August 2010 Rads

Three Cheers!  The radiation machine is fixed.  After two cancellations I finally had my last treatment!  Now on to the next phase of the rest of my life.  See the medical onc tommorrow to finalize the next stage of treatment.

Drim - I was told 6 months after radiation too.  However, if your doctor insists, see if you can push it out 2-3 weeks at least.  Today I am 16 days out from my last boost and I can't believe how much I have healed in just the last 4-5 days.  Almost normal again and I think I could tolerate a mammogram okay at this point.  Hopefully they'll let you do that - my fingers are crossed.

Chabba - YIPPEE!!!  That would have been SO frustrating, but you made it - you are done!!

ECT, Carole, Mo, and all of you - we are amazing women, and only those of us who have been through can truly appreciate just how strong we are - three cheers for us!! 

The Komen Foundation Race for the Cure is here in a couple of weeks.  I will be thinking of all of you as I walk.  {{Hugs}}

Ramdom notes

 I was told I would have an ultrasound not a mammo at 6 months.  The surgeon said the tissue is too sensitive for compression.  you might suggest that.

 Went thru' rads with very little SE. Two weeks post rads and I have broken out with a burn and blisters and am very uncomfortable.  Went to see my nurse and she said that the late effect often happens.  She also said it can happen at anytime for one full year after rads end.  Be prepared:-))

mofend: I get the stomach issues too. Not every day but at least 2 to 3 times a week.

YAY chabba!!! You're finally done.

Thanks to everyone for your responses. When I told the dr. I heard it was 6 mo. after rads for a mammo she said - where did you hear that from??? Told her online. I'm sure these doctors don't love that we all compare notes and learn so much from research that so many of us do and share. I wonder why she seemed so shocked when I said I heard 6 mo. So many of you are saying it. I said - how about and U/S instead. She said - that too!! Haaa. I will definitely wait until my boost burn starts to feel less painful before I do a mammo. It's not that bad but don't think I could tolerate a mammo just yet.

Pleasant dreams ladies!!

Yay Doredou!!  Congrats to you and enjoy your new down time!!  Many, many more sunny days in your future!!

Drim, good for you for standing up for yourself.  It's just crazy to expect to have a mammo so soon! We are our own best advocate-    

Have a great weekend everyone!! 

Good- skin is fine, just a little tender and looks darker and definitely feels harder.  I'm still tired though! 

phxsunshine - thanks for the tips on the Tamoxifen.  I definitely felt better today and I am slowly switching it to the morning.  So nice to hear good news about your daughter's wedding - I'm sure that's a great way to put your mind off all this fun we've been through lately.  Good luck with dress shopping!  Mo

Hi all!

I haven't posted for a while either.  I finished rads on 9/28 YAY! and then just needed a little time not to think about cancer. I know you all know what I mean.    I had quite a bit of skin peel and pain under my arm and under my breast, but I am happy how quickly it is healing. Now it is just like very very dry skin.  I have been using a Hemp Lotion given to me by another rad patient and it is great and has a nice fresh scent as well.

Well I have been on tamoxifen for almost 2 months now (my onc started me on it right before I started rads) so I thought I would address some of your questions. I have had some queasy stomach issues but not too bad. Also, I have hot flashes that are much worse than any I got from chemo. In fact I am waking up with them every 2 hours, like clockwork at night. But by far my worst side effect is joint/bone/muscle pain. I am so stiff when I get up out of a chair. I also had some right shoulder pain which I was associating with rads but then I got it on my left shoulder.  My radiation oncologist recommended that I see an integrative medicine physician to help me cope with the side effects which I did this past week.  He was Great!  The bad news is that all my bone/joint/muscle pain is from the tamoxifen (I was hoping that it was still from the chemo and would gradually subside), the good news we are going to try several things to help me cope with the side effects since I am on the tamox 5 year plan. (Is there any other?) We are going to try these strategies now ~1) acupuncture (never had it, never thought I would, but they claim it is amazing for hot flashes and the bone pain), 2)a nightly prescription of flexiril to help me sleep as well as relax the muscles that are causing me pain, 3) a procedure called "biofeedback". I am not really sure what that involves but I will let you know!  4) I will be taking a supplement called zyflamend which is anti-inflammatory.  I will keep you posted on what's working and what's not.    Oh, one other somewhat weird side effect is a strange feeling in my teeth. Not really sensitivity but just a strange feeling in the bone.  One of my friends who had taking tamoxifen says that over time her body adjusted and the SE's became very managable.  I hope so because 5 years with no sleep sounds unsurvivable right now.  (Now I did that when I was young and breastfeeding my kids, but I am too old for that now!  LOL) 

((BIG HUGS)) to all ... here's hoping for a wonderful weekend for all of you!

arubajan...you have just brought back a childhood memory for me! When I was a teen, a local news reporter, who was a really hot young guy, was doing a story on biofeedback and my next door neighbor was seeing a doctor specializing in it so he came to the house to do the story with my neighbor. That was such a HUGE deal back then. TV cameras and lights. I hadn't thought about that in ages! I think biofeedback is a monitoring device you get hooked up. The idea is for you to be able to better control the things happening in your body by being more aware.

Glad our group is starting to move onward and upward with our treatment!

I have my last boost tomorrow  Monday and then will be done.  Yippee!!!

will have a scan in 4-5 weeks and continue on the arimidex for 5 years.   Will be glad to get rid of the fatigue over a period of time. but know Ill still have night sweats and hot flashes to deal with.

I can handle all that.   No more getting up early to go to hospital 

thanks for all the support on here and glad others are finishing up also. 

Finished my rads Wednesday.  Was very swollen and sore. Red, bumpy skin on breast and side, black under arm and in fold under breast.  Still tender but today I'm enough improved to wear a bra for the first time since the first week of rads!

This afternoon is my four month follow up after surgery.  Actually look forward to it--love my Doc and I'm afraid he will retire before I finish his long term schedule of follow ups.  He may practice in a small logging town, but he is not only the best surgeon on the harbor, but he is one of the best in the state.  Unfortunately he is over 80 years old and  has started cutting back his practice.

againmine: sorry to hear that your hubby hasn't been there for you throughout your ordeal! I cannot imagine how that would be. Many times during my treatments I have cried and carried on wishing I had a man to just hold me and let me cry, but I guess they don't always support us the way we wish they would. Good news though that you are feeling better! Hang in there!

Mo - Ouch!  I never lost a toenail or fingernail though I often felt like it would be easy enough given the right environment, like hitting one against a wall or baseboard. I have read other posts about it so I think it's not so uncommon. My nails are strong (because of the polish I use) but they still look cloudy - even into the nail itself not just the tips. I guess it's kinda like our hair - it has to totally grow out again.

I noticed your a stage IIa as well - with a positive node. What kind of Chemo did you take? Did you have a mast or lumpectomy? There aren't many of us on this site -  just wondering?  Carolyn

Hi everybody! Its been 8 days since my last treatment and I'm getting back to normal. Back to work full time this week and doing pretty good. I feel much better but do get tired pretty quickly. I am sleeping well and not having so much pain from burns is the best thing. Still pretty red/tender in the boost area but the rest is brown, itchy and peeling. I'm ready for all the yucky stuff to peel off lol. I guess I'm a coward but I haven't tried my regular bras yet. Under my breast is still tender and I'm afraid I'll never find a bra that fits again due to the difference in my breasts after the lumpectomy. I started tamoxifen and haven't had any side effects so far. I have had a headache about all day today but not sure that has anything to do with the med seems like one of my once in a while headaches. Glad to hear so many of you are getting back to normal (whatever that may be now) and moving on in treatment phases too. Againmine - sorry you aren't getting the support you need at home but you are strong and you have gotten stronger through all this. I'll be praying for you Monday. Congratulations chabba and ect for finishing up. I'm looking forward to going back to my surgeon next week too - he's my favorite doctor of the team. Mo so sorry to hear about the toenail - I'm sure that was upsetting I've had a couple come off after getting mashed and they take a long time to grow back. Hello to everyone else and hope you are all having a good day. Take care my friends!!!

                                                          Carole