MARCH 2010 Rads Group

One week out-no further side effects. I'm still experiencing fatigue, but that could be that I have pretty much resumed my normal life....meetings, housework, etc.

I seemed to have most of my skin SE's in about the 4th week of my treatment and they subsided gradually as I was receiving my boosts. I still have a tan boob, and the outline of the treatment area is very distinct.

Some of you have mentioned your SN incision bothering you-I agree, that was one of the worst things. Mine turned almost black, and then peeled off. Now you can hardly see it at all.

Mary

Oh boy, I'm getting red!  and stingy!  Had to sit through an excruciatingly long meeting this morning, wanting to strip off the very loose bra that I've been wearing.  Now that would have caused some raised eyebrows - but might have added to my ability to provide any valuable input. So I guess I'm back to going bra-free until the swelling annoys me again. 

Interesting about the ZAP length - I thought it was in my head that they change in duration.

Way to go! to those of you who are finished.. and/or onto the boost stage.  It's impressive how tough everyone has been through this huge mental and physical energy drain.  It keeps me plodding forward, one pastry and one slam-dunk at a time thinking of you all doing it with me.

CTMON - Congratulations!  It does feel strange to be 'flipped' from the prone position to lying on your back.  I found that I was more tense, and had to work harder at relaxing.  I was glad that it was just a quick zap.

The radiation tan is fading, just dealing with itching. 

Hang in there all - you're getting close to the end. 

I have 8 left to go, 4 reg., 4 boosts Can't wait till I'm done. Burned under my arm and the rest is red dots all over and between my breasts the itchy bumps they say are from the zaps irritating the hair folicles. all is managable, I hope it stays that way. Then on to the med onco. Max is going with me every friday. Sounds like they will miss him more than me once I'm done. I don't have a gown to dunk or I surly would be. They give BC paitents a short smock with a tie at the waist and you keep it for the duration. You can tell who has BC because of the smocks , every one else uses the gowns.  I will dunk it solidly a week from this friday. Have a good evening ladies

Flo

Thank you so much, RAILI, CABMOM, and CAROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SLAM DUNKED BOOST GOWN 1, 4 MORE TO GO!

Carol, completely agree with you. I'm not used to seeing the techs and the machine so much, had to shut my mind off and just pretend that I wasn't really there -- funny how comfortable we get with even creepy things like rad treatments and the routine of lying prone, facing right, and watching the machine arm swing around for the second zap.

Good luck Cabmom and Sugar77 with boost #1 AND CONGRATS. on being done with full breast! I actually cried with happiness after my last full breast treatment, because even though I knew I still have 5 boosts, it's a huge milestone!  I'd been so brave and holding it together, guess it was time to cry. Am sure you'll find it easier than the full breast and it's even shorter (just 1 zap session, rather than the zap from the left, the arm swinging around and then the zap from the right).

To Everyone: Keep checking those days off and slam dunking the $#%$ out of BC (literally and figuratively).

Sherrie - How exciting for you to be moving onto your boosts tomorrow!  You're ALMOST done!  I still such a long way to go that I can't even imagine how good it must feel to be almost through. 

I'm going in for number 13 today - so I still have a ways to go.  No problems yet except for my weight creeping up.  UGH!  I guess I can't really blame rads for that, although I'd really like to! 

Kathy - I think Wednesdays are my least favorite day - I'm ready to go on Monday and Tuesday but today...I'd rather stay home and skip my appt.  No luck with that though.

Grama5 - I must have missed out on Max....is that your dog? I always enoy it when there are dogs at my center.

Hope everyone has a GREAT day!

Hello all.....my first boost went very well just LONG.  They had to retake shots and line up everything again so I was there for a while this morning.  Only 4 to go.....YEAH........tomorrow should go much more quickly than today.  Hope everyone is doing well.........

MariannaHBI too have 12 more to go with 5 of them being boost......I so far have been feeling great a little itchy and some redness more under the arm than anywhere, but the techs told me my tan is getting much more noticeable......I too haven't felt too tired until this morning when I could not for the life of me get up....I too feel like I am sleeping much more solid at night.  I am waiting for the SE like everyone keeps talking about, but so far none.....well they tell me my complaints are SE......who knows!  I am going in for 19 and so excited as I just want this all behind me.

Good luck to all of you and congrats to all you fine ladies out there who are done with rads.....

3monstmama- Go to the knitting cancer support group! You are entitled to take some time for yourself. I have a friend who told me to *allow* myself to skip a workout, sleep a little longer, leave a little early. It's all part of being good to yourself while you're going through a very stressful time. If you can allow yourself some leeway, you are paving the way for a healthy recovery, not stressing yourself out (we all know cortisol plays its role in BC).  Allow yourself to go!!!

3monstmama,

I made it through 4 weeks of rads with a normal schedule except for leaving work a little early to get there.  After that I took one sick day a week just to chill out.  I felt like I could have gone to work, but honestly I was not energetic or very productive. I also took a week off on a relaxing vacation shortly after I finished rads.  My husband insisted on that and it was a good idea.  I think he realized more than I did that I was dragging. 

Zap Sixteen crossed off the list!

Sugar77 I'm so sorry to hear about your delay.  Thats so frustrating when I'm sure, like the rest of us, you have that final day circled in red ink on the calender.  I hope all goes well tomorrow.

Saline Compresses:  This is so interesting to me.  When I go to the beach and don't wash off well, the salt in the water makes my skin dry and eventually itchy so I can't imagine it helping me with itchy zapped skin.  I was told that benedryl creme would work for itchy skin as there is apparently a histamine componant.  At this point, I haven't had any issues but the ZapNurse said that my nightly allergy meds might be keeping them down.

On sleeping, I read somewhere on this board that taking the calcium and vit D and magnesium at night before bed helps with sleep.  I did it last night and had a really great night's sleep even though my 10 year old daughter was having a rough night and ended up in our bed in between my husband and I.  Did I mention we only have a double bed and he's 6 ft tall?    Anyrate, I thought I would mention my antecdotal support for the combo helping with sleep.

Zap Flashes [because I am so not ready for the other kind]  I have noticed what appears to be a link between ZapFlashes and things with lots of sugar.  This includes the various goodies brought to Zapland this week by those who have completed treatment as well as that darned Sees Chocolate Easter Egg.  Shortly after consumption of the sugar overloaded item, I get errr, flashy.  The more sugary items I have gorged on, the flashier I seem to get.

On the bright side, consumption of high end very dark chocolate does not provoke a similiar reaction.

As for tomorrow, you have all convinced me.  Here's hoping its a sunny afternoon!

Sugar77....I am so sorry to hear about your boosts being delayed.  We all understand how important it is to get these behind us.  Praying that they will begin tomorrow with NO MORE DELAYS!!!

Mommaof2, Yes max is my 4 lb parti pomerainian. He is white with chocolate and tan. If he had a squished nose he would look like gizmo in Gremblins. He goes with me every friday, as fri and sat are my days off, otherwise i go straight to rads from work. He runs down the hall to my tech team way ahead of me. They say he brightens up their fridays. Next friday will be my last day so he will be there with me to say good bye.

I am red, irritated and itchy but is doable. monday is my last full zaps then 4 boosts. I'm feeling tired now and taking a 20 min. cat nap after taking Max for a walk when I get home. Yes like others here I am wanting to play hookey too.Maybe I will once I'm done and don't have to leave the house if I don't want to.

Flo

Sugar77 & Cabmom - May today's 1st and 2nd boost sessions go very smoothly and quickly!

Grama5 - Congratulations and good luck with boost #1.

This afternoon will be boost #3 of 5 -- yeah, hump day and another SLAM DUNKING THE CRAP OUT OF BC! Surprised that only 3 days out from my last full breast zaps how quickly my entire left breast has now changed from lobster red to a dirty tan. It's an itchy and colored square than spans from arm pit to cleavage, from collarbone on down but minimal problems, except my poor underpart of my hangy-from-nursing breast is raw raw raw, the thought of wearing a bra gives me goosebumps (yikes!) with dead skin peeling and new skin underneath is red (and unfortunately this raw under section is part of the boost area so I fear it is going to get worse before it gets better, with nurse using words like "weeping")!

Met with the nurse after yesterday's boost and she suggested the saline compresses and gave me a little boobie bath tray, gauze, and a bottle of saline. Such is this process, we just keep taking it on the "chin" (aka breast).

Please keep posting with updates, everyone, we're all in this together.