August 2010 Rads

Hey everyone,

 I had my first treatment today and they  had to tape my left breast down, fun, fun!! Because I have TEs, the girls stand at attention rather than falling away to the side, LOL. My left side was in the field and needed to be moved so it would not be radiated (cancer was in right breast only). Can't wait to be taped to the table again tomorrow, haha! Anyhow, once we got through the set up, the actual treatment portion went really fast. One down, 34 more to go!!!

Hope everyone is doing well!

I, too, had my first treatment yesterday.  Everything went well.  I didn't fully realize until this morning how aprehensive I had been.  I did not sleep much over the weekend, about 4 hours each night.  Last night I slept over ten hours.

Everyone I've met at our local cancer center and at their regional facility as well has been wonderful.  The local nurse is particularly empathetic, probably in part because she is a BC survivor.

May we all make good progress and have the best of results.

Hello Ladies,   sorry I have been away a few days.    had my first rad last wed. # two thurs,

Machine down on Fri so got a 3 day weekend from rads.  2 this week so far.   26 more to go.

Starting to itch and skin is very sensitive to clothing.   I have the same sensitativity when I had shingles.   Guess it is just how my skins reacts to irritation.  Rad Onc gave me sample tube of Glaxal Base Moisturizing Cream.   can buy OCT  nurse said not expensive.  Can use it up to 4 hours before rad and do not have to wash it off.  They stopped using Aquapohr. I can  use Aloe Vera and Emu Oil if I want but this is controlling itching so far.

My Rad Onc said I would have a bad burn eventually because my incision goes across the fold under my breast and the fold is always the worst.. 

Bonniewe-   I was disappointed when he changed to 1aday for 6 weeks but sure dont want to do any damage to my heart.   Reasons he changed his mind were Im large busted and dense and my tumor was very close to my chest wall in left breast so he just could not risk my heart.

I told him that was one of the few organs that had not given me any trouble in my life so didnt want to disturb that.    6 weeks will go by fast. 

Hello, 

 I guess I'll join this group also.  Here is a little history. Diagnosied in Dec 09 with IDC of the right breast. I had chemo therapy for 12 weeks (ACT ) protocol followed by BMX  wtih on June 30 with immediate TE placements.  I went for all my pre-testing on today and will have my first rad of 33 on next Thursday. I have Uni-derm cream supplied by my doctor for my skin to use 3-4x daily after each treatment.   I'm  a little worried about the fatigue factor but ready to start so I can be finished.  

Yikes!!! I just realized that on my post regarding the ibuprofen I typed two 500 mg tablets - that is WRONG!  It is two 200 mg tablets.  I'm so sorry everyone!  I hope it hasn't caused anyone any harm!!!!

Saw radiologist and it doesn't look like I'll be starting rads until September or very late Augst. Have any of you ladies with tissue expanders started rads on the chest wall. I'm really worried and upset that they are doing rads on my chest wall when I have the te's in. Plus radiologist said can't get any saline fills while on rads so that will delay the excahnge 7 weeks. Grrrrrrrr!! I just wish someone had decided I needed radiation BEFORE I got the expanders in! Ugh!

Today was tyreatment five of 35.  A litte pink after each treatment but so far normal  color by bedtime.  I was using Vitamine E for healing after surgery and I got aloe vera 100% gel for use with radiation.  So far I'm using the gel when I get up, E after treatment (the bottle fits in a pocket ) with gel when I get home.  Treatment is almost an hour away.  Then I alternate the two until bedtime.  The Dr. called it a good, well thought program, especially with my sensitive, dry skin.  I am a fair skined blond--well quite a few silver threads among the gold.

 May all our Pink Warriors of the Legion of the Tough Titties fight a winning fight.

Hey-

   Thx for the correction on the Ibuprofen Jana. I thot maybe the 200mg was what you meant to say. Guess I should have asked.

   Julie - I'm wondering about the Tamoxifen. My doctor indicated I would not begin taking it until I was finished with rads. Might have to check on this, not that I'm in any hurry to start. Just curious as to why the difference. So happy for you that your feeling up to joining a gym. I can't wait till I'm back to that point. Right now walking is my goal.

   Bonnie - Take care of yourself, that reaction (light headed and nauseated) reminds me of a bad experience I had with dehydration. You don't want that. I think we still have to drink lots of water through out the radiation, just like w/ the chemo. Guessing by now you know how the Miaderm is doing. Do you like it and think it's working well for you? I'm still trying to decide which way to go (Miaderm or Aloe Vera and Vit E).

   Thx - Carolyn

ECT, I haven't started Tamox yet either.  I think many Dr.'s wait until after rads so they know if any se's you're having are from rads or the meds.  And I'm with you, I haven't been able to start running again yet.  The Taxotere in my chemo made my legs feel like jello and I'm still having muscle aches either left over from chemo or from the Herceptin I get every three weeks. 

Bonnie, I had nausea so bad a couple of days ago that I saw a Dr. after my rads.  He wasn't too concerned though; he sort of blew me off and told me just to take some leftover compazine.  Guess maybe I just need to drink more water too.  He pointed out that it takes a while for the chemo effects to leave our bodies.  The good news is that I haven't had any noticable effects from the radiation at all.  I'm using emu oil at night before bed- that's the only thing I do and I'm a 34D.  Today was #10 of 36, so far so good!  

ECT, based on the good experience I've had so far with the emu oil I can certainly recommend it!  

Hope everyone has a great weekend. ~M

Here's a tip I heard:  Wear your soft T-shirts inside out so the seams won't bother you.  We could start a new trend!

Hello all, it's been awhile since I've checked in. As of yesterday I have finished 13 of 33 treatments, and am happy to report my fair skin that I was so worried about is doing well.  After day 3 I noticed a couple of hotspots and very slight peeling which worried me since it was starting so soon, but I recovered over that weekend and it's remained steady since. I take curcumin supplements (2000 mg per day - up to 6000 mg per day is safe). I use Miaderm at least 2X, sometimes 3X a day, and 100% emu oil usually once a day in the evenings. I'm working through this, but when I'm home at night or on weekends, I try to go topless and let the air help heal me as much as possible too. Saw the dr. last on Thursday and he and the nurses both commented that my skin looked great.

One day last week (the same Thurs), I was just exhausted - but, it was only 2 weeks for me between last chemo and start of rads, I am working full time and having to get up earlier to go have rads before work and we are entering busy season, and I've also started to go for 30 minute walks early in the morning too - so lots of things besides rads could've all just been catching up with me that day! I felt much better yesterday.

Here's hoping that the no issues continue for me and for all of you, as if it does, this is a walk in the park compared to chemo!

Lady_Madonna - I have the same feeling in my legs and I also had Taxotere and am getting herceptin. I hadn't even thought that it could be the herceptin. I was thinking it was a combination of the chemo and the heat/humidity. My feet/ankles/lower legs get swollen sometimes too by the end of the day.

ECT - you're welcome. I'm not really feeling fatigued per se but I do have the leg issues stated above and I do seem to get tired at night much more easily that normal. I've only had 4 treatments so far so it's early to tell but so far so good. I don't see/feel anything yet. I've just been using Aquafor.

I will be starting Tamox after radiation. I really didn't ask why. I had been reading a lot on this site beforehand and it seems the majority do it that way. Guess I'm not in a rush to start it so I will go with my onc and start afterwards. I think I'm just beginning hot flashes and not looking forward to them getting worse.

Even though I've only had 4 of 33 it seems like this is going to go quickly. I'm not trying to rush it because when the rads end so does the summer. Good luck this week everyone.

ECT:  I'm just outside Pittsburgh PA, and we are having a very unusual summer as did we have an unusual winter.  Seems that the hottest part here was early, now we're getting those cool evenings and lower humidity already.  I'm sure never as hot as TN.    Fine with me.

Been wondering if you ladies apply your 'creams of choice' immediately after your rad TX before you get dressed.  They gave me some tubes to carry to do that.  Hope that helps.

Also the rad nurse told me not to wash that area with a turkish washcloth as that would irritate it.  I guess I'll have to hunt the softest cotton I can find. 

Have a good Sunday everyone.

Oh man lost my post:(

I made it through my first week of rads and Tamoxifen-YAY! My onc insisted I take Tamoxifen right away due to my 90% ER positive status, I tried really hard to weasel out of it until after rads, but it didn't work, LOL. So as of today I have taken 6 days of tamox and have had only a couple side effects: mild fatigue (but that could be from heat) and intensified hot flashes-argh! The hot flashes are ny far the biggest pain since I have had them since chemo:( I did try low dose effexor for a couple of days, but felt sick from it so I stopped, but that was during chemo. I am going to give it another whirl and see if it helps:) I will keep everyone posted since I know most of us are dealing with hot flahes!! I am just curious if I will ever get my period back, I am only 35 y/o. For those that have gone through chemo, have you gotten yours back?

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!!!

ECT: You're very kind, but I was the biggest baby in the world during chemo, I thought I was going to die..LOL....I didn't do nearly as well as a lot of people, and nothing made me more annoyed than friends who *hadn't* been through it insinuating that I should be doing better because someone else they knew of did. So, we all have different feelings, reactions, degrees of tolerance for various treatments, etc. Don't force yourself to do more than what YOU feel like doing. I hope that rads is easy for us both! But if it isn't, TFB! Be kind and forgiving to yourself! 

 In any case, I may have spoken a little too soon, I've had more peeling and felt pretty "sunburnt' this weekend. But, using the cream regularly and exposing to air as much as possible, and it feels a little better today. Hopefully this weekend will be just enough to let me recover a little. They use a bolus on me every other day too, and last week was the first time it worked out to be three days that week (Mon, Wed, Fri). Next week it'll be only two (Tues, Thurs). I always feel hotter/stingier after that thing, understandably so since it's made to focus the rads onto the skin. Dislike! LOL

As far as washing, to those of you talking about washcloths, I am still using my netting spongy shower scrubber thingie (what are they called? Chemobrain strikes again, can't remember). I use it very gently, along with hypoallergenic Dove body wash, but I like that it sloughs off the peeling. Who knows whether I'll be able to continue all the way through though!