January 2010 Rads Start

MSK was very strict on what I could use so I chickened out of using my "My Girls" cream I bought on BCO. I used aquaphor or eucerin, and put on cortizone immediatly after treatment.

I started to burn the day after my final TX, so if I had to do it again I would have hit the aloe and calendula hard the day I was done.

someone suggested a "shower hug" a product to give your breasts some support if they are burned. I have never tried it, but I did need something since the blister was right in the fold.

Today the Cancer Center called and the machine was broken and they are waiting on a part.  They hope it gets here on Wednesday, so now I will not finish on Monday.  I certainly hope they get machine fixed tomorrow, so I don't have to miss any more.

I guess the good part about that is that it gives my skin some time.  I am still not having much of a skin reaction.  It is pink, but not broken or burned anywhere.  I guess I might be like cookiegal and get crispy after I am finished.

Sounds like all is going for everyone and we are all just slugging our way to the finish. 

Juannelle

some days big red looks nice and beige, and then some days red again. It's kind of odd!

some days I have ouchies, some days it's fine.

How are you??

Well, the machine was broken again today.  They got the problem fixed from yesterday and something else went wrong this afternoon.  At least they are calling me before I make my way over to them, it is a 50 mile trip.

So I am at 28 and holding.  5 more to go.  I guess the good thing is that it is giving my boob a little time to settle down.  It hasn't been bad but 5 more treatments in a row might have been more than it could take.

Juannelle

Last one tomorrow!

I am very happy for the women who have lost or losing soon their ports--must be a wonderful feeling!  It's been three weeks since I finished rads, and I don't know if the minor fatigue issues are due to post-rads letdown or my return to work (part-time) the day after my last treatment.  But the breast feels pretty good--it's nice to forget it's there!  I am gradually returning to underwire bras since my skin needs to get used to the pressure again (which I never noticed until I stopped wearing them).  I met with the med onc and the on-site pharmacist three days ago and started tamoxifen yesterday.  My onc told me that "recurrence" doesn't mean another tumor like the one I had but metastasized BC.  Well!  That put a new spin on treatment options...I have been very lucky so far.  All the best to everyone!

Karen1959--How thoughtful to bring them the chocolate covered cherries.  I am sure they appriciated them.  It must be hard on them as well as ourselves to watch us go through this.

Thanks for the info, tangi-girl.  Maybe I'll try that tonight and sse if I can at least get some lotion or aloe in the places where there aren't any taped marks.

I'm having radiation in the prone (face down) position. I had treatment #7 (out of 33) today. For the last week, I've been feeling pain/soreness in my upper arms. It gets bad at night and seems to fade during the day. I don't think the radiation itself can be the cause as I have it in both arms but only left breast is being radiated. I have to hold my hands above my head during the treatment. This is just for 10-15 minutes but was much longer during the planning session. Would that be likely to cause this pain? Just wondering if anyone else had a similar experience.

precioustime: I feel a little soreness in the lower rib cage after radiation but I know it's just from that area pressing down on a hard edge of the bed during treatment. I complained after the first treatment and now they tape a small foam to that hard edge during treatment. But I still notice a redness there for a short while after treatment.

24 down,9 to go.  My skin is tanned, little tender and sore from time to time.  Looking forward to weekend break already

I'm done!

weety: congrats! how do you feel?

Onty, yea for you being at the finish line.  Glad you did get to arrange to have your port  out.  It is a relief, just one more thing off the list.

Good news today, I did get my treatment.  The machine is fixed and I hope it stays that way. 

Saw the Rad Onc today and he said I am really doing well.  He said normally he likes to see his patients back in 3 to 4 weeks after finishing, but I am doing so well that he said I could wait 4 months before coming back.  He did say that I might still have some skin issues and if I thought he needed to see them, just give him a call.  I am still waiting on the fatigue, so I asked would it just  hit me one day and I would be so tired I couldn't make it through the day.  He said maybe since I haven't been fatigued so far, maybe I wouldn't be at all.  Keeping my fingers crossed on no fatigue.

It doesn't matter what happens now, this was so much easier than chemo.  Can't hardly believe that I am almost done.

Cookiegal, glad you are finally getting well and feeling better.  What are your plans for the future?  Now that you have all that free time.

maincoonkitty, I got a big black X that they covered with some tape and it is right on my nipple.  I just hope  it doesn't take all the skin off when it is removed.  Anyway they didn't put this mark on me until  the day before I was starting my boosts.  But I haven't worried about putting lotion on it, they didn't tell me not to and it  has not come off and it has been there for over a week.  Good luck to you.   Lover your name, I use to have a main coon kitty and it was the best kitty we ever had.  He was alergic  to something in my house and always had an upset stomach.  I would take  him to the vet and he would never be sick.  He stayed at the vets so much, that he and  his  office staff fell in love with him and they kept him for an office kitty.  At least  he wasn't sick anymore.

Juannelle

Mary I love love love that book. I actually carried it with me in the hospital like it was my binky!

I have tried to get in touch with her, I know her publicist. She has a fund raiser every year for St. V's (well who knows what will happen to that hospital) but this year it was too close to my surgery to go.

Love that book!

yea for Onty, hope the port removal goes well.  You are done done done done.