MARCH 2010 Rads Group

Hi, I started mine this morning.  I am scared and nervous.  I was in the room getting set up for my treatment and the nurse asked if this one of the departments could come in while I was getting set up. I saw the 6 people waiting outside the room when I walked in. However, being my first day and a bit overwhelmed, I could not believe that these six people wanted to watch. It was quite upsetting. They also take photos of the positioning and it all feels very intrusive. Secondly, I could feel in my breast when they did the radiation. There was also an odor afterwards. Has any one else noticed this? 

HI ALL

12 more sleeps to go till im getting zapped , im not at all nervous about it just want to get it all started  .

Take care all

JOJO,

June2268, I havn't had any loss of appetite - if anything, its BETTER than before!  I find Im hungry all the time, and am giving myself lots of 'treats and deserts' because Im undergoing Rads and 'need the energy'!!

No fatigue as yet really, I find Im sleeping much better at night, no longer waking up in the middle of the night and lying awake for an hour or two thinking about everything - which I used to do a lot during chemo...... Now Im sleeping all night and its great!!!

7/33 done...!

Hi Ladies!

Just wondering what should I expect during stimulation??? Is it overwhelming? does it hurt to get tats??

Hi All!

Nipi - the simulation isn't too bad - just them pulling and pushing you around on the table (you're not supposed to help them even though it's human nature to!).  They'll shout out numbers to each other and write with marker on your body for positioning guides.  The tattoos are just pin pricks really but they use india ink and it doesn't even bleed (at least mine didn't).  I only have 3 and the one in the middle of my breasts is more noticeable than the one at the top and back.

I had #7 of 28 yesterday and so far so good.  I'm laying down, knees up with arms over my head  and I found that after the first few times my arms were really sore.  Now they are ok - I guess I just needed to get used to that position!

I haven't noticed any lack of appetite or fatigue yet.  I am sleeping better at night but that could be because I'm drug free and don't have anything coming up to worry about (at least for now!).

I don't notice an odor while I'm on the table from the rads but yesterday as I got up I did have a little fart that I hope no one else noticed!!  I tried not to giggle about it because that would have caused more giggling and let to laughing and then I would have peed my pants for sure.  Not to mention all the movement that would have caused on the table - you're supposed to stay really still and I'm a whole body laugher.  Maybe I should stretch a bit before I get up on the table so that doesn't happen again?

My skin is kind of pink - especially around my collar bone - and sensitive to the inside of my clothes.  I'm wearing some very soft men's undershirts under my tops and that seems to help.

So far no burns, chafing or redness anywhere and all I'm using is Lubriderm twice a day all over.  I apply a little on my neck and collar bone through out the day for itching as needed.

Here's a tip for you - ask the radiation therapists where you should be applying cream - that is where your radiation field is on your body. 

I asked on Monday and was surprised to learn that I need to cream up my neck to my chin and then down to the bottom of my ribs from my shoulder blade to the start of my other breast all on my left side.  Since I started doing that entire area I've actually felt less itchy!

About the zapping - I think my zaps are getting longer.  Yesterday one went for almost a minute!

I asked the rad therapist about it and she said it is not the length of time but the dose and so it may be that sometimes it goes longer.  I'm not sure I like that answer so I will ask the rad onc about it tomorrow when I see him.

I don't have the same team every time I go like some of you - there seems to be an overlap of one person with someone new each day or couple of days.  Yesterday I had Brenda with Courtney, but on Monday I had Brenda with Cheryl and on Friday I had Cheryl with Kimball.  So today I should have Courtney with someone new! 

Well that's all for me for now - just wanted to let those of you who are starting that it's no big deal to go through this.  Much easier than chemo that's for sure! 

Happy Zapping!

Marie

About those photos:  They took a lot of photos at the set-up.  I think its for making sure they have the position right in the real event.  Because I was in the tube, I had my eyes shut.  Note to all, be sure to scratch anything that might itch [eyebrow, end of nose, etc] because once they place you, no moving allowed.  I suppose you could ask a tech to scratch your nose but to me, that would be invasive.

I didn't feel photo shoot was so invasive as much I found myself pondering whether somewhere out there, there just might be some freakish person [okay we all know I really mean guy!] who actually gets off on photos of topless women lying on tables with their arms over their heads and scarred boobies bitting on breathing tubes while getting zapped by red laser lights on little blue tat marks!!!

Now thats a Hot mental picture, isn't it?  Which one of us wants to do the google images search?

And then I had to stop thinking about it because I was starting to giggle and that would make me move and that would make us have to start all over which would annoy the technicians who were already annoyed because my regular breathing pattern includes the occassional deep breathe when they hadn't told me to breath deep.

Marie - what is a loonie?  :P

My incision is getting sore 13th day  into RADS and skin feels like  a bit sunburned but not pink yet  My RO said use the Aquaphor regardless of how pink you look - it will make a difference toward the end. The coughing has started for the SE of losing some of my lung.

My question is  what are the "boosts" about? I was never offered any - just 30 days of RADS.. 

Good luck Nipi let us know how it goes......

Nipi, hope your day is going well...

Hi Everyone,

I willl be joining you as well on this journey, as I start my rads March 22nd.  Went for my CT scan and tattoos today and go for my simulation next Friday.  Will probably be starting Tamoxifen when the rads are through.  I never thought I'd be dealing with this and I still feel like this is happening to someone else and I'm just going through the motions, but I will get through this.  I'm hoping all goes well with everyone's treatments  :-)

Deb 

Hey Girls!!

Thanks for the well wishes for the day... I have to say that is was VERY VERY EMOTIONAL for me.. I questioned if I should have had a mastectomy, and if I was careless for choosing Lump & Rads. I have a 2 year old son and the fear of this Beast coming back has me scared shitless, and today it just all came out. How do you move on?? how do you not think of this everyday of your life? Sorry ladies to be so negative, but it was just a bad day for me. Other than the emotional part- everything was fine.. the tat hurt just a little, but that was the end of it.. I could not wait to get home and blog with you guys!! It's funny how we all have never met, yet, we give each other such comfort that people closes to us in our lives can not seem to match.

NIPI: I can relate to your remark about the people closest to us don't understand what we are going through. They haven't walked in our shoes and they don't know how difficult this long journey is, I don't think so anyway. My daughter doesn't seem to have much understanding for the fears I have about things like going in the sun after radiation for example. She thinks that I worry to much. I think that our friends and family are supportive to us however.  I just don't want to experience this cancer again in any form. Breast, skin, bone whatever! I do hope that it will subside as far as thinking about it everyday. I am with you on that one. I have had six treatments and tomorrow will be seven. I have twenty one more to go. I am so looking forward to the last one. I hate this radiation stuff!!

SW7: I was reading one of your posts about the food you eat. It sounds very healthy. One thing that I was told and I am hoping I was told wrong, was about miso soup. I was told that because I am estrogen hormone positive that I should not eat any soy products. My friend showed me how everything, I mean everything has soy added to it. Including dressings, mayonnaise, just about everything I read on the labels has soy. I am trying to buy products that do not contain the soy because of the positive hormone. I am also taking Femara, hormone blocker for this problem. If anyone knows differently please let me know. I love sushi and soybeans and soy sauce and all the soy products. I was really amazed at how many products have soy in them as filler when I started reading the ingredients. Any information anyone has is welcomed!

Hey everyone...I've had 7 so far tomorrow makes 8 and done until Monday...

I will have a total of 33.  I have not noticed any SE at all yet....Other than

I have lost 4 pounds since I started...Dr. asked me if I'm eating and I am just

not as much....I can stand a little weight loss so I'm ok with it.

I have to drive an hour to treatment then back home and off to work until 5:30 PM

So far no problems keeping up with it.. My sister rides with me almost each

treatment so that helps...(We're super close even though she is 7 years older than me)

Hope everyone is doing well......Yeah come on Spring and the Weekend.....time for a

little break