MARCH 2010 Rads Group

Nic - Wow!  You have a 45 mile drive to your treatment center?  I really need to stop complaining about my drive, it's only about 15 miles but it takes me 30 minutes to get there.  Do you have to drive into Phoenix for your treatments?  I totally know what you meant about the last year being a blur - it seems like I've missed our on so much at my kids school this year.  I sure hope NEXT year our lives will be back to normal. 

Deb - you are SO funny!  Thanks for the giggles.

To all that finish this week a big WHOO HOO to you!!!

Happy Monday! 

CTMOM1234- Congratulations on your last day!  Celebrate !

Congrats to CTMOM1234, what a feeling.....go celebrate as you deserve it!

I am a little nervous but excited all at the same time.....I am now counting backwards and today will be #9, but I am getting cooked with the last few treatments and I thought I would heal up this weekend but it still looks the same, so I hope today does not do much damage.......sleep has been awful to, not sure why but I am awake ALOT through the night.......no fatigue really at all, just lack of sleep.  Anyone else feel this way?

Sugar 2 left and you are done....YIPEE!

 Well looking to hearing how the rest of you are doing, take care as I am off for my ZAP right now!

Today was my last day!  When this first started, I didn't think I'd ever get here.  But I did and so will all of you.

 Wishing you all the best and big hugs!!

Since so many of you are now finishing up, I'm wondering how do we deal with the future for all the upcoming mammograms, etc?  I've lost the security (false though it was) that I was not at risk for breast cancer because there was no family history and I only have known 1 person who had it,those follow-up visits are going to be so stressful, not knowing what they will show. 

Hey all.

Ddnt' think this volcano affected me but I had no rads on fri as they were servicing the machine. Was told today  they needed a part to be flown in and no flights to Dublin today so I am sharing a machine tmro and my appt at 7.45 pm.. hey would do it at 3am if needs be! 

Hi Ladies, I started my radiation tx on april 1 and thought I would come here to get some advice from you gals who are almost done.  Has everyone experienced burnt, blistered skin?  So far I have only had 13 out of my 33 txs.  I was told only to wash with dove unscented soap, no deodorant except cornstarch or that crystal rock and to put aquaphor on twice a day.  I have been following the directions to a T and so far so good.  I have spoken to some women in the waiting room who have horribly burnt blistered skin.  They told me they were following the same directions.  I am a bit nervous as to what the future holds.  Thanks for any input you can provide.

lolo720, congrats on your last day!  Celebrate !

beceen, I know exactly what you mean.  I'm already terrified to even think about going to have my mammos next month.  Like you, I had no family history of breast cancer or any other cancer and always thought that I lived a healthy lifestyle and had no worries about having it......truth is, I guess no one is ever safe from getting it.  Just praying that it is gone for good.

Lolo, cab, and CT, congrats on FINISHING!!!

Deb, I love it that you talk to your boob.  I sang to mine in the shower the night before surgery!

I'm still here, just haven't posted in a long time.  It's been such a roller coaster for me.  Physically, I'm fine... SEs are mild.  Emotionally, I'm still having a really hard time with radiation.  I got a prescription for Ativan, but it makes me too dizzy/tired to drive, so there's really no point.  I just need something that will relax me for that 15 mins every day at the hospital, not something that will make me woozy for hours!  On good days, I do breathing exercises and metta meditation while I'm there on the table.  On bad days, I just cry and cry and the techs cheerfully keep going as if I'm not.

I skipped Friday, just because I wanted to, just because I was so sick and tired of the hospital and wanted a 3-day weekend.  It felt so good to skip!  Problem was, my breast healed so nicely over the 3-day weekend that going back today was extra hard.  I had felt so DONE, like it was OVER... and then I had to go back, and now treatment will be prolonged by a day because I skipped Friday.  I don't even remember how many I have left- I think the nurse told me I'm 60% done.  It's getting really hard to force myself to keep going there.

I finally have a therapy appointment in a couple days, though... I sure do need it.

4 more to go.. oh man, I can't wait for Friday.  Need to think what my celebration will be.. feel like poor boob deserves something nice (I'm not only talking to poor boob (PB), I'm thinking about getting PB a gift of some sort for being such a trooper).

So good to see everyone working their way toward the end. 

Oh Sherri you must be so excited!  Congrats and let me know what you do to celebrate!

YIPPEE! YIPPEE!  I am DONE.  Just finished #30 and don't have to go back to the rad onc. unless I have problems...........Words can't begin to express how happy I am that this is behind me.  I know I still have lots of tests and I am CONCERNED about those, especially Mondays bone scan but I'm happy to have almost all my life back.

Good luck to everyone else and hope all of you have a wonderful week.....

CONGRATULATIONS CABMOM, DENISE, LOLO & much happines to all of you who still have a bit more to go. Thank you SHERRI for starting this thread and CONGRATS on finishing later this week.

Today I woke up and realized no more slam dunks this afternoon, and it felt good.

May your celebrations be DELICIOUS and WONDERFUL!

CBreeze, unfortunately it seems you can't really predict how your skin will react.  I'm at 20 today and only have some redness under my arm and some speckling on the front.  But other women at 20 have much more redness and soreness and the like.  That said, like Kathylev said DO NOT apply anything to your skin before treatment, even if your treatment is the middle of the day.  At this time of year, at least where I am, its not that sweaty out.  If you feel you must use deodorent, I would go in the bathroom--before leaving work or whereever for my Zap appointment--and completely wash and dry the zapped area.

I am using Calendula Creme and aloe and cornstarch.  I take a shower in the mornings and do not put anything on my skin after my shower.  In the shower, I use an unscented organic all natural foaming soap [Ballard Organics if you are a Seattlelite] and one of those bath puffs from the Body Shop.  I don't scub but pat the area. 

I use the Calendula creme after zapping and also the cornstarch.  I let it dry completely before I put on my shirt after zapping.  I have taken to putting my gown on the floor and lying on it to do some crunches in the dressing room while everything dries.  After zapping, I sometimes put the Calendula creme on during the day if I feel I need it. 

Hey Raili better watch out for big rig trucks if you are driving around topless!  You don't want to cause an accident!   I use aloe [98% pure] after work and on weekends and find that it dries pretty quickly if I keep my top off for a little bit.  I put it on in the bathroom and give myself an extra toothbrushing while it dries---I view it as extra dental care to balence out the dark chocolate.  Then I put on a white mens tshirt with the neck cut out for the rest of the night.  I would be a little concerned about putting a top on it while it was wet since we are supposed to avoid dampness and keep the zapped area dry.

I have not been going topless [to my husband's dismay!] but I'm wedded to my white mens undershirts [I now have 10 of them].  I am skipping the bra completely and wearing the tshirts under everything and at night.  At the end of my journey to Zapland, I intend to upcycle my white tshirts into a bath mat!

Today will be treatment 20 if I count up or 14 if I count down. 

I will celebrate the end of Zapland by going to a weekend Family Zen Retreat on the last day.  I am looking forward to spending time with family and friends in a beautiful place, meditating and cooking and hanging out.