January 2010 Rads Start

Sophie, I'm curious as to why you had rads with DCIS.  I'm still not sure if the reason why I ended up with rads is because of my small margins for IDC (1mm and 3mm) or if the main reason was because the DCIS did NOT clear the margins.  I think the decision was based a little bit from both reasons, but I'm thinking it might have been more the DCIS because the radiation I'm getting is to the chest wall (where the DCIS was present) and I get the wedge which I was told makes the beam more uniform over the total area.  I'm also not scheduled to get any boosts, which is what I would assume would happen if they were mainly treating the IDC area.  Hmmmm.... I just wonder about all this. 

Jenn3, your description of the bolus sounds different than mine.  Mine is like a rubber mat they place directly on top of my chest during the radiation.  Perhaps you're getting something entirely different??!!

veggy--I'm a dork, you did tell me that. I didn't go back and re-read posts. My apologies for forgetting! Is your seroma wound nearly healed? So you don't have a definite start date for rads? I am so sorry you're having depression about this (although completely understandable). I haven't words of advice to offer you, but do give you my full encouragement and support. Cry when you feel you can, just let it out. Or scream and yell at cancer!!!  Have you been on the antidepressants long enough for you to feel a difference? Is there a bc support group at your treatment center where you could voice your concerns and frustrations? 

PM me if you would like to vent.  Hugs (((veggy))).

Deb

Way to go cookie!!! (but do try to keep Big Red under control, would ya?!)

Deb - The incision for the seroma is just about closed up. In fact we can't get any gauze in the hole. I called the cancer center and right now they do not have a support group during the winter months. That's stupid! You'd think in the winter, depression is at its worst and that's when you need the support. They start up again in April. I hung up. I have been on antidepressants for years and years. I felt like I couldn't cry on them. Now I'm crying all of the time. When I am around friends I act happy. I don't want to scare them away. Sometimes when I am in the car driving I let out a top of your voice, from the deepest part of the belly scream.Friday I go see the surgeon and radiologist. Hopefully (maybe) they will give me the date when I start - again.

veggy, when I was first diagnosed, I cried at the oddest times.  Driving down the road, talking to someone, in the shower, at the drop of a hat.  However, I have gotten over that and have moved on.  We all have to deal with this in our own way and when it is time for you to cry you will.  Maybe never, but you will get through this.  I am sorry you are having such a tough time.

Cheryl, there is no reason for the techs to be rude.  You didn't ask for this and they are there to treat you and they should be comforting.  My techs are the best, they have fussed at me for moving around, but we have talked it out and found out why I was moving.  I just needed to relax and it is not easy those first treatments.  Only 7 to go, it will be over soon.

mom2acat, wooohooo for you to be finished next week.  I have suffered from acid reflux for years and I know how uncomfortable it is.  Maybe you will get some relief soon.

cookiegal, a really big WOOOHOOO for you.  Glad you are finished.

Good evening to Deb, Onty and weety.  Hope everything is going well for all of you.

Onty, I did ask today how many boosts I will have and he said, 26 regular with 7 boosts.  I am sooo ready for this to be over.,

Juannelle

I blogged about cancer-zilla.

http://bit.ly/cancerzilla 

I may take this down, since I worry about breaking bco rules. But I had to share it with y'all.

Congrats on finishing Cookie!

 I still have 1 regular treatment and 8 boosts to go, and I am very red, very brown, and peeling. I'm very excited about finishing up the large fields tomorrow; I'm hoping that the peeling will start getting better once it's not being treated everyday.  I know that it takes a week or so for things to peak, but I'm hoping it doesn't get too much worse.  When I saw the dr this week, he said all the dark brown suntaned areas would peel, which I am not looking forward to. At least nothing really hurts right now, and they gave me the silverdine cream to put on the peeling parts. So I'm slathering it on a couple of times a day, along with the aloe and aquaphor.  I'm surprised I don't slideout of bed.

Today I had 14 of 16 (Canadian Fraction) to the whole breast.  Then on Thursday I start the first of 5 boosts to just the cavity where the tumor was.  The rad. onc. explained that the boosts are delivered by electron energy which does not penetrate as deep as the whole breast treatments using photons. 

I am only slightly pink but have an itching rash near the center of my chest.  I was told by the RN that was the hair follicles reacting to the radiation.  I have very fair skin so I am watching my skin closely for burns.  Maybe I will be ok since my treatments are few.

The center where I go will be getting the Trilogy machine in a few months.  My rad. onc. said it will cut the treatment time for most breast cancer patients by 75%.  Wow, wouldn't that be great!

Juli

Onty,

Know exactly what you mean.  Have a good evening and again good luck tomorrow.

Good evening, came home from tx today and was exhausted beyond anything I've experienced since tx started...went straight to bed for 2 hours.  I can't believe it...was almost in tears today.  While I'm ever-appreciative of colleague support with my flexible schedule, I'm tired.  Tired of the doctor appts, scans, xrays, poking and prodding, SEs, driving in rush-hour traffic.  Tired of working nights/weekends to keep up.  Tired of tx, tired of worry, tired of BC, tired of being tired. !@#@!$  boohoo...sucks to be me.  okay, I'm done.

Weety, you asked why rads with DCIS?  Oh trust me, my first reaction was to avoid it when I was first diagnosed, but my surgeon reminded me medical protocol for DCIS is lumpectomy and rads.  I was given option of mammosite rads too which would have been only 5 days of tx.  But the more I researched and talked with doctors, the more I was convinced that rads of whole breast was my best option.  Doctors agreed, since there were other DCIS cells besides the primary location and, despite large amount of tissue removed, one of the margins was only 1mm.  So best to zap all of it to make sure they all die, die, die...those evil demon cells. 

Today the techs suggested I could finish on Friday...by getting 2 boosts in same day as long as they are six hours apart it's doable.  And, since I am taking the day off on Friday anyway due to midday appt with med onc, I could do the double tx thing.  But then again, I just can't.  No.  I can wait one more day.  Once a day is enough.  And that's a change for me...the one who wanted to charge through this whole thing.  I can wait.  What's another day......especially when it's the last one!  And who knows how red I'll be by then? 

Friday I get the tamoxifen talk.  Whoopee....

2nd treatment down and 31 to go!  I am the last patient of the day-- every night at 6pm and both nights so far they have been running a little over 30 minutes behind!!!  I am finding to stay still in one place and arms above ahead (not having the range of motion like before since axilla dissection)- the most challenging....    I will be soooo glad when this is over.  I found out today that they will be using the bollus for every treatment.  The internal mammary nodes are being treated on both sides.  IS there anyone else that are getting their internal mammary nodes treated?  Does anyone know if RADS just targets tumor areas or if it ZAPS tumor and surrounding areas?

Have a Good Night Ladies!

Loretta

Greetings all,

Debbie, I'm feeling the fatigue as well.  My get-up-and-go and definitely got up and went.  It's such a strange feeling regardless of our age (I'm 5 years older than you).  This is definitely not normal for me, so I'll just keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep going.  Although I may whine just a bit more than normal. 

Good morning Ladies,

Question to the ladies that are feeling fatigued?  Have you done Chemo?  Is this fatigue worse than Chemo fatigue?  I am 3 months post TAC Chemo and am just starting to feel my energy returning ---I am on #3 RADS today and not anticipating feeling fatigued like before.

My BS and Oncologist were telling me that I have Chemo and Surgery out of the way and only RADS left which should be the easiest?!?! 

Thanks,

Loretta

redheadpam,

I wonder why some facilities tell you to hold your breath and others, like mine, told me to breathe normally and that breathing is accounted for in their measurements.  Do you know if everyone at your facility holds their breath, or is it because of your unique treatment or position of the heart.  Maybe you are just special?!?!