MARCH 2010 Rads Group
Comments
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Met with my rad onc today... Will start the 24th of the month. I asked about the prone position, and he said that they will fit me for both and see which one is a better fit. Is anyone doing the prone position?
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Prone? Lying down? Yes I am. I didn't know that you could have the treatment standing? Also I wanted to see if anyone else had their skin turn dark and look a little red on the first treatment? I thought that it took like three weeks for that to start happening? Now I am wondering if they over treated? Not sure I think I will ask tomorrow.
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daysone do you have darker skin? I have heard the 1st week it gets red, but not that soon, be sure to ask and let us know what they say.....good luck! I am off for simulation tomorrow and I think I start on Monday so I will let you all know.....
Nicole I didn't know there were choices......I guess I will find out tomorrow.....I feel so lucky to have a friend who is going to be with me even if it is in the waiting room!
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Nipi - My treatments are in the prone (face-down) position. I had #4 of 16 today. The doctor revised my treatment plan, I will have 5 boosts instead of 8. Another three days back! I will be on my back for the boosts. I'm having a little irritation in the underarm area, but no redness so far.
I am using a lanolin ointment called Lansinoh. It is typically used by women that are breastfeeding So far, so good.
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Hello...I did #4 of 30 today...laying on my back, hands over my head, knees bent. I close my eyes and pretend I'm laying outside tanning. Right after I put on clear aloe vera gel from Wal-Mart. I'm noticing a slight color change but it varies throughout the day....but maybe that has more to do with room lighting combined with how long I stare comparing sides. I have the treatments at noon during my lunch hour. I find the color change is most noticeable around 7-8 at night, the most not-noticeable is the next morning.
I'm still wearing a bra all day...are you all? I'm a 34C, I can't imagine not wearing a bra to work. Ever since the lumpectomy, I actually like wearing a bra...I prefer to keep the gals tucked in nice and secure.
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MzJ - I am lying on my back too - arms over my head and knees up.
Today was #4 for me - 24 more to go!
I'm getting a bit tight along the incision line and a bit sore under the arm. This could be from my position rather than from the radiation - my arms are numb and asleep by the time I'm done!
So far I am just using Lubriderm morning and night and no redness - collar bone redness has gone. Could have been hot flash related and not to do with radiation at all!
Still no hair under the arms so no need for deodorant and no folds to cornstarch either! I had a mast without recon.
I'm lucky that it's still coolish here so I've been wearing long sleeves and that helps to avoid rubbing of the skin under my arm.
I had a friend suggest that she could put together a driving roster for me.
But I've been driving myself and it's been easy - I think though that at some point I'll start inviting friends along to keep my company. It's only day #4 and already I'm bored with this! The drive is longer than the actual treatment!
Happy Friday to everyone and have a great weekend off from radiation!
Marie
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2cwill: Thank you for helping me with the prone position. I am still learning all the lingo. Ok so I also lie on my back, arm over head, knee's on a pillow. Also they said something about putting a bollis or something like that on my chest tomorrow. It is a floopy rubber like thing.
June2268: Thank you for the "good luck". I would like to know how it goes for you as well. I will let you know what they tell me tomorrow. I am fair skinned. Was a blonde before I started turning gray. I used to sunburn when I was doing sunbathing years ago. Good luck to you as well
MarieK: I also have a really sore arm by the time I get done with treatment. I had a mastecomy and it is hard to raise my arm over head. It is getting better though. I feel your pain.
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MarieK - my people in my dept. at work are putting together a roster to take me each day. I wasn't sure if it was necessary but they really want to do it. In reading your post, I think it'll be good so I have some company. I will be seeing the doctor on Fridays so I think I might go it alone that day. I'm on leave now so I am glad I'll be able to connect with a co-worker each day as they are a wonderful bunch and very supportive.
Sherri
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That's so awesome that you guys have people to go with you! I'm going to have to go it alone. Fortunately, I only live about 10 minutes from the treatment center. But it would be nice to have some support.
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I also live only 10 minutes from my treatment center and I know most of the treatments I will go alone, however to have someone go with me during the 1st few times help take the pressure off......I feel bad for all you women who have to travel a very long distance......well off I go to simulation, chat with you lovely ladies later......
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I'm lucky, too, as I'm less than 5 miles from my cancer centre. The office where my co-workers are coming from to pick me up is much farther away so that makes me feel a bit guilty but they really want to do this and have been planning for months. I am doing the simulation alone.
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Good luck today, june!
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Finished #5 today, and I'm looking forward to the weekend. Everyone was very chatty at the center today - I think we were all ready for the weekend, especially since we're expecting nice weather. It's less than an hour for me to travel to the hospital, get zapped, and get back to work, but the break will be nice.
Sugar - enjoy the company of your co-workers! That's really sweet of them.
Have a nice weekend everyone.
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Hi all....simulation went well for me today and only took a total of about 30 minutes. I thought it would take a lot longer. I will be starting next Wed.......I will be laying on my back with my left arm up and my right arm down, knees bent. I will be going alone as well but I only live about 10 minutes away so I'm not really dreading that part......happy for those of you that do have the company
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I just got back from my CT scan. Not only did I get the tattoos, they marked me all over with India ink - did that happen to everyone else? They said the marks will be there throughout treatment, at least that's what I heard. Why do they need the tattoos then, is my question? You can see this long line of ink over 2 inches long even with my shirt on! I didn't know that would happen. I can deal with a few teeny tattoos, but all this ink is bothering me for some reason.
Simulation is in another week, then I start the following Monday.
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No tattoos for me, just marks covered with clear adhesive strips. Thankfully nothing is visible. I wasn't expecting the marks on my back and sides, but it made sense after I thought about it. I would love to be able to observe the alignment process. The conversation between the two technicians during the alignment always seems like a strange language known only to them. We then get to look forward to a whole new set of marks for the boosts.
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Hi All!
I have marks all over me too - including a T on my upper chest that you can actually see over my t-shirt neckline.
I can't use the clear tape so they write on me everyday and yesterday I got another tattoo - 3 for me now.
I think it's great that some of you do have people to go with you. For me it's more of a bother and kind of unnecessary to have someone drive or come with me. My appts will be mostly in the late afternoon/after school and I know that's a busy time for a lot of moms.
Like I said before at some point I will "invite" friends to come with me - do lunch before hand and a bit of shopping (there is lots of great shopping where I go for my tx) but that will be for the company rather than for support.
I had my appt this morning with the PS. He said that for sure he could do an implant on my mast and radiated side. He told me that the key to the success of the implant is timing. He said to wait at least 4 months after radiation for the TE and then another 4 months or so before the exchange. He told me that the radiated side will be harder and to the touch the difference will be noticeable. But he did say that I could have good results. He is going to do a lift on my natural breast to make them the same. He would NOT remove my right breast completely.
I asked him about liposuction (might as well get a bit extra done while I'm at it) and he told me that I would have skin left over and still would have stretched ab muscles to deal with. So he wouldn't recommend just lipo fo rme. He advised that it would be better to have one of the flap surgeries if I wanted a tummy tuck at the same time as a breast recon.
I don't want to do a flap so I'll consider doing the tummy tuck possibly before the breast recon. I need to discuss this with hubby. It's a lot of money though - $11, 000!!
Anyway that's it for me for today. I hope you all had a good day and great weekend off from rads!
Marie
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Hello ladies I went for my simulation today and it went pretty fast I just wish the communication was there....I was under the impression that I start radiation immediately after simulation, as when they scheduled the appt for simulation I asked them when they would think I start and they said the following Monday..........little did I know that they need physicist team to map out my program and it can take up to 10 days as the physicist then has to make sure the radiation oncologist is fine with how it is mapped out and then it goes back and forth until it is finalized.........I got 6 tattoos today and yes they marked up my whole body but I believe it is all washable....I go in and start the dry run on the 17th of this month and supposedly start on the Thursday the 18th....I JUST WANT IT DONE!!!!!!
I feel like with every new appointment I go through that I get more emotional each time and I am not sure why as I know this is the BETTER type of cancer to have but lying on the cat scan table just had me in tears and I am soooo not like this......I just cannot believe this is happening to me..Anyone else feel this way and does it get better?
Just wanted to share my experience with you and I hope you all have a nice weekend......anyone out there on FB? It would be nice to know more about all you women and a good way to stay connected......if anyone is interested you can look me up under June Babineau Bonetti.....
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June2268: I so relate to what you are saying!! I just want this DONE as well! I am very emotional too. I cried today after the radiation (#2) was over. I am not like that usually but this whole journey has made me quite emotional. I have my strong moments and then I just find myself breaking down. I really am having a hard time with the radiation. I think I handled the chemo better than this. I just feel so vunerable with this therapy. I also hope that I have made the right choice to have it. I do a lot of reading and I have so many questions that they really don't have solid answers for. Anyway it's to late to change my mind now. I will have to try to be positive and have a lot of faith that it will be ok. I am so happy to find someone else that feels the way I do. I hope we can share our thoughts about it with each other. Thanks for posting your feelings I needed to hear it!
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I've gotten really emotional lately. I don't think I really cried during chemo, maybe once or twice, but I've been a blubbering mess with all of this. I didn't cry on the table, but I cried after I left. Part of it is with everyone telling me, oh, this is going to be much easier, a cakewalk. Maybe physically it will be, but everything I've been through up to this point is catching up to me and emotionally, it's getting more difficult. You'd think I'd be more upset at being in the hospital with neutropenic fever for five days, but the marks on my body are upsetting me more. And I can't hide them. Even losing my hair wasn't as upsetting for some reason.
I am on facebook as well, and would be happy to connect with you ladies there. I'm under Shelby Flores.
Have a great day,
Shelby
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Hi, I'm on FB, too, and would love to connect. However, I don't post on FB about breast cancer just yet because not all my friends from my hometown know about it yet and I want to tell them before they read it online. I hope that doesn't sound too odd. If anybody wants to connect, please send me a PM.
Sherri
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Sherri I too have not told alot of people and I will most definitely keep it quiet as I don't think that is something to talk about with all FB people.......so for anyone reading this I think Sherri has made a wonderful point and maybe it would be best to meet each other and get to know each other through FB, however if we want to vent it should be in private form not shared......I still love this site and will always be on here as well......
As for Shelby and Daysone I feel you 2 women have a more advanced disease and have more reasons to cry......every time I try to talk to anyone regarding this it is always downplayed as I am only DCIS and not invasive, even the lovely lady I saw today for my simulation....so hard to blow off!!!!!
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June2268: I don't care what type of cancer you have its all terrible! I don't think it is right for anyone to tell you that. Cancer is Cancer. You can talk anytime you want. I will listen. We are all here for each other. I have been told that emotion is a normal thing on this journey. Its ok to have all kinds of different feelings. This is probably the best place for us to vent our feelings for sure. I am not sure that people who are not going through this totally understand?
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Hi Ladies! I'm sorry for not explaining the prone position better...
thanks Carol for clearing that up. Carol, did you request the prone?
I read that it limits the exposure to the heart & lungs-so I requested that, however not sure if the rad onc will use it, as he has said that the breast has to hang a certain way, so we will see. June I was thinking of you today and I'm happy it went well. I have been very emotional as well. I keep thinking, how do you move on from this? I, like all of you,never want to see this ugly beast again!! I need to learn how to not live in fear of this. -
I agree with everyone else about the FB thing and breast cancer, If I ever post anything....it's very discret and the only ones that know are the ones that already know. I don't like discussing it but it helps to be able to come here to talk. I know that all my family and friends that do know care and are there for me but it's hard for people to understand exactly what we feel if you've never been there. Hard to explain and I don't mean this to sound mean or anything but if you have been there you totally get all the feelings that we talk about. So I'd love to connect with anyone that would like to on FB and try to stay friends after we finish this journey. In some ways, even though none of us after ever personally met we're still all connected
! Please PM me as well if you'd like to be friends on FB! -
I am a latecomer to this group. 2 weeks into RT. I never began with a "team".Went to a Breast Center for years to keep an eye on a benign lump - mother had cancer at 60 and died at 67 - so I was in the "at risk" group. Digital mammogram found suspicious area in right breast at 9 o'clock - nowhere near the watched area. I'm 59.
Core biopsy a week later, surgery 6 weeks later ( New Year's Eve) and finally RT 8 weeks after surgery.( Lumpectomy left deep bruising for 4 weeks and 5 inch long scar - 2 inch scar for sentinal node biopsy) My "chart" kept on getting misfiled so it wasn't until I requested my pathology report that I got the call to set up with an oncologist and radiation oncologist.
Went through the "imaging" and began my "adventure". Daily hour journey down a long highway every morning - the drive time is longer than the time I'm at the hospital including finding a place to park!- my stickers and markings got upgraded to permanent blue tatoos - I get imaged once a week , see the RO once a week and in the meantime my annual checkup last week disclosed my thyroid is not working.
I read on the Mayo Clinic website that RT can affect the thyroid but primary care said no. I will talk to my RO but not sure I want to take something while doing RT.Anyone else have a thyroid condition out of the blue?
So far the RO seems the most straight forward and informative - wonder why?
Good health to all the March RADS - This forum is really neat - there's so much out there to share.
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Nipi - I didn't request the prone position, but it was one of my criteria for selecting where I would get treatment, since it is my left breast. This board has been a good resource in understanding treatment options. I also saw a news health segment last year about breast radiation which indicated that the prone position reduced the risk to the heart and lungs. My rad. oncologist was very thorough during the consultation, probably the most time that I've spent with a doctor in a long time. He indicated that I was a good candidate for the prone position since I have large, pendulous breasts. This really translates to "The girls are going south with age".
SW7 - I actually have the opposite thyroid situation. I had papillary thyroid cancer 15 years ago. It was treated by removing the thyroid, no additonal treatment was required. My primary care doctor monitors my hormone levels closely. I will be curious to see if there's any change following treatment.
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I am looking at this and I'm amazed about how strong you all are. I hope all goes well for you. I saw my mom go through chemo at such a young age, she was soo strong. Breast cancer relapsed and turned into bone cancer, which went throughout her whole body I was only 7 so I don't really remember how bad off it was. But I was talking to my dad the other day and he was telling me that either she straved to death or just died naturally. I hope you all make it through. God bless each of you.
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I read on the Dr Susan Love website that there is a "maybe " associated with radiation treatment affecting the thyroid. I'm getting a second opinion consult with an oncologist in a couple weeks - my originally assigned one never set me straight on the cancers I have - yes - I had 3 types removed - IDC, ILC and DCIS I had to read my pathology report 5 times to understand it - and her immediate plan was for aromatase meds after I am done with RT end of the month. With thyroid meds added in the equation I need to talk to someone else for a new opinion.
PS Reading about other stories on this forum is amazing how many of us have life in common - the post about the mother who died of cancer - my mother went the exact way 28 years ago and she never told us what was going on - only our father knew.
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SW7 - I had two kinds myself - IDC and DCIS. Aside from chemo and radiation, I won't be getting anything else because mine is hormone negative. I have no family history so I don't know where this came from.
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