September 2010 Rads

Marie2:  I agree wtih you on the radiation.  The doctor in Phila. said he was going to ask some questions of the people in genetics there and he would call me. I guess if there were more people doing what I do they probably would do research or even a study but he's never seen it before and he is in a huge area and my doctors here have only seen it 3 times at UPMC.  I don't know why they wanted me to have the radiation, said it was part of my treatment because I am triple negative and have nothing else for reoccurences.  Said it would lower my reoccur fromo 30 to 10%.  I always questioned that.  I hope someone will look into my DNA. I would be willing to volunteer for studies on this too.

I guess I'm done, no one has offered anything else.  I see my med onc in Nov.  I'm needing now to recover and get my port removed.  I'm baffled at how you did the math on this but I like what you came up with.  I appreciate your confirmation.......

jsmiley60...I don't remember ever being do tired in my life. Have had 14 rads and after about 9 or 10 the fatigue started to catch up with me. Some evenings I have had to drive home with the windows down and to get more air to keep me awake. I have just emerged from a short nap and am thankful it's the weekend. Tomorrow morning is my drive to and from rads tx and then clients from noon to 5. I'll work with them again on Tuesday from 9-12 and then hightail it to rads center for an afternoon session when they plan to do some measurements or something to get ready for my boosts. It tires me out just thinking about all the driving and hours I have to stay awake! 

Maybe you can put a blanket under a tree, grab a pillow, and get some enjoyment from the lovely weather you describe. Here in my part of Florida we are having the weather everyone dreams about...high 50's or low 60's on the morning and high 70's or mid 80's during the day with NO humidity!  Since I don't feel chipper enough for much activity, at least I can enjoy sitting on my porch. But....right now I'm going back for another nap. The RO told me to slow down and now I just have to. I honestly cannot stay vertical! I need to go back to bed.

But has anyone else noticed diminished strength. Perhaps it's from lack of activity, but honestly, I can barely open a jar or bottle or can or do anything requiring exertion with my hands.  My hands have no strength at all. I have to use a butter knife to flip the clasp on my watch in order to get it off my wrist. I can't pull the tabs to open the cat food cans...or even the yogurt lids!  My hands don't want to work.

Alotte - shingles!  I can't believe that you have to go through that on top of cancer treatment.  My thoughts are with you.....I have heard many stories about shingles and it can be miserable. 

I think you can get a shingles shot when you turn 60 - maybe I will get one a little early as I also have a friend that got shingles about a year after cancer treatment that included radiation.

Also thinking of getting a flu shot - which my oncologist has assured me is fine.  Anyone else planning on a flu shot?

I just finished day 15 on Friday, and I am really tired all the time.  I feel terrible saying this but what a relief to know I'm not the only one.  Thank goodness for this website and all of you! I still walk the dog everyday, and I'm determined to go to Zumba 3 times a week (though I only made it twice last week, just too tired.)  But between working full time, and zipping over to the hospital everyday for Tx, and squeezing in a little exercise, I'm beat.  I refuse to give up the exercise!!!!!!  I honestly think that is what is making all of this possible.  I'm spending my weekends resting and relaxing, not easy to do for me, but it's all I can do.

Today was my 25th treatment, the last of the full treatments.  Tomorrow starts 5 boosts, then DONE!  woohoo!! I've got new lines drawn all over that breast, but at least this time they didn't show over the neck of the outfit I was wearing like my first time, when I was wearing a tank top.  Big blue  magic marker square on my chest as I walked through the lobby of the medical building. LOL   I'm at least getting to the point I can laugh that sort of thing off. 

As for tiredness, last week I really started feeling it, more so every day, and would often just take a nap after 1 o'clock treatments. 

Had a weird experience this weekend.  We went up to Dallas for the Cowboys game and I was so looking forward to that, and a weekend away from thinking of breast cancer.  But what was Sunday for the Cowboys but breast cancer awareness game.  The teams sported hot pink shoes, chin straps, towels, gloves, armbands.  I just wanted not to be thinking of this, yet hot pink was everywhere...in the stadium,on the field, on the teams, at halftime show!    cancercancercancer!!!  Nancy Brinker was there for the coin toss, and I think she was with Troy Aikman's mother, who is evidently a survivor.  Then there were the Cowboys cheerleaders in their teeny tiny tops, cleavage out the wahzoo.  It can sure bring a girl down!!  We did sort of laugh at it, but inwardly I was thinking...cover yourself girls--there are a lot of us out here who you are supporting awareness for, who are all too aware that we no longer look anything like what you all do!  Well--it was still nice to get away, get out of town, nice hotel etc...we just picked the wrong weekend to do it! :>

SharonNM-

Thank you for noticing my post and the good wishes. I'm lucky that the shingles are on my left side and the radiation on my right. I'm taking a lot of drugs for the shingles so after many sleepless painful nights I'm sleeping like a baby. Problem is I'm still drugged out during the day (a friend drove me to radiation today) so tonight I'm just taking advil for pain.

 You can get a Shingles shot but not during radiation. I don't know how long you have to wait after radiation to get it. I'm certainly going to look into that. As far as a flu shot, I got one pretty early on during radiation. With all that's going on I didn't even feel any ache from the shot.

I hope your treatment goes smoothly!

8 days post final rads and my skin is still very red, blotchy and itchy.  I am still fatigued but have continued to walk daily.  Bloody hot flashes still keeping me up at night!!.

I hope everyone is managing their (hopefully) final days without too much discomfort.   Zap-on ladies.

To all of the others feeling the fatigue and tiredness, hang in there! I took a nap today so that helped me some. I don't really feel up to doing much other than going to radiation every day. I can't imagine how you ladies that are working or have a family to take care of are doing it!!! I think my body is just wore out from all it has been through for the last year.

Have 13 treatments left, 5 regular, then 8 boosts. They put a bunch of marks on me yesterday and the silly round tapes. I am slathering radia gel and aquaphor all over it. I am burnt under my arm, but it is still numb from the lymph nodes being removed so it doesn't hurt....lol! That's a good thing! Thinking of all you ladies!

I've just spent the last week watching my skin get purple, then red as a raspberry, then turn gray, and then peel off. Lovely!! After 28 treatments and 1 boost I asked for and got a break and sure enough, my skin got worse before it got better. Three days after radiation was over, small areas of skin started breaking down. The silvadene they prescribed, covered with petrolatum-infused gauze and then a bandage to protect clothes, really helped sooth the pain and also provided antibiotic to the skin to prevent infection. Some hours of just air on the skin each day halped also. But it took about one week to have the whole area that was radiated go through this process. I am flat after BMX no recon and it was too painful to wear froms and a bra. I feel for anyone who has to wear a bra through this. Darvocet and Advil and Ativan (at night) also helped. My skin is finally looking pink rather than red and I am greatly relieved. But it has been two weeks of real discomfort. Tomorrow I see if I can finish my last four boosts.

I went to a family weddiong this weekend and a funeral. When everyone told me how great I looked I thought to myself, "It's a good thing you can't see my chest, because it looks horrifying." The fact is, I have found the pain of radiation as bad or worse than the pain from my BMX, no recon. After MX everyone expected I'd be out for weeks and I had hardly any pain after about two weeks. Through rads I look fine but the pain and fatigue are holding on for a good two weeks so far. I am glad I am almost done. Then it's on to Tamoxifen. Whoopie!! ;-)  

Bon, I can totally relate - I've had twice where I've gotten very agitated about scheduling and things taking so long - for some reason, during chemo I was more patient (and more drugged I guess . Especially when they KNOW I'm working full time and they do something goofy like scheduling me with a social worker after my rads in the morning, when I'm LATE for work in the first place.  That one put me over the edge. Then of course I seem like I NEED a social worker for probably seeming like I'm in denial and anxious to get to work.  *grrrr*

4 boosts left for me.  I too watched my skin after my last full treatment, over the weekend thru monday, go from pink to purple to now a freaky shade of dark gray and peeling here and there from tiny blisters. zoiks. hurts too.  I managed to work from home the last two days and go bra-less (ahhh) but today i'm back at work, feeling a little better.  Boosts don't seem to be having too much effect (yet).

I'm feeling more fatigue but it's not something that has really effected anything -not that I could go run a 5k or anything, but saving that for later! extra sleep at night helps.

I'm SOOOO ready to finish this and be done with it and move on with my life.  I've made this a priority for the last 10 months.  I'm done and ready to make me a priority for awhile.  

Bon, I'm working and changed my appointment to earlier one Wednesday because I had a meeting at work. After my early treatment that day, the tech told me I had an appointment with the nurse. I asked to see the nurse on Friday; they told me they'd check but she has a busy schedule. I said that I have a busy schedule, too; told them they needed to make appointments with me just like I had to make appointments with them. And I left. When I saw the nurse on Friday, she was really nice; said she's there 5 days a week and will accommodate my schedule. This nurse is my favorite person there, although all I do is talk to her.

Only 5 more to go and then 6 boosts - I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!  The fatigue is debilitating - I have never felt so incredibly tired before.  I have been working daily but get home and am in bed by 8pm.  My skin is holding up pretty good - only a little redness and a few itchy bumps, but this too shall pass.  I wish all of you a good weekend and congrats to those that are almost finished (or have already finished) and the rest of you - hang in there - we are almost done!

I'm done!!!! Finished last boost this morning.  The team gave me a "diploma".  Everyone at my center was wonderful.  I see the oncologist on the 26th about hormone therapy.  I'm off the mall later to buy myself a post-rad gift, a new iPod.  I'll be checking back here to see how the rest of my September rad sisters are doing.

Hi All, I have 4 rads left!! I finished the boosts already and am back to the axillary ones. The boosts weren't bad, but there are little red dots surrounding my scar now. Has that happened to anyone else? The RN said that was normal...but it looks terrible. My skin is still a little messed up under my arm, but sooo much better than what it was. That antibiotic really helped.

It sucks not having good techs/docs/RNs throughout this, I'm sorry for those who are having that problem. I like most of my techs very much. They're very talkative and there are a couple really young ones that I relate well with (we watch the same reality tv shows! hehe). There are a couple young guys too, but they've been very professional. It's kinda weird, having guys around my age looking at me...when I don't even let my own bf. But...what can ya do?

Next Wed will be my last day. I want to get myself a post-rad gift too! I'm thinking a new pair of shoes...

Hope you all are doing as well as can be! It's FRIDAY