MARCH 2010 Rads Group

Hi Pink Peeps.  I will go for my CT and tattoos tomorrow.  Not sure exactly when the actual treatments will start.  I hope soon as my surgery was January 8th.

I've agreed to become part of a special study for radiation treatment.  There will be two study groups (I don't know which one I will belong to yet) and one group will have radiation to the whole breast, once a day for 6 weeks.  The other group will have radiation done twice a day but only to the affected area and only for one week.  There is enough evidence (apparently) that supports only radiating the cancer area is as effective as doing the entire breast.  I know that breast cancer research has come a very long way as a result of pink sisters agreeing to be part of a study...so here's to them and here's to this new study.  Let's hope it reveals useful data.

Personally, I am hoping I get into the twice a day group.  It would be nice to get this all behind me and start moving forward.  I am on tamoxifen already and have not had any side effects that are noticeable.

I will keep you posted as to how I do, and side effects etc of the radiation.  Good luck everyone.

I've had CT scans before...they are easy-peesy.  No problem-o!  We can do this easy thing.  We've already had the hard thing...like the needle in the boob for preparing for the sentinal node identification and removal??  LOL

I was told that I couldn't drive tomorrow...and that surprises me.  From what I've been reading at our site, driving to and from radiation appts is no biggy.  I wonder if it is just for the initial one because it includes CT scans?  Or, on the other hand...maybe it's for insurance purposes and the hospital doesn't want to get sued if you have an accident on the way home after the appt.  Hmmmmmmmmmm....I wonder which one it is.... LOL

Hello Ladies, I am six rads in and I am so tired I could cry!  I thought the SE's would hold off a couple weeks!  I am so frustrated!  Well day one I did wake up to no power (storm), a cold and my period but I am over all that now and still tired!  Took three days to get the power back.  Rads so far are very quick and easy with no change in my skin however, the doc says by the end of this coming week that story will change. 

Thanks for all the lotion notes, my team says Lubriderm, Dove, Neutrogena, Aquaphoe, Aloe Vera and VItamin E.  Also no deodorant though I am kind of ignoring that on the weekends.  I am using an electric razor.. hair is still growing and that is just gross.

Have a great week ladies.  Hopefully the couch at work is comfy!

Starting rads on March 10. Glad to meet all of you here.

Hi there...can I ask you what is the "balloon" that is put into your breast if/when mammosite radiation is done?  What is mammosite radiation...I've heard of it before and wondered if it is what I'm going to be in a test group for.  But the balloon thing is new...nobody said anything about a balloon...yikes!

Aloha, everyone! I was diagnosed after a fairly large excisionaly biopsy Dec. 7.  Results Dec. 15.  Totally unexpected for all.  Had lumpectomy Feb. 5.  Went to a temporary med. onc. last week and he said 4/3 chemo, plus radiation, etc.  I was stunned!  No one had ever mentioned this. This past Fri. I got the Oncotype results from rad. onc.: 17.  Interesting that original report said Prog. 0 and this was says 7.5/12.  Inclination is to by pass med onc. (he is leaving in 3 weeks) and start radiation. Have simulation scheduled this week.  After looking at numbers for Mar. chemo group, I am getting concerned.  Why are people with such low scores getting chemo? Trying to make a decision and am located where it is hard to even get a med. onc., but great rad. onc and center. Can anyone shed light on this?  I appreciate the support of this group.

To those of you who have the tatooes, what do they look like? Are they permanent? I forgot to ask these questions when I met with the Radiation Oncologist. 

Hi Everyone! I have had three treatments and 25 to go. I have a question for anyone who would answer for me. When you have the actual radiation treatment. How many seconds does it last? Like for example they radiate me on both sides for about 40 seconds each side. My husband thinks that it is a really long time? He wanted me to go on the posts and ask the ladies. If anyone is willing, could you share how long the machine shoots the radiation a one time. Like on my right side it goes 40 seconds and then a short 2 or 3 second shot. Then the machine moves to the left side and does the same thing. Then I am done. I would appreciate anyone that would share their treatment with me. I know that each will be different but I am just trying to see if the 40 seconds is an exceptionally long time? Don't know for sure if that is somewhat standard? I did ask my doctors PA and she let me talk to the Physicists (? however you spell it) he said that It was a standard treatment for breast cancer. Just not sure yet. Want to see if you all are getting the same standard treatment?

LNFletch - I got 3 tatoos, one on my sternum, and one on eather side of my breasts.  As June2268 says, they are pencil-dot in size, I barely notice mine.  They did kinda hurt getting done, a sharp pin-prick.  And they are permanent.

daysone - my treatment is like that too, i.e machine starting on my right side and moving around to the left.  I think it lasts approx 30 seconds, I will time it tomorrow!

5/33 done, so far so good!  

I got my tattoos on friday, four of them.  One right between my breasts, one on my stomach, and one each on the outside of my breasts, well a little lower than my breasts but on the side.  They are very small, like the others said, about the size of a pencil point.  The one between my breasts is slightly larger, i don't think on purpose but oh well.  It didn't hurt that much, just like a hard pinch.

I don't know how long the rads stays on - I haven't started the actual tx yet, but that's something I will ask the doc when I see him for my simulation on Friday.  It's great that you were able to talk to the physicist, I wonder how often they actually talk to patients?

I was told each cancer is a bit different for every woman who gets it - . I am a 25- er  11 days in and  it's 30 sec each side. I asked the RT tech and he said it is usually less than a a minute for most patients.

My tattoos are blue pinpoints - 2 on my sternum and one on each side. Everything was done exactly as explained to me. My RAD  room has a  twinkling starlit dome -  I get to wish on a star every day I'm there .

I'm not slated for chemo but I am for aromatase therapy. Frankly I'm not keen on that idea. Too many issues with uterine cancer.

I was also told I will lose a section of my lung ( the tumor was right on my chest wall) and that's  one of the  reasons for being tired. I will find out tomorrw if the RADS are causing my thyroid to malfuntion - I'm not thrilled with the idea that the RADS penetrate even into the heart.

Any of you ladies that have already started rads have a loss of appetite yet?  I hear that is one of the side effects as well as tiredness and hoping since I have to go through this hell that maybe I could benefit from something....lol

Good luck LNFletch on Wednesday!

Back from Set-Up day 2:

I did my best to comply with the techs request to "breathe normally" while they took pictures but in as much as I don't normally have a tube in my mouth and a clip on my nose while breathing, it was hard!!!!  As it turned out, I took deep breathes when they didn't say "breathe deep" so I messed things up and we had to do another do-over.

For the curious, no additional tattoos.  Oh and I have 4 microscopic blue dots not 3 as I originally stated.  My 10 year old daughter, after I showed her last night, was decidely NOT impressed.  Quote she "thats it?"  After this morning, I can say that I understand how the tattoos are used--on either side of the room there is a strip of red lights [think laser tag! ] and they line you up so your tats are hit by the red light.

I have my schedule for whole treatment--dry run on March 22, starting on March 23, skipping on April 2 and finishing on May 7.  At least thats the schedule as long as I don't get sick or have to miss a day.  Timewise, its supposed to take 30 minutes.  The first 5 visits are at 8:15am, the next 7 are at 8:30 and after that its at 11:30am.  This should allow me to take the minimal amount of leave because I will just go on my lunch hour.  I'm not trying to overdo but I would MUCH rather use leave to hang out with my monsters in the afternoon than on rads.

As for appetite suppression, one can only hope  , right? Honestly I'm thinking any suppression might be linked to just plain exhaustion so that you find yourself skipping meals and just going to bed.

7 down, 14 to go.   I was down two pounds for this week's weigh-in.  I haven't had a loss of appetite, but I notice that I'm satisfied with less food.  This is a side effect that I can live with! 

 A little inflammation on the incision today, but not unbearable.  The nurse noticed some swelling as well.  I was also a little tired today.  I felt like I needed another hour of sleep, but I'm not sure that it would have mattered.  I'm hoping that it's not much worse than this.

Judalini - I am getting the shortened treatment - 16 days 'regular', 5 boosts.  The oncologist originally planned to do 25/8, however he saw no reason to go with the shortened treatment plan.