SEPTEMBER 2009 RADS

Kawee - Let's see: You're the one dealing with BC. You went along for a crazy ass vacation. And yet it's your husband who totally deserves it.........THAT IS SO SWEET ! Just the idea that you feel that way makes me smile from each to ear. (I confess, I'm a romantic.) He must really be special and I suspect so are you. Nice.

I'm done!!!!!

 I finished yesterday. I have some blistering and redness under my breast and on my node site, but aside from that I'm doing great. Oh, and I'm pretty tired.  I'm so so so happy not to have to go back to the rads clinic. It was a bit anticlimactic today because I had to go for my herceptin dose, so I still had to go to the hospital, but my days are open wide now!

I. AM.  SO.  HAPPY!!!!!

Pam

Looks like everyone is finishing how exciting for all of us --PHEWWW we did it--congrats to us all!!

I have a question--I know most of you have had lumpectomies but if there is anyone out there who have had double mastectomies   please let me know what your doc. said about follow up tests--Mine said statistics show it doesnt matter if you do  or dont do chest x-rays or bone scans yearly --the outcomes are the same--but he said he would do them as a psychological treatment for me to make me feel better about it--He quoted statistics and articles etc. but I dont know --I am going to have them yearly (for ME) I even asked for a baseline chest x-ray after the rads just incase there might be some changes from that around the lung area--I guess we are left out there to fend on our own a little since we dont need mammagrams anymore --guess pray for the best--

I start arimedex this week ( maybe tonite if I get my courage up ) wish me luck!!

stay strong all--Laura 

Yay Pam!   You are almost at the finish line Aris...just hop over that line.or do a cartwheel..whatever it takes.

Echo...you brought tears to my eyes with your post...this is exactly what my onc said too about the scans, symptoms, etc.....I guess you really have to get to know your body...I have also heard that if a pain lasts more than 2 weeks then you had better get it checked out...I don't know about you but I'm a klutz and always running into things and bumping things..then a bruise shows and I wonder how in the heck I got that because I CAN'T REMEMBER DOING ANYTHING!  (chemo?)...anyway..I just watch and hope the bumps, bruises,pains go away.

Time to party now!  I just can't believe we are all done or almost done with this mess...Back in the spring I thought that it would take forever...and now here we are!  Yay!

Echo you brought me to tears  with your saying too!!! __I am going to remember that one YOu are right we have to get on with our life and I agree easier said than do -- I keep on thinking of all the things I want to do now-- more trips to see my grandchildren--more time spent doing the things that are important to us -- worry less about the small stuff-- still feels weird to be done--Thanks  for the info from your onc--mine said the same thing so as the saying goes--it is what it is!!! we have done what we can and now lets get on with it!!!

TItan-- Thanks for your info too about the follow up--

  I am thinking of back in February and wondering "Now where  was I when I was so rudely interrupted!!!"  Hugs to everyone we will stay strong, Laura

ECHO and ARIS - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!  What a relief.  You're free!!!!

MTG - You're next!!!!!!!!!

I saw the onco today, and was I disappointed.  Even tho my estrogen level is 0, he says I still need to take the tamoxifen.  He said there are still traces that remain that don't show up in the blood.  Oh, well.  It was a nice try anyway. 

hey Rozzy, yes, my skin was fine up until #26 then I started to get oozey under the armpit. That's when they prescribed Silvadene. It's just a bad area because your clothes and arm are constantly pulling away the crusty bits and it gets more raw and irritated. I've read in other posts that many women that still have breasts have the same dilemma underneath in the crease. I guess I can say one of the perks of no longer having breasts is that I don't have to agonize over what bra is less painful to wear as the skin breaks down.

My doc said to let plenty of air get to it so I've been wandering around the house shirtless with my arm up looking a bit like a pelican airing out on the end of the dock. Keep putting the medication on. It's a slow process but just one more that we will overcome 

Hi Kawee and MTG I am going to chime in here abut Arimidex and Tamoxifen--I was under the impression that ARimidex is for postmenopausal women--if that includes you the info I got was that it was better than Tamox BUT--there are side effects with both -- a lot with each --tamox has been around a lot longer-- tomax makes your body think it still has estrogen ( that is why there is endometrial thickening and risks of uterine cancer --and some other side effects--Arimedex actually binds the estrogen( not exactly the mechanism but if you look on the arimedex site it does explain it in more detail) anyway your liver and adrenal glands still produce some estrogen --arimidex prevents that and so we will not have any estrogen floating around--so there are side effects from that too-- bone and joint pain osteoporosis weight gain and from i have read which is scarring the daylights out of me other  SE's too--I was supposed to start on ARimidex last night and i got freaked so I will start tonite--My doc said if I get too many SE's he will change to another type of med--A women in my exercise class has been on arimidex and except for minor joint pain she is doing fine--I also have to start on Fosomax to prevent osteoporosis--For someone who has been very active(runner Pilates etc) and would only take a tylenol once in a great while this is freaking me out--I dont know why your doc is is suggesting Tamox over Arimidex but maybe he is more comfortable with the old drug and has seen a lot of SE's with ARimidex--it would be worth asking him that !!! Another #@$%-ing decision-- I want to live long with Quality -- I dont want to worry any more --will let lyou knowwhat happens once i start on this 

hope this helps and doesnt freak anyone else out--Laura 

Laura - I'm pre- menopausal but one med onc suggested Ovarian Suppression (Lupron) and an AI rather than tamox. I truly respect her intelligence but she's very aggressive when it comes to BC; would have had me do Chemo. Another suggested Tamox but seems more concerned about research than individual issues and besides I'm scared of trading one cancer for another. Seeing a third one in two weeks .

I feel like Goldilocks....one is too hot (to do anything and everything possible; too extreme for me), one is too cold (I suspect prefers more interesting cases and studies), hoping the 3rd will be" just right."

Kawee - I guess we'll see what happens together. To be continued

Amy - Thanks for the input re: bc vs. ovarian cancer percentages. I'm definitely hoping I got the wrong impression re %s and plan to ask both my med onc and surgeon about them. As for the other SE, I (of course) dont want them but they dont terrify me. For me, the scariest ones are gynecological; taking a perfectly healthy part of the body and messing with it. I guess we each have our own Achilles heels. I also plan on asking my docs if I do have problems and stop the tamox does that body part go back to normal or could it be irreparably damaged. Maybe close monitoring will be the solution. To be continued.

Now on to something fun. Counting down 5 days of boosts by bringing in breakfasts  to radiation- muffins and scones, tea cookies, bagels, and tomorrow is French Pastries. We've been having lots of fun. Monday, the last day, I'm planning on making and bringing a Boob Cake and possibly Boob cupcakes. Wierd but should be fun. I think we'll all fall down laughing ! I just hope the molds I ordered arrive; the lady promised but still....

Titan - The staff has said I'm making them gain weight. I say turnabout if fair play; since I gained weight during rads, they can too !!!!  As for the cake and cupcakes, I had an oddly fun time today going to a huge candy store called Dylans and buying candy "nipples" - I think red haribos or rasberry jellies will be the best but I bought gumdrops, candy sombreros, hot tamales and other possiblities. I was relieved when the cashier didn't ask why all my candy was red and  shaped like.....

Anyway, like you, my healthy eating had become junk food and chocolate binges. I've eaten more crap in the past 2 weeks, then in the last year !!! Special K whole grain crackers and Tasty D lite used to be "treats" for me. And while I used to walk 4.5 miles several times a week at a good clip, I now walk less distance and lots more slowly. If I dont do something,soon my clothes wont fit !!!!

MONDAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need the weekend to bake and decorate  the boob cake Hee, hee.

I'm somewhat sad today...can I say "a friend" died this week...not sure exactly what type of cancer she died of..but cancer is cancer...I met her through her husband who both my DH and I knew years ago...I met her at the cancer center the FIRST day of my chemo...she was sooo sick..taking rads and chemo...everywhere....but she was so supportive of ME..the newbie...a few weeks later her DH popped his head into my chemo room and said that there was nothing more that could be done for her..of course I started freaking and the nurse with me told me that they "got her too late"...don't know any of the details...but I do know ..I was amazed that both her and her DH were hugging me....and so supportive...when she was the one that needed the support..I tried to give back what I could..I just hoped and prayed for a miracle for her....if you have second...pray for Susan and her family...thanks

Sorry Titan--Cancer sucks--i too will say a prayer--

TITAN - Well, Wednesday I went to the oncologist,  Thursday to the Rad oncologist and this coming Tuesday to the breast surgeon.

The Rad onco told me he wanted to see me again in 6 months and we was scheduling my mammogram for February.  Said he liked to wait 4 months after Rad to do mammogram.  I was surprised he was the one to schedule it.  I'm going to ask the breast surgeon on Tuesday about that, I would have thought she would do it.  Anyway, the regular oncologist said I don't have to go back to him for 3 months.

Who scheduled your mammogram?