December 2009 Rads Group

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Well, I think I learned how to make photos smaller, now they are toooooooo small....

Renee, I can see 7 of these, I wonder how many I can't see...My surgeon doesn't think that this is the cause of my soreness/irritation even though I describe it feeling just like it looks and in same area..He said these are left in all the time and taking them out could just cause more problems for me to give it another 6 months to see how I feel.....At least now I have my film and photos of what I am talking about..

I am so proud, I have learned how to insert photos and properly size them...Here is my dog...He will not eat unless I put raw broccoli in his food and 3 extra pieces on the counter....I try to eat a piece of broccoli everytime I feed him as I know how smart he is and think he is trying to tell me something...

Holy Cow, Jules! So sorry you're suffering so badly. And your hubby too! You're in so much pain! Are you taking Tamoxifen, by any chance??????

Jewly! Those clips! That just can't be right. Hopefully in six months you can get tha joker to get those things out of there. Geez. 

Good news, Renee! Glad you had a good rad onc visit.

Update on my infection: Turns out to be a staph infection. The drs are scratching their heads on how I got it. It is responding to antibiotics, but slowly. This morning there was fluid discharging from the nipple. Yuck. Good news is that there were no cancer cells in the fluid. Whew!

Followup: I also had my first post-radiation followup with the medical oncologist. I was dreading it, but it was good! He said that it's okay that I quit tamoxifen, because my recurrence risk was small due to a small tumor that was treated with surgery and radiation and so I've just got to stay active, keep my lymph system flowing, and keep my weight down. He made me feel cured! I will see him every six months and have annual mammograms; first in July. I don't know if he's just lazy or if I'm really not needing much monitoring. I choose to think that I'm just not at high risk and that makes me feel great! 

Bonnie

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Renee, I checked phonebook and not even one Chevalier in our area....Have you tried classmates.com and check the High School and year of graduation...It's amazing how many of my friends have found me by going there.....

hhfheidi..hope you get answers for your fainting...I fainted once after taking a beta-blocker for high blood pressure (doc gave me too high a dose) awake one minute and looking up at the ceiling the next...Luckily my husband was beside me and caught me.....It was very scary...Hope it was a one time event for you.....

Renee...Most likely the tamoxifen (three steps forward, two steps back) try not to worry too much (easier said than done) labs sometimes are not very reliable, good thing you are having recheck.....I will be curious of my upcoming blood work next week and comparison to my last (Jan) to see if my 4 months on Arimidex caused any ups or downs in numbers....

My tumor markers that are listed to be checked are CA 15-3 and CEA.....my doc wants full CBC and these checked every 12 weeks, that's a lot of puncture wounds since I can only use one arm for these....

To All...What tumor markers do your docs check?

Renee, seems a lot of us are getting CEA test, I thought it had something to do with breast...

You're a southern girl so say what Scarlett Ohara would say.. "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."

Now have a wonderful Mother's Day....

Easier said than done, my son and his friend left for San Diego for two week vacation, I will worry until he gets back....in the meantime I will keep saying Scarlett's quote to myself also...... 

My oncologist is not checking any tumor markers. He says that none of would tell much or help with my cancer. He just does regular blood work every six months.

My staph infection is cleared up. But in the doctor noticed a new lump on my other breast. So I'm getting ultrasound to see if it might need a biopsy. oh boy, just when I thought I was home free. 

Bonnie

Bonnie I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.  Please, oh Please keep us posted on how you are doing and what you find out.  It most likely is B9 remember that, but I know how hard it will be considering all that you have already gone through.  {{{{Hugs}}}}  If you ever want to talk just PM me or any of you are welcome to send me an email.  If you want my email address PM me and I will send it to you.  ''

Heidi I am so glad that you got some good news and all is well with your world again!  I do understand rebundling those fears right now mine are hanging on the threads.

I went in to the rad onc's office this morning and they redrew my CA 27-29, it should be back on Weds. I will post the results as soon as I know. I did find out my results from December, the last time I had it drawn, was less than 12 and it has to be below 38 for a normal. O.k. now to the Platelets being low... the rad onc said he is not worried, that the levels tend to fluctuate up and down (of course he didn't talk to me himself he had the nurse tell me). I will feel much better when the CA27-29 results are in and if they are in normal range then I will know that it is most likely due to the meds. They want to recheck my blood levels in a month, so I will go back in and get it done. However, when I was able to actually see what my hematocrit and hemoglobin was and compare it to the normal levels they were just a few tenths low. So nothing major to worry about there...I'm not anemic!! Now just gotta get those platelets up.

Renee

Bonnie...you  said about your doc "He says that none of would tell much or help with my cancer. He just does regular blood work every six months."...I have a standing order for (CBC, CMP, CA-15 AND CEA) every 4 months, wonder why doctors are so different....Glad your infection cleared up and hoping your us on friday finds nothing of concern....I don't think this treatment will ever end because we have to try to do our best to stay ahead of this bc....

Renee, I had blood work yesterday should have results in a few days, a bit nervous, although I think all is well for now...Hope you get those platelets up..I found this info for you:

First you should eliminate from your diet all foods that act as irritants to your system and which cause inflammation such as sugars, refined grains, saturated fats, fast foods, processed foods and sodas to mention a few. These common, but harmful foods will just aggravate a low platelet count.

Then you need to introduce an abundance of raw, fresh, preferably organic...There a many super foods available to assist with your low platelet count. Omega-3's, Organically grown tomatos, Berries – All berries, especially blueberries.....

Good morning, all. 

Veggy, Renee, Bonnie, and Jewly, I'm having trouble with dry mouth at night, too. I wake up in the middle of the night, and it's like the Sahara in there. Since rads didn't get anywhere near my mouth, and since the problem started later, I'm tentatively blaming the Tamoxifen. Renee, thanks for mentioning Biotene: I'll give that a try.

Renee, has the knee and leg pain gotten any better?

Bonnie, I'm so sorry to hear that you had an infection, but glad that it's cleared up. But a lump in the other breast -- oh no! I'm hoping it turns out to be nothing, and that you won't even need a biopsy. You are due for some good news, for sure.

Jules, I'm sending a big HUG to you and your husband. I'm hoping better times are on the way to you both.

Heidi, how scary for you to pass out and have a seizure! I'm so glad that you're okay, and that your doctor doesn't think the seizure was cancer-related. 

adrienne 

Adrienne - My leg and knee pain is somewhat better at times but i still have the creaky knees I guess that won't go away till I stop the Tamoxifen.  My bigger problem now is the low platelet count.  I think the Tamox is causing that as well.  But I can't talk to my Onc about that till August, he put me out for 6 months and my Rad Onc is the one who checked my labs. He doesn't seem to concerned but of course I am.  Forever the Nurse.  LOL!!  Has anyone else's Onc's checked their  CEA's or CA 27-29 levels?  If so have they fluctuated?  Mine have some in Dec my CEA was 1.1 and now 1.5, in Dec my CA 27-29 was under 12 and now 12.8.  Now both sets of my numbers are within the normal range, matter of fact they are way under, but they did rise a little bit.  and on top of that my platelets dropped... makes me wonder but my RAD onc not worried say numbers fluctuate.  Have your oncs said anything?

Renee

So Jewly it looks like your levels rose a little bit also.  Hmmm?  Makes me wonder.  The Mayo Clinic did my labs both times, I know this as it is on the bottom of my labs sheets for my CEA and my CA 27-29.  As for the difference in the CA 15-3 and the CA 27-29, the 15-3 is an older test from the research I've read that the 27-29 and supposively the 27-29 is suppose to be (I read this) more accurate and up to date test.  But you know how that goes... the ONC will tell you something different.  It just depends on the Onc.  Google it and read for yourself.  My WBC were never low from rads and neither were my RBC's but my hematocrit and hemoglobin remain a "smidge" low.  You are not on Tamoxifen are you?  I was wondering how your Platelets were... if they were low? 

Bonnie how was your test?  I want to know as well.

Renee

Hmmm... Jewly thanks.  Your platelets didn't drop quite as much as mine did, but you aren't on tamoxifen are you?  Mine dropped over a 100,000 in 3 months.  Like I said the doctor isn't worried, but I really am, even though they are not terribly low and I don't feel bad.  I have had Hodgkins lymphoma and I know that low platelets are one of the symptoms, but it can also be a side effect of my medication since nothing else is significantly out of whack and my WBC aren't elevated.  Which makes me feel like it is the medication.  The question is what to do about it, because really there isn't anything that you can do oh naturale to increase your platelet count.  The only cure is to stop what ever brought it down to start with, ie... medication or get a platelet transfusion, and sometime neither of those things help once they go down sometimes they will stay down.  It just depends on  your body.  A low platelet count is called thrombocytopenia.  O.k. I'm not gonna worry about this anymore.  I have my mammo in less than 2 wks.  I am praying that is o.k. I also see the plastic surgeon in a week and half for a follow up.  I was a little disappointed when I saw the rad onc the other day he told me I was still discolored (whatever that means... my breast is still brown from the rads and my nipple is still pink like I was in a tanning bed) and that I  could be for up to a year.  What the heck!!!!!!!  I want to have my recon done in August.  I'm saving my vacation days for it.  So I will get paid while I'm off work.  I hope I don't have to wait till all the pinkness is gone.  That will totally stink.  I was wondering if any of you ladies breast that you had rads in seems to be "hard or firmer" than your other breast?  My rad onc told me that is was fibrosis or scar tissue.  I have it pretty bad up around my areola because that is where they gave me such a large dose of radiation and boosts at the end, because that is where my incision was at and they took my tumor out at. I also still have a lot of numbness there.  He said it might soften up later on it's on over time... I said when I'm 80!  LOL! He did imply I could have implants later if I wanted rather than do a reduction but there are no docs around here that would touch me to do that.   So a B/C cup I will be.  Haha I guess it won't be so bad. 

Renee

Bonnie....That's the best of news, don't we just love those fluid-filled cysts, yippee!!!!!...My radiated breast also is lumpy, hard areas, esp., at scars....Still sore, my surgeon says give it 6 more months to heal, I feel more like you and Renee, "maybe by the time I'm 80"!!!!......I still try to stay mainly on my anti-cancer diet, although slip up at times.....I'm having blood work every 4 months, thinking that is too much, I will talk to my Onco next week and try to get an explaination as to why and what we are looking at and for...........Congrats again!!!!!!