice about it and agreed with my concern so off I went to the PS to pic up pics--then back to the rad onc-- he said if it was off too much we would have to remap and not do rads tomorrow--yuck i was so hoping to be done on the 15th but guess better to check it out-- well gotta go put my cold compresses on --tried the mil but it was sticky and yucky so passed on that might try the vinegar but in the meantime the cold compresses seem to be pulling the heat out--hang in everyone--Laura

I've been very fortunate in that my BCBS PPO insurance is paying 100% of their covered charges for all of my radiation, since my treated facility is a PPO provider--& I've already met my deductible for the year. So far I've only gotten one bill from the rad onc for the preradiation consult. I was only required to pay 10% of the covered amount. Even with having really good insurance, though, the bills have been high through all of this process since June.

elimar--Thanks for reassuring me that I might not have to live forever with this ugly brown areola.

Titan--Lunch sounds fantastic after next Wed. when we finish. How far do you live from the NW NC mountains???

Christy--Contrats on getting this hurdle over with! I'm just jealous that you had a bell to ring.

My DH & I got our flu shots on Tues. I've gotten them for years, because I've always felt like it was better to try to prevent something than try to heal it once you got it. Am planning on getting the H1N1, also, when it becomes available in our area. I got the swine flu vaccine back in 1976, & was apparently very fortunate that I didn't have any negative SE's. Seem to remember that they pulled it not long after I got it.

"Tha Tha-Tha That's All, Folks!"

I'm done, finito, finished with Rads.  I'd like to say it wasn't so bad, but there is no way I'll ever call that freakishly un-natural activity anything but bad.  Like dentists, but worse.  Don't get me wrong, the staff were all super nice.  I took them some muffins.  The treatment went quick, and then I was off that table with a side aerial flip.  The judges in my mind scored the dismount with 10, 10 and 9.5.  I skipped out to the lobby, RANG THE BELL like the building was on fire.  Then, as pre-planned, my sheet music of "The Merry Go Round Broke Down" (more widely known as the LOONEY TUNES theme) was played by the lobby pianist.  More skipping ensued.  (They had warned me that cartwheels were a liability!)  My check-in swipe card was flung heavenward, as I closed with the immortalized lines, "Tha Tha-Tha That's All, Folks!"

*The side aerial is fictional; the skipping all true.

Woohooo Elimar!!! Congratulations!!

More congrats to all those who finished this week--looks like it is another 5 days for me--didnt  have treatment today cause they remapped me-- just over a 1/2 inch just to make sure the area was correct--not sure since ( as above) my boob just aint what it used to be but since they remapped they have to wait until monday--so instead of  next thurs  it will be next fri--I know iit is just one more day but as you all know that one more means a lot to us counting down--forgot to call my med. onc about flu shots now have to wait till monday--did some errands this afternoon and lunch and even though didnt have rads got really really tired--slept for 2 hours--back to my creams and my compresses--have a great weekend everyone and those that are done, continue to celebrate--wish we all could meet for lunch--come to northern california and we would have a real celebration--but not until next week--hang in all--Laura 

AMY IS STRONG - and Amy is done!!!  Congratulations!!!!  I know what you mean about being emotional, when I finished I cried all the way home.  Don't quite get that, but seems like it happens to most all of us.  Good luck on the Tomox.  Haven't started mine yet.  Getting my estrogen level checked first.  I mean, I am way postmenopausal and have no ovaries.  I'm asking the doctor to do it.  He didn't suggest it.

Congratulation Amy and Elimar; without knowing it, you've each been a great help to me.

And maybe I'm being too "glass half full"-ish but my guess is that a good part of the last rads tears is simply cathartic. I mean, we've had to hold it together and be strong through so much; allowing any tears was always dangerous for fear that we couldn't get them to stop, And now as each of us hits the finish line, we can breathe a sigh of relief and have a very over due cry about everything.

Titan, When you're heading down I-77 & see the exit for Hwy 421N to Boone (home of Appalachian State University-3 X back-to-back Southern Conference football champions-yea!!!), think of me. We're about an hour away from where I-77 meets with Hwy 421; it also takes us about an hour to get to Hickory via Hwy 321. Boy, do I ever envy you going to Myrtle Beach! I so badly want to go to the beach to celebrate finishing rads. Am hoping to get to go sometime in Nov. My brother-in-law has a beautiful condo on the Atlantic in New Smyrna Beach, FL, & we're planning on going down for a week. Sure hope the weather is gorgeous for both of us! Enjoy your trip--& good luck with your final 3 rads!!!

I have to agree with nas14 about the humbling.  I too only had lumpectomy (times 2), radiation and then Tamoxifen for 5 years.  It seems like not much when compared with a lot of the people on this page. 

About the chemo...definitely glad I didn't have to join that group. When my OncotypeDX came back with a 28, I was SO worried till the onc said after looking at everything he felt comfortable recommending just rads & Femara. Whew...big time!!! I just know that these rads have fried my C's butt...no more worries! (Fingers crossed!)