April 2010 Rads Group

 I saw my Chemo Onc on Friday before my Herceptin Tx and told him my hip/thigh pain is getting worse.  It isn't allowing me to sleep at night and hurts even while I'm sitting.  He is sending me for a full body bone scan to rule out Bone Mets.  To top it off, he decided to give me a breast exam and found a painful lump near the surgical site on my breast (I thought the pain was from my daily Rads as my boob is swollen) and is sending me for a Mammo and Ultrasound tomorrow to rule out cancer recurrence. Needless to say, I am a little anxious:(  It helps to share this info on this thread, as I haven't told my sons, parents nor siblings.  I don't want them to worry until I have all the results.  I thank god for the support of my DH who usually takes me to all my doc appointments, except for daily rads which I go by myself...I'm in and out within 30 minutes now.

Today will be my 10th Tx....21 to go! 

CinCan - does this crap ever end????????????

Best wishes to you!!!!!!!!!! 

Just realized when I'm done with today, I'll be in the single digits.

15 down, 10 to go.

Off to get Zapped. 

I am so glad to be done. I am off work today, so didn't have to be anywhere this morning and I slept until 10:00. Felt strange not to be going to the hospital this morning. Most of my lines came off when I showered today. Just some purple ink left.  I should be very happy today...but for some reason feeling down. My son told me he was not going to be in town for Mother's day and that makes me sad. This also sounds silly, but family and friends don't ask how I am anymore.  Really I am not self centered or anything, but sometimes you do need to talk. I have several family members that as soon as I found out I didn't have to have chemo, I never hear from them again. People who were calling all the time before, never heard from them during radiation. People telling me that everything is good now. I don't feel like everything is going to be good, I feel like I will always be looking for this cancer to come back. I see the oncologist next week to find out about hormone therapy. That says to me, it is not over yet. Sorry to vent....just feeling sad today. Guess I'll need to head over the next topic now....hormone therapy. When I finished rads yesterday they gave me a teddy bear and got hugs from everyone. Had to say goodbye to the people in the waiting area, we had gotten talkative with each other. Again sorry to vent.

LilyLu, no need to apologize.  I can relate to what you're saying - I had neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by surgery and now radiation.  Many friends checked on me regularly during the chemo, but seemed unaware that there was any treatment after that.  I think the popular conception is that chemotherapy is the only really important part of treatment.

Now my sister is the only person who asks me how the radiation is going, unless I bring up the subject myself.  I don't mean to sound sulky about it - I'm certainly capable of calling people and asking for support if I really feel I need it - but it is interesting how chemotherapy gets all the attention.

I had #8 of 33 today, and my skin is starting to get red and very sensitive.  I was hoping it wouldn't be this early.

Have been reading the April posts and feel very attached, though haven't posted much. I have my #28 and last full breast rad tomorrow.  Then 6 more to tumor bed.  Worked teaching until last Fri-just decided to take a few weeks off to heal. My breast has had a burn looking like a weird iron had scorched it.  Dr. didn't believe in creams, etc. until it got pretty bad.  Peeled last weekend.  Weird today, though.  Looks like the burn is fading! Glad to be finishing-moving on to drugs for 5 yrs!

Regards to all of my fellow April girls! Had a bad reaction to aloe creams-even though I live in Hi. and have used it for years.  I think radiation may alter your body in many ways. Got a flu thing right before I started rad and still have a bit of it. Good luck to all! See you on the hormone site.

I agree about the dwindling attention but am relieved. "You look so good"- like I should look weird.  Btw, this whole thing sucks! That said, I have appreciated this site.

Sue, I've been given something called Special Care cream to use right after the treatment.  The main ingredient is aloe vera, but it also contains safflower oil, vitamin E and a bunch of other stuff.  In the evening I put on some Aquaphor, then in the morning I usually shower and follow up the shower with Fruit of the Earth pure aloe vera gel.  That's about six hours before my treatment. 

Every couple of days they put a cold gel pad of some sort on me for the treatment.  Is everyone getting that?

Suepen - No I have never had a full body bone scan.  One of the RAD Oncs told me that it's the Taxotere that gives you the joint pain/aches and can last up to 6 months after completion of treatments.  I think it may also be the Herceptin that we are on.

MNLinda - I wish I got a cold gel pad placed on me....my boob sure would appreciate it!

sweatyspice - lets go dancing....... 

CinCan, I'm telling you, there needs to be a meetup in Chicago or some middle place.  Or I just need a Cali vacation. 

So the rad tech asked me if I was putting on lotion b/c as far as she's concerned by breast is getting red.  Red enough to ask me the question.  Meanwhile, this morning before I left I was thinking how lucky and non-red I was....

So now I'm panicking and will hopefully be better about remembering to slather on the goo.  

Friday...woohoo!  I'm almost half way there - 13 of 30 done.

I asked the doctor about the pimple mess.  He said that it was folliculitis, and it sometimes happens to rads patients.  He said to try hydrocortisone or benadryl ointment.  I've used the hydrocortisone for a few days, and it has helped the itch some.

About sunscreens, he said to try to find one without alcohol.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

For sunscreen, I picked up something called Nature's Gate Aqua Block - SPF 50 - at the local Whole Foods store.  It's made up of mostly herbal stuff, including aloe vera, and as far as I can tell contains no alcohol.  The label says very water resistant - recommended for water sports.

Anybody have any tips for removing Aquaphor from your hands after application?  I can't wash it off, so I end up kind of scrubbing it off my hands with a towel, but I'm wondering if it's going to wash out of the towels.  It also rubs off on my pajamas.

grrrh  Just drove 30 minutes out to get zapped, only to find the machine was down. I asked why no one had called, and they checked their records to discover that they had written my phone number down wrong.  Thought I was going to be done this week, but now will have to go at least one day next week.  Grrhh grrhh

Also getting these little raised itchy (very itchy) bumps between and under breasts (both radiated and non-radiated).   I have had them before (pre-radiation days) and never knew what they were.  They would kind of come and go.  But now there are more than usual.  The doctor said blocked sweat glands.  Has anyone else had this.  I don't have any other skin response (not even pink).