December 2009 Rads Group

Hi Sally/Beggy - Welcome to the Dec 2009 RADS! I think I met you on another thread.  There are a great group of ladies here.  Most of them are a little further along than I am, I've only had 2 txts and go today for #3.  I'm like you... I hated to start so close to Christmas, but I was so ready to get this part of the journey done with.  I hope everything goes well for you tomorrow.  The simulation isn't bad at all, even the "tattoos" aren't painful, I really didn't even feel them.  I just didn't want anything more permanent than the scars I already had.  The only one I have that is noticeable at all is on my sternum and one of my friends said it looked like a small blackhead (I told her thanks, just what every woman wants a peramanent blackhead! LOL).  So I may be trying to get that one removed later.  My simulation took about an hour and the techs were very nice where I go. I'm sure they will be where you are going as well.

Now you ladies send up a little prayer for me today... I ordered my Tom's of Maine about a week ago off the internet (no one sells it here where I live).  It still hasn't arrived and it's going to be a warmer, humid day in the deep south.  Our high is going to be about 63-64!  I have RADS at 7:45 then off to work where we have been keeping our heat on for our elderly.  I don't want to smell all day and I still have sweat glands.  I guess I'll be in the bathroom using the cornstarch alot.  LOL

Thanks, ladies!  It's amazing how you become more aware of your health when you're hit with something like this.  I've changed my eating habits, adding fiber and various suppliments to my diet, but I still need to get on a better exercise routine going. I still wonder if I made the right call on the chemo decision, but I'm moving foward and   trying not to look back.

Welcome Newbies, nice to meet you but sorry to do so under these circumstances. I just started week 3 of rads. Not too bad yet. A bit of burning and tired at night. Still manangeable. For me, the trip to the hospital daily is the most annoying thing so far!

I have a few questions... Are you ladies saying we will get billed in Jan???? I didnt even think of that! So far I have no copay for radiation. I pray it doesnt start. ..ugh thats all I need. My husband is the only one working.(I have a bad back too).

Also do some of you get molds? I just was lined up and measured and have a road map of tats and marker and tape on my breast...but no molds.

Take care for now everyone, and I hope you all got thru the day ok.

Jules

Somanywomen - If you don't mind me asking what are the supplements you are taking?  I might be interested in starting them. 

Thanks

Renee

Torona - I haven't started feeling too tired yet, but I have my moments of exhaustion, between work, rads, the home and helping take care of my 11 month old granddaughter I do get that way.  As for your hair I know how you feel, none of us want to see the dreaded "grey", no matter how young or old we are, when it all gets in try some haircolor or highlights maybe.  I highlight my hair and no one knows how much grey I have but me and my hairdresser.  LOL!!!  # 4 today of 38!!!

Have a great day!!

Hi; I guess its time to introduce myself. I was dx in Nov. Had surgery on Dec.1. I am still dealing with a certain amount of pain, my tumor was at 6 oclock at the very base of my breast and is in a place that causes a lot of irritation from the weight. I saw my meds onco. yesterday and she said no chemo,1 bullet dodged, mostly DCIS with less than 1mm cancer so I will be treated with rads and tomoxifen. I see my rads. onco on thursday and am hoping for some insight before that appt. On the older ladies forum I have really heard some horror stories and now wonder what radiation will do to me and what part of the decisions I might have control of. So far on this forum it doesn't sound so bad.  I am very fair skinned and worry about the burning and long term side effects, also I work and can't afford not to. Please any advice  and or knowledge you can give me before I see the rads. onco would be appreciated. Glad to meet all of you.

I asked about accelerated rads because of the insurance, and the doc said yes, we can do it.  

She is going to increase the dose so I'll be finished before the turn of the year.  

Today I tried to vacuum my car, and it was weird to see how weak I've become. I felt like just using a little "elbow grease" was more than I could do... and even changing the attachments was a struggle! 

I always associated "fatigue" with being either sleepy tired or out of breath tired. This muscle fatigue is new to me.  I've felt a 'burn" or even jelly-like muscle tired, but never so weak the muscles didn't want to work!  Is anyone else noticing this?  

Beggy - I felt the same way you did... undignified and the man in there with the young lady doing my sims was about 65 and kind of a little "creepy" looking shall we say.  I was quite uncomfortable.  I only got 4 souvenir tattoos, one at the side of each quadrant. LOL!!  Wow 28 txts... I am a little jealous!

BonnieSF- I noticed yesterday evening after my 3rd txt that my ribs on the txt side close to my breast were sore.  I thought it was strange, but when I got up this morning they were even maybe a little more sore and have been quite uncomfortable all day, as well as the upper part of my arm.  When I went in this afternoon I asked one of the techs if the rads was causing the sore ribs, of course she told me NO!  She said it may be the table or the positioners that I have to lay on or even the fact that I am having to put my arm over to the side of my shoulder and it may be pulling those muscles.  I don't think so!  I have read on here in some old posts that there are many women who have the same complaints and get "blown off" by their RADS Oncs who say that the radiation doesn't cause the rib pain.  Don't get me wrong it's not unbearable, but I would like to know the truth.  Maybe no research has been done on it?  I don't know.  But I am not turning pink or colors yet.  Thank goodness. 

I have now completed 4 out of 38 (or so... as my Onc puts it) and I pray it's not more than 38!!! 

Renee

Mimi,

I think I would have rescheduled my appt. if a male was going to do all this stuff to me.   Although I'm comfortable with my male doctors, I don't think I would feel the same with male technicians for this type of treatment.

(((Hi somanywoman, mimi, beggy, granma, torona bonnie, jayne, pill, webstertoo, and anyone I missed!))) Sorry my brains fried.. I just wanted to come on and say, I hope everythings going well for all of you. I am soooo tried now Im on here to keep awake. Its not fatigue its downright I could sleep right after supper!

On the rib pain. yes some of the doctors etc blow off lots of side effects. My Dr lied from day one and said if I get sick during rads she didnt do it, I need to see my family doctor!. (yah OK). I know better from reading for myself. Dont let them dismiss any side effects you may have!

On the male thing, I have a male tech guy. I wasnt thrilled at first, but now I am used to him. Hes young, and the nurses (I hear) call him "Tech McDreamy"...lol.. Ok well hes young enough to "practically" be my son. But he is very nice and makes me laugh.

Take care and I will check in again in a day or 2.

((hugs))

Jules

grama5 - Yes, I most definitely have had those feelings of resentment as most likely have many of the other ladies and even (some men) on these forums.  It is overwhelming to be diagnosed with breast cancer after all the tests and then be thrown into surgery and then be told you either need chemo, rads or both and then when you go to see the radiation oncologist, he says... this is how many treatments you need and this is the dose of radiation I am prescribing it to be given at for this reason.  Not, do you want to do it at a lesser dose, less treatments, etc.  And you are also told of some of the possible side effects like, a portion of lung may be in the radiation field and receive scarring, but this is normal and to be expected (like it is no big deal), also some people get a cough and we can give cough meds if that happens, you most likely will get a sunburn but not too bad if you use the creams or ointments we prescribe as we have prescribed them, oh yes, and if you are larger breasted and have some sagging (skin on skin areas) you most likely will get some blistering under the breasts that may open up and need to really take special care of that and if that happens we can give you special meds for that.  We have no control or say over how this is prescribed or dosed.  The only thing we can do is either go and make the decision to do everything we can to stay healthy or not go to rads and take our chances.  It's a personal decision. 

I was pretty angry in the beginning at my surgeon for not getting clearer margins that made my rad onc prescribe more treatments for me at a higher dose of radiation and at my rad onc for prescribing the higher dose and more txts because he is not reading my path report the way I thought he should (I'm a nurse and I have a copy of it as well as my biopsy report which my rad onc does not have a copy of).  But I am now over it, going on with my treatments and I'm going to try and stay positive and endure.  Being negative was running my blood pressure up and the last thing I want is another medical problem on top of the ones I already have.

Good luck with your decision... Like I said it is a very personal one to make.  Sometimes quality of life can out weigh quantity and visa versa.  It really depends on how you look at life and what you need.  Radiation really is not bad and it is very doable so far.  

10 of 30...1/3rd done!!....no burning and no other side effects except my continual frustration with ever-changing treatment sessions...When I talked to Rad doc the other day, she said that I am only getting 2 treatments per day (the longer about 20-24 secs breath holds), she said the shorter rad sounds 5-7 seconds (also with breath holds) were not treatments, just set-ups for treatment rads...Well Jules I have one of those "Tech Mc Dreamy's" also, and when I said to him yesterday "so  I'm not getting radiation from the short episodes am I ?..He said yes, but they are only short CT scans rads used for set-up...Pill, can you believe it?..they say it like CT scans are nothing..I asked if they were necessary and of course to them the more radiation the better!!!..He is my favorite tech even though at first I thought "Oh Crap!" because he is young and very cute, but turns out to be the most comfortable and caring of anyone yet!!..He tells me to ask as many questions as I want, it's my body and he feels I am being smart to keep asking...My husband got to watch them do my rads on Monday and starting Friday he will be taking me for the last of my treatments (his Christmas vacation) and they say he is welcome to watch the monitors as they zap me!!!..I am sure he is ready to push that button himself with some of my ranting lately!!!!

Grama5, I saw my surgeon yesterday (follow-up), I think he was sorry when he asked how my rad treatments were going...when I explained this new adventure of frustration...I said that I had a lot of confidence in him and since he got clear margins and no lymph involvement, why couldn't I just go with that and not do the rads....He replied...."because with rads, my same breast has about a 11% recurrence and without rads about 35% recurrence."..He also told me very seriously to follow the hormonal treatment after rads...Bah humbug!!!!

Mimi, as to my during rads vitamins/supplements (I will be adding a lot more after rads)...At this time I take "Women's Life Force Multiples" made by Source Naturals and sold at the Vitamin Shoppe, please go on line to the Vitamin Shoppe website and view the ingredients...ton of vits and supps in these!!!..the dose is 3 per day up to 6, I am only taking one so divide the percent of daily value by 3...I will take 2 after rads.....I am also taking folic acid -400 mg, red wine extract-200mg, d-3 2000 iu's.......and zyflamend by New Chapter, also full of stuff like tumeric, green tea, ginger etc.....Please do your own research and only do what you and your doc agree on...I just happen to believe in a little more than most when it comes to supplements....so only do what you do research on......I have also changed about 80% of our food to organic (they say if your grandma didn't eat it, then neither should you), what we are finding is that everthing seems to have more flavor, my husband has lost 10 lbs and feels great, my nineteen year old even likes most of it, although he is still getting his share of the bad stuff!!!!...From what I keep reading is that for the first time in history if the US keeps allowing our food to be so compromised that ever generation from now on will die younger and younger...that is just too sad....unfortunately so true........

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8 down, 22 to go.  Today I quit wearing a bra to work. Can hardly believe it's me, but it feels a lot more comfortable. Baggy soft shirts, no one can tell.  I get weirdly tired sometimes, but it's in waves and not too bad. 

I wasn't having resentment so much as difficulty accepting radiation because of the recent business in the news about how breast and prostrate cancers perhaps being overdiagnosed and overtreated. I don't know how many times I asked all the doctors about that. (Are you SURE I need surgery? Are you SURE I need radiation???) This uncertainty was driving me nuts. But then I realized that the issue is not "Am I being overtreated?"  Instead, the only issue for me to deal with is "Am I going to have radiation or not?"  Once I reduced it to that one decision, it was such a relief. Yes, I'm going to have radiation. Period. Fine. Not sure I'm describing this right, but this decision was a big deal for me and allowed me to sleep again, accept radiation and not fret so much about side effects. 

Liz: I'm in Kaiser and so I have to drive to South San Francisco every morning for my treatment! 11miles. This is a brand new facility. Before Kaiser built this new facility, their patients went to UCSF, CPMC and Mt Zion for radiation. That would be a lot more convenient, that's for sure. But this new facility is very slick and modern. 

Bonnie

Hi everyone, hows it going? I hope everyone is doing ok tonight.

Somanywomen, we dont have the H1N1 available here at all. My husband is getting the regular flu shot next week. He should have the H1N! too, because hes asthmatic but no dice so far. I never get the flu shot at all because I spend most of the winter in the house w my back issues, but now I am wondering should I get the regular one (and H1N1 if it becomes available) because Im spending time at the hospital around germs. My treatment center didnt say anything about it.

Today all the cancer patients got handmade Christmas shawls people croched. Im not into shawls but it can be doubled as a winter scarf. Anyway I appreciate the kindness put into them!

I am at 13 rads out of 28 right now. I am feeling hoarse (voiced), and very tired. Maybe Im coming down with something, who knows?

Well its 11 PM, Im off to bed, I can barely stay awake again. I used to stay up sooo late, but not anymore. I guess I have to come on and post earlier!

((hugs))

Jules