MAY 2009 Rads

hi friends! hard to believe so much time has passed since our treatment! i wanted to tell you that i was invited to speak at the TomoTherapy, Inc. annual meeting in Madison, WI, last week, to talk about my cancer experience and radiation experience with TomoTherapy. it was an experience of a lifetime to meet the inventor of the TomoTherapy machine, get a tour of the manufacturing plant, meet the amazing employees, and speak in front of hundreds of people and thank them. they projected some of my photos of my experience on large screens behind me (it was held in a megachurch because there were so many people), and included a self-portrait of my bilateral mastectomy, which gave me the opportunity to talk about the importance of annual mammograms starting at age 40 (or earlier if we have family history). i never dreamed that cancer and radiation would lead me to madison, wisconsin, and public speaking!  this link documents my experience there: 

http://deborahlattimore.smugmug.com/Other/TomoTherapy-Presentation/10675326_4u9M3#743227837_m444A 

hugs to all of you - happy holidays! 

Hello my fellow radiators!

I wanted to come by and say to all have a wonderful holiday! Tomorrow is my last Herceptin treatment so I will officially be done. My breast is very sore and hard in areas as well. I see my rad onc every 6 months and BS too. I believe she wants me to have a mam. every 3 months that seems a bit extreme to me. I already glow in the dark.

I am so proud of all of us for battling and winning. Getting on with the blessings of life. You are all a part of those blessings.

Wishing us all health peace and happiness for the next decade and beyond.

Hi everyone.  Saw my surgeon today.  Having a lot of pain in radiated breast and under armpit.  He didn't think anything was wrong that it's normal.  What is normal?  Calling rad onc to see what he says.  Not scheduled to see him until March.  Radiated area still looks a bit tanned but no problems with the skin.

my breast where I had the lumpectomy has been painful for many months now; my surgeon had the breast ultrasounded and there was a large fluid buildup in the cavity where the tumor was removed.  The radiologist aspirated it with a fine needle via ultrasound; the pain was relieved for a while, but has returned again.  There was a large hard area I could feel (where the fluid had collected), and while that is a bit smaller, it is still very tender and painful to the touch.  I wonder if pain may be something we will have, to a degree, from here on out as a result of the radiation??

On another note - have any of you had a mammogram done since your radiation finished?  I'm due next month, and I don't see any way in the world I'll be able to go through with that compression on my breast!  We'll see what is suggested!!!

Hi Ladies,

I had my check with onc before Christmas and luckily I didn't know what "breast room 3" meant or I would have had a lot of time to become anxious. As it was I only found out it was for a mamo about 1/2 before so....

I told them I was concerned because I couldn't imagine having my poor breast that seemed to be still healing flattened like that. They were very kind and it really wasn't so bad. They did really want to get the underarm part so that was a bit more uncomfortable.

I was able to see the image and I could see the thicker skin on my left breast from the radiation. It really was a thicker outline on the image.

The most ridiculous part was that she would say "hold your breath" but she forgot to say breath in and every darn time she said hold your breath I had just exhaled! When I went into the Onc office after that and he was having me breath while he listened to my lungs I got the giggles big time and when I told my girlfriend and doctor why I was laughing, Hold breath you don't have! my girlfriend got the giggles because the same thing had happened to her at her last mamo and my doctor just sort of smiled and shook his head.

My underarm sometimes feels like someone has been poking it, but both the onc and radial onc thought it all looked fine and I guess it's just the body healing from them yanking out all the lymph nodes!  

My skin is a little extra dry on my bc breast but I just cream it a bit more. Radial onc said most things like the breast edema I have seem to resolve themselves within the year.

I think more than an ache or pain, which we have to monitor (poor Puppers!) the biggest indicator or a recurrence would be more a loss of energy. But of course after the holidays, we all feel like we are dragging! 

I will see my Onc again in March (sort of sick of him!) and then in the summer I will have a breast MRI and see the surgeon. Oh the fun never ends!!!!

It's nice that we are moving further and further from all the appointments and tests. Good health and lots of love to all you radical women in 2010!

Yikees! I am more sore than ever well not ever I guess it was worse right after surgery. I remember the bag of frozen peas in my sport bra for days.  I do have fatigue and when barbiedahl said that I near jumped out of my skin. My energy has not yet fully recovered. I am better than when I was in chemo and I just finished Herecptin 3 weeks ago. Si I don't know. I am getting more nervous with time not less. I constantly have to redirect my fears. Live in the moment.Not let the fear of tomorrow rob me from the joys of the day blah blah. (I do believe in this thought process) But still its tough. I am sore in both my effected breast an the non effected breast. weird huh? And scary. My BS told me to take primrose. I have not done that yet. She also said to take Advil prior to having a mam. She said even non BC sisters should. Interesting. I to have a hard time doing a self exam. Its so stupid but I'm actually afraid. My heart start pounding. I do it but not as well or as detailed as I should. I feel like I am really dropping the ball. I have not worked out like I should (consistently). I went off my diet the month of Dec. after loosing 25 pounds. I have not been back on the scale to see the damage. Just got back on WW. Its all so much. Is'nt it? I swear everyone sound so strong and full of resolve. I sometimes feel week and scared. Sorry to have gone on about all this. I never speak to anyone about my fears as it would effect them too. So I just needed to get it out. Am I the only one? I hope so.

Oh Bold, I didn't mean to make you jump, I'm so sorry. Really you just stopped Herceptin, and you know that's powerful stuff or they wouldn't bother giving it to you!

I sat next to a bowl of chocolate during Christmas week and it seemed that I was also attempting to pickle myself in gin! I waited to get back on the scale too. I might have gained weight, but since I buckled down really hard after all the chocolate was gone ) I'm down one pound from pre-holiday weight. 

All the doctors I talk to say it takes 15 to 18 months to fully recover and I'm sure we will have ups and downs along the road. I have an odd issue I know is attached to chemo since my skin was soo dry throughout treatment. The skin on my feet is really really dry, I cream and go to bed with socks but by golly it barely seems to help. I think the it's the remnants of chemo, but I'll just cream my way through it.  I didn't mention this to my doctor as all my silly difference during chemo just made him sort of shake his head, he was really surprised to see my very straight hair not to mention the fact that my periods returned after chemo and I'm 51! 

Anyone else getting lovely leg cramps from Tamox? My doctor offered to prescribe something, but I'd rather hop around at night than put any other medications into my body. 

I only want happy thoughts in my head and I push all the scary ones away, I can only do what I can do which is exercise and eat well, oh yes and pray.

Vitamins and supplements: ha ha, I have a cabinet filled! I'm taking fish oil and vitamin D, calcium, and I just started taking grape seed extract to help combat scar tissue formation. Not sure if it will work, but grape seed extract is a good overall cardiovascular supplement so it can't do any harm.

barbiedahl:  Any kind of soap works.  Increase your potassium intake also.  I have my next mamo in March.  The womens breast center I go to only does the mammogram.  I asked surgeon and he to said mamo is enough.  I didn't agree with them but what can I say.  Luckily my radiologist wanted another look or my cancer would not have been caught.  There was no lump.  Interested in hearing more about the study you participated in. 

Hello!  It's nice to see your posts!  I have been mostly away from the boards of late, trying to get back to my new normal, dealing with busy work and family full-time.  

Bold - - congrats on finishing your Herceptin!  Unfortunately, I have to say that I share your feelings too.  It is still scary sometimes.  I'm a manager at work, but I feel like hiding sometimes.

My hair came back really thin on top and sides; it's actually a bit embarrassing, but what am I going to do...  Well, I still have the wigs if it comes to that.  I'm on the tamoxifen and just need to find time to exercise more.

btw, http://www.castingforrecovery.org/  is taking applications for their 2010 free fly fishing retreats for women with breast cancer.  Check it out!

Just checking in to see how everyone is doing - happy 2011!

I pray you are are all well as we continue on this journey of life!!

Just stop by to say hello. Stay well sistahs.

Congrats!!!!!