SEPTEMBER 2009 RADS

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited October 2009

    I have a bad cold now too, so don't know how much tiredness is left over from my rads.  It is the worst cold (and week long sore throat) I have had in the last ten years, so I guess the rads must have taken some of the fight out of me.

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  • lollys
    lollys Member Posts: 205
    edited October 2009

    Nas and Peg119--THank You  for your posts--I have been stressing all night that I am the worst friend--My friends have been there for me during this whole BC thing and I am feeling like they think I cant even push myself to support them--I need to get over it--my DH wont even discuss it with me--so your post really helped--Thanks for letting me vent, again!!

    aris and elimar hope you feel better--chicken soup!!

    Have a good weekend--stay strong--Laura 

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  • nas14
    nas14 Member Posts: 68
    edited October 2009
    Pam and elimar - Hope your colds get better soon! No fun at all.
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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited October 2009
    Thanks!   I am a tea-a-holic, so been drinking lots of tea with honey and that is soothing.  On the other hand, it's my boy's final weeks of Varsity Soccer, so I still had to cheer and holler just a little.  I am my own worst enemy sometimes.  Tongue out
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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited October 2009

    tsotis....Very well said!!

    Lollys...I don't blame you one bit. You HAVE to think of yourself and your health right now.

    Elimar...I hope you feel better soon!

    It's been 2 weeks since my last rad and I am still burned. I went back in to the rad onc today, he wants to see me on a weekly basis. Then, I found out that he is leaving in November! So, that means I first lost my onco (he left for personal reasons)  and now my radiologist!!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2009

    tsotis - congratulations on finishing  andI love your quote "mutilated, posioned and burned' !

    lollys - this is the time to put yourself first - I'm sure your friend and their father understand

    Pam and Elimar - hope your colds go away fast

    Betsy - have a good weekend!

    ccbaby - sorry you are still burned and even sorrier that you have lost your onc and radiologist.  I am glad that they want to see you weekly until this gets better.

    I am a week out and the pain is much less.  My skin is peeling and still burned, but not blistered so I think I am healing pretty well.

     I can actually wear a bra now, so should start exercising - I have gained 10 pounds thru chemo and rads.  Fun.

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  • nas14
    nas14 Member Posts: 68
    edited October 2009
    Christy - Sorry to hear you're still having such skin issues. Then to hear you're going to lose yet another dr with whom you've developed a relationship has to be quite a blow. I feel so lucky that the only area that really burned on me was under the breast. Over the last few weeks it has been pretty painful; but with the religious use of Silavdene twice a day & using nonadherent Telfa pads to prevent raw skin from rubbing on each other, it is almost healed. I'm still wearing the soft sports bras that fasten in the front, as my breast is still tender. Anyway, hope your skin problems are resolved soon.
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  • MTG
    MTG Member Posts: 646
    edited October 2009

    Christy - It may be just my crazy family but when I doctor we really love changes hospitals, we change with them. Most of the time the transition is just to another nearby facility. But hey, my niece flies to California twice a year to keep her doc who moved from the east coast. It may at least be worthwhile asking where your oncs are going.

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  • aris
    aris Member Posts: 124
    edited October 2009

    Okay so my skin is starting to break down. Under my very saggy breast, it's red and hurts. I've put aloe and that seems to take the pain down a bit, and I've also started using aquaphor on it. Does anyone else have any other suggestions? I see my rad onc on Monday so I can ask him, but I know you all know so much more!  I have only 2 more boosts to go, so I'm thankful that I'm almost done, but I can tell that the skin irritation will last for a few weeks post rads ending.

    Pam

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  • lollys
    lollys Member Posts: 205
    edited October 2009

    aris--ask for a Rx for silvadene or stuff called Amerigel --it really helped by skin--it is used for wound ulcers and first and second degree burns!! I dont think most docs know about it but my husband did and I told my rad.onc I was using it and she felt my skin was looking good even 5 days after treatment--before i started using it my skin was peeling and had some red spots --also hydrocortisone but mostly the silvadene or Amerigel!!hope that helps --for anyone out there with increased burns of 1-2 degree I think Amerigel worked gread for me--

    enjoy the weekend--I am off on a 3 hour drive to sacramento to see family--willl probably sleep in the car--  

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  • echosalvaje
    echosalvaje Member Posts: 191
    edited October 2009

    Hey Aris, I've had the same thing this week. All this time the Rad Onc kept telling me how great my skin was doing. I wasn't having any fatigue.....I think because I kept feeling better and better from being now 8 weeks past chemo. Anyway, last Tuesday I woke up and my skin had broken open under the armpit and bled all over and now it is constantly seeping. He prescribed silvadene for the skin and also told me to take the left over percoset or vicoden from when I had the bilat-mast. For the past few days I only wear a shawl because the cloth from shirts peel away the skin every time I move. I am grateful though that I don't have the dilemma of bras that I've read on this post as being very problematic as the skin breaks down.

    It's such a shame to start feeling really good and then have another element of this process slap you down. I finish on Wed. thank Goddess. I know that a couple of weeks from now we will look back on this and be glad we did all we could do to fight this monster, but for now it still totally sucks. Good luck to you and congrats for finishing this week.

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  • nas14
    nas14 Member Posts: 68
    edited October 2009
    Pam (aris) - About 3 weeks ago, the skin under my large, very saggy boob started blistering, peeling & oozing. My rad onc prescribed Silvadene & told me to apply twice a day & to get some nonadherent Telfa pads so that raw skin wasn't rubbing against each other. I kept my sports bra on 24/7 during this period except for rads, which helped to keep the pads in place. For me, this worked really well, & I noticed just yesterday that the open burns have healed. My rad onc also recommends her larger-breasted women massage the radiated breast several x a day for several weeks after rads. I'm doing it, but for the life of me, I can't remember the reason for it--even though it's only been 1-1/2 wks since she told me. Brain fart!
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  • MTG
    MTG Member Posts: 646
    edited October 2009

    Okay, only 6 more treatments to go !!! Horray !!! HOWEVER, a few of those itchy, little bumps/ blisters began to appear last week and last night invited lots of friends to the party. I've noticed that when I put on lotion -no matter what lotion: calendula, aloe, aquaphor, cortizone, etc - the bumps and itchiness get WORSE. So I wash it off with Cetaphil Gentle and feel much better. Now, here's my question: how bad is it if I stop using lotions for the rest of rads ? I dont want to be short sighted about things and trade a small short term inconvenience for a long term problem. Has anyone gone off lotions completely or perhaps not used anything ?

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited October 2009

    On the October Rads thread, some of the women were using the vinegar solution on a washcloth and just letting it soak a while.  They said it was very soothing as far as the burn goes and their skin was holding up just fine too.  (It restores the natural acid that would be on your surface skin, and that your skin is too zapped to be making on it's own right now.)   Look on that thread for the proper ratio, but I think it was 1 part apple cider vinegar to 10 parts water.

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  • MTG
    MTG Member Posts: 646
    edited October 2009

    Eliminar - Not 100% certain you're answering my question vs. Aris' or someone elses but in any case, I'm smiling from ear to ear. I'm the one who started the vinegar solution thing. It does work and I hope it catches on. I use a 1 to 9 solution which is  10%  APC but it's certainly not an exact science. I'm just wondering if skipping moisturizer completely will somehow have a downside.

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  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 985
    edited October 2009
    MTG...has your doc prescribed Silvadene for you? That is what you need to start using now .
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  • MTG
    MTG Member Posts: 646
    edited October 2009

    Seeing her on Wednesday and can ask about it then. But now, I'm really wondering; does that means that these bumps will open up vs. just fading away ?

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  • aris
    aris Member Posts: 124
    edited October 2009

    Okay, so I'm seeing my doctor tomorrow and will get his advice about the red area under my breast. Where can I get telfa pads? At the regular pharmacy? Only 2 more to go for me.

     Pam

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  • nas14
    nas14 Member Posts: 68
    edited October 2009
    Pam - I'm not sure if all of the pharmacies carry the nonadherent Telfa pads. I got mine at a pharmacy near our hospital that carries all kinds of medical equipment & supplies that none of the rest of our drug stores carry. The ones I got are 3 in x 8 in. That size fit under my breast just right when the whole area was affected. Then when it healed further, I started cutting them down. I got 14 of them @ $0.39 ea & only have one left. I was able to use only 1 bandage a day. It's healed now, so I figured pretty good.
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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited October 2009

    I'm back from the beach ladies..glad to see you are still talking..and healing!  I went braless all week..me..Miss prude..it felt good....I had some skin where the boosters were that was about to break through...but it is healing fine now...it was nice to go braless....but...didn't like the sag effect...oh well...guess that is to be expected at 50!  ..perky does not last forever..

    Took my hat off at the beach a couple of times...a couple of people stared..figured they either had breast cancer or knew someone who did...right now my hair just looks like a boy's cut...even my daughter said it is looking pretty good....2 more weeks...getting it colored (to get rid of some of the gray)....and then hopefully I will be ready.

    Do you all have to see the rad onc again?  I have to see him in 2 more weeks, plus have a mammogram on both breast in 2 weeks, then see the breast surgeon, then in Dec. I see the regular onc!    It sure would be nice to NEVER GO BACK..but realize we can't do that.

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  • peg119
    peg119 Member Posts: 281
    edited October 2009

    aris - I just bought non stick pads at the pharmacy section of Target, Meijers or the regular grocery store.  They seem to work pretty good.

    titan - welcome back.  I was told I have to see my rad-onc every 6 months and my onc every 3 months.  Have a mammogram in April which will be 6 months since completed rads.

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  • nas14
    nas14 Member Posts: 68
    edited October 2009

    Hey, Titan! Welcome back! Glad you had a good time at the beach. I can't wait till a week from Thurs. when we head to New Smyrna Beach, FL for about 10 days. Am praying for warm & sunny. They've been having it very hot for a while & know they'd like to see some cooler weather, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will at least be in the 70's or low 80's while we're there. Did you hear my shout out when you passed the exit for 421 when you went through?

    I go back to the rad onc on the Tues. b/4 Thanksgiving & to the med onc for a 3-mo follow up on 1/5. Don't know what's in store after that.

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  • kawee
    kawee Member Posts: 324
    edited October 2009

    MTG - I had alot of those "little red bumps".  I know what you mean about when you put something on them they itch.  I found that it's from rubbing them, not the medicine itself.  The Rad Onco told me to use cortizone.  I did (the prescription stuff) and it itched for a few minutes, but then stopped.  The cortizone did help.  I put it on twice a day.

    Just got back from the high sierras.  We took our motorhome up and went fishing.  We were walking thru ankle deep snow to get to the lake we wanted.  My husband was walking slightly ahead of me, blazing the trail, and I kept saying "this is not girl fishing".  Anyway we got there and I got 3 fish, he caught none that day, poor guy, but then caught some in the streams the next day.  I just stayed in the motorhome and rested.  I was pooped.  I did fairly well, and it's only been 3 weeks.  So, ta dah, I'm coming  back!!!! 

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  • MTG
    MTG Member Posts: 646
    edited October 2009
    Kawee - Wow !!!! Ankle deep snow and then fishing ????? You're quite the outdoorswoman, whether it's 3 weeks after rads or anytime. And I loved the fishing triumph. Chalk one up for us girls !....BTW,  thanks for the advice re bumps; I'll experiment tomorrow. .
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  • MTG
    MTG Member Posts: 646
    edited October 2009

    Kawee - The radiation nurse said I needed to keep moistuizing, esp since boosts start tomorrow so I sucked it up, slathered my self up - and you were right - the itching stopped and the bumps receded quite a bit.  So back to my personal standard of care - being greased up and smelling faintly (I hope) of vinegar !

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  • kawee
    kawee Member Posts: 324
    edited October 2009

    MTG - Not to brag, but did I mention it was at 9600 feet?  I'm used to sea level.  But, I have to admit, I'm still pooped.

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  • MTG
    MTG Member Posts: 646
    edited October 2009
    Kawee - Damn ! You've earned the right to brag.
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  • lollys
    lollys Member Posts: 205
    edited October 2009

    MTG--and dont stop lathering after rads--need to do it for a week or two after as we keep cooking!! good luck on your last couple of treatments-

    Kawee I am impressed youcould get up to 9600 feet I have been avoiding tahoe cause I have been afraid of the altitude and Oxygen but guess you did fine--good to know --missed Tahoe this summer my favorite place--but hopefully soon!! good for you !! Laura 

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  • MTG
    MTG Member Posts: 646
    edited October 2009

    Lollys - Thanks for the reminder. As for Tahoe, I bet you'll enjoy it all the more next summer !

    The thing about this trip we're on, is that, I suspect, most of us simply missed Summer itself. It seems like it was May and then suddenly we're almost at November. I'm left wondering what happened to those 5 months. And then I think of my friends and realize they're wondering what happened to the last 12 or 15 months. But, the good news: there's a light at the end of the tunnel !

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  • Titan
    Titan Member Posts: 2,956
    edited October 2009

    Oh yes..Nancy..I yelled HEY to you on the way to Myrtle Beach!  I was thinking about you the whole time going down 77....Fancy Gap was fine on the way there..on the way back we were in total fog and we hydroplaned!  My DH was freaking but I wasn't...I was like heck...I've been through cancer and all the treatments..what's a little hydroplaning?  

    I have a bilateral diagnostic mammo on Monday...freaking a little and I hate to say this out loud...but I think, hope, pray that it will be OK....I have a good feeling about it...but you never know..I actually WANT to have it done...just to know, hope, pray..that everything is ok...then I see the BS on Thursday to go over the mammogram and just to check me out...it has been nice not having to go to to have any treatments or see any doctors for the past couple of weeks...oh well....after this..not scheduled to see the cancer onc until Dec. 1...

    Nancy..have a wonderful time in Fla..you will..it is just soooo nice to get away and just be yourself....we had a wonderful time and I'm just trying to hang on to that feeling of being...ok..here I go...FREAKING normal!

    Kawee..kudos to you for ice fishing!  I bet it was fun...but....I was on a pier with people fishing with just t-shirt and shorts..no snow for me...that will be coming soon here in Ohio....!!!

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