MARCH 2010 Rads Group

AndreaS and all,

The hill climb up Madison went surprisingly well.  I allotted 24 minutes to walking up from 2d but actually got there in 15.  I guess I have been spending more time contemplating the contents of the deli window than I thought!  The good part was that I can definitely walk up, get treatment, do my stomach crunches on the floor of the dressing room [I toss the gown on the floor and do crunches while I wait for my creme application to dry/soak in] and race down the hill all on my lunch hour. Based on google maps the round trip will give me a healthy 1.2 ish mile walk too which is good for my optimistic lose weight on rads while eatting chocolate program.

As for the topless in the privacy of your bedroom, Not Good Enough!  You need a locking office door like I have!

June2268, I would not expect a lump in throat to be a SE of rads.  That seems to me to be too far out of the field of zapping.  Perhaps you are coming down with something?

June2268 - I had that lump in my throat feeling too.  It came and went and sometimes I'd get a bit of reflux & heartburn too.

Are your collar bone and neck area being radiated?  MIne was and so I attributed it to that. 

During this whole treatment time - 6 weeks - I've managed to miss everything that is going around even though my hubby and kids brought home coughs, colds and flus!

Today the tech told me that I may blister/break under my arm and on my collar bone after rads is over.  If that happens he told me not to put anything on it - except maybe polysporin if needed.

Hope everyone is coping with their treatments and checking off the days!

Marie

Marie-

I finished rads last Monday, and I am seeing both my medical onc and rads onc in about 5 weeks. The rads onc is just a followup visit to make sure I've recovered from rads, and the med onc visit is to followup on my starting of Tamoxifen. I also know that I will be having my first followup mammogram on my affected breast in June-6 months after my surgery, then a mammogram on both breasts in December. I have a feeling my doctors and I will be seeing each other for quite some time!

I have not had any more side effects from radiation since finishing last Monday. I'm really looking forward to being able to use deodorant and being able to shave my armpit again. The doctor said I can as soon as my burn goes away.

Mary

21 down 12 to go. I am getting red now, under my arm and between my breasts, doc gave me domoboro wet dressing to use. It does take the itch away. The knot under my nipple from surgery scar tissue causes me more trouble than the skin. I have to wear a bra or it really pains. It looks like a bruise just above my nipple and the weight of my breast hanging is not comfortable at all. When I have asked about it I get no answers

Flo

I did have a bad burn in the area of my underarm and going down the side from under arm by the breast and where the incision from surgery was.  I got my hand held mirror to see closer and that area has now turned a dark brown, however the skin is not tanning per se, but it looks like the skin from the burn is turning into dead skin and will eventually peel.  (at top by under arm there are two spots peeling).

Oh as for seeing surgeon, now I have to wonder here.  I had my last surgery in October 2009, and had a follow up to the surgery 3 weeks later.  What I find odd, is that the surgeons office never scheduled me an appt for the new year (knowing full well that I would be going for chemo and RADS in the new year)  and has not even made any attempts to call me to schedule an appt.  I know several people here locally that also had this very same surgeon that I do and had surgery around same time as I did and have a scheduled appt with him for April.  Have to wonder why a follow up was never scheduled for me.. hmmm 

I would think after my cancer treatments he would want to see me?

Charmaine

CTMOM1234: I am probably going to give my surgeon a call in the next couple of weeks and see if perhaps a 6 month follow up was scheduled and maybe I just lost the appt card??  As for the RAD Oncologist, have an appt with him May 12.  I saw the Medical Oncologist April 6th and will be following up with him again in November and then once a year every November.

Charmaine

3monst - chocolate with nuts is most certainly healthy!  Tell yourself that enough times and it will be TRUE!  I bought Intense Chocolate flavored ice cream, upping the dose of chocolate per bite.  And I expect to be swimsuit ready by June?  Ugh, better stop buying ice cream.  Boo!

Finished #20 today, and just barely pink on the side of my breast/under my arm.  I've gotten away lucky so far.  One more week of regular tx, then boosts for a week.  Crossing fingers that I stay lucky as far as s/e's go!  I'm still able to wear a bra, which is good since I'm a D on one side and a DD on the other.  Others' boobs are swelling, mine is shrinking!  I'm very lopsided now, it's more noticeable since I started rads.

Have a great day/evening everyone!

Blessings,

Shelby 

Woo-hoo!!!!  I am done!!!   Number 30 of 30 completed today     They didn't ring any bells but I got a certificate of completion. Plus I get to take home the hand made quilt (A local ladies group makes quilts for the cancer center. When treatment began I got to pick one which the techs tagged as mine; it was nice getting covered up with that every day instead of a hospital sheet.)

The rad doc wants to followup in 5 weeks and he said at that time he'll give me the specifics for taking vitamen E. He said it's too early to take now but it will help the healing of scar tissue.  He said I probably won't be ready for a mammogram for another 2-3 months. 

Next I'll be learning all about hormone therapy. Plus I think I'm going to have switch from Zoloft to Effexor which makes me nervous.  But that's another chapter in this "C" drama and I want to revel in finishing the radiation one.   I think I'll start with dinner out tonite.

MjZ...Congratualtions!!1

I had #18 of 33 today. Felt more itching and some soreness and am quite red. Starting to feel tired earlier. Trying not to freak out over hip and lower back pain, telling myself it's just from excerising. Would not have thought twice about it before cancer! I see my onc. next week to discuss tamoxifen and so forth.  Not looking forward to that..I think it will be worse than radiation for me. Have a good weekend everyone.

Good news!! Originally I was told 33, 3 being boosts, today I was told 28 reg and 4 boosts. So there is one I don't have to have. Other than that all is the same with me, same redness and irritation but nothing worse than it has been. Have a great week end every one.

Flo

25 down and 7 boosts to go.  I will admit that I now have the red burn and some itching.  I broke down and used some hydrocortisone gel w/ aloe.  I had been on the Aquaphor for the duration of the 25 tx's.  Although I throughly enjoy the rad techs- I will be happy to have my regular schedule back. 

I finished rads today and slam dunked my robe and the bag that I kept my clothes in while at the treatment centre.

There was a bit of a mix up - a new tech told me to have a good weekend and to make sure I put lots of lotion on my skin before I start up again on Monday.  What?!?  I reminded her that I was done, she checked my chart and agreed.

I'm done! 

Now I just need my skin to heal and my days to be my own again!

I started peeling under my arm today and have a small blister on my collar bone that might break.  The dr on call gave me another RX for a anti fungal cream if needed.

As I left I said good bye everyone, good bye change rooms, good bye waiting room, good bye water cooler, good bye bathroom, good bye exit sign, good bye parking garage, good bye parking attendant....you get the idea!

Congrats to those that finished this week too and hang in there to those that are going back for more tx next week.

I hope you ALL have a great weekend!

Marie

Congrats to all who have finished....YEAH!!!  So happy for all you who are getting your lives back to normal.  I have 7 to go and I will be joining.....To all of us who are still on this journey, have a relaxing weekend and then back to ZAPWORLD on Monday.....we'll make it.

Hi all,

Feeling a bit chafed under my breast today. I was told to put the aloe on 7 days a week, 3X a day, but I only use it at night. I am on treatment #16 or so, and have only had a bit of redness under my breast. I will switch back to a soft, no underwire bra next week as well to alleviate this.  It's a beautiful spring day here, but sitting inside due to allergies (ugh), and planning on going to yoga later today.  Peace and healing to all of you this weekend. So happy to have two rad free days!!!!