October 2010 rads

Hi gang,

I am now on boosts--was going to start yesterday, but doctor never showed, so had to leave.  My skin is holding up fairly well, but I've got a very dark band under my breast which is weird and alarming.  I saw a gal yesterday with a lot of peeling and burn.  If you have chemo, the skin degrades much faster, and she had a lot more chemo than I.

The hair thing is an obsession.  I am 8.5 weeks, and all I have is fuzz.  I am nervous and distressed about it, and most of all, impatient.  I keep being told it's normal, but it sure feels unfair after this long and difficult road.

I have about 1/2 of my eyebrows, no bottom eyelashes, and thin upper lashes.  I wish all this stuff wouldn't happen.

I'm with the Nov. rads group, but I had to thank MHP for mentioning the hair distress. I'm sorry for all of us dealing with the aftermath of chemo, but it made me feel not so alone. I wasn't prepared for finishing chemo and feeling absolutely depressed. It's like, now you're done ... and left with utter exhaustion and no hair! I know it's temporary, but sometimes the temporary feels like forever.

Hi All,

Update from seeing rad onc...

He didn't reply to my email re dirty sheets but he acknowledged that he spoke with the office administrator that the turning over the dirty sheet was not acceptable.  It was just an isolated incident with the student (NOT), I too think that the student was telling the truth.  Thank you all for the info and support.  I will bring my own sheet from now on

The machine is down today and I have 12 zaps left.  Chest is tight so breathing is on the shallow end.  I do have this pain below L shoulder blade.  Felt like someone punched me and there's an internal bruise.  Rad Onc again said that there's no infection cuz he can't see it.  No kidding.  I wonder why he can't tell me that it's all the side effects from radiation that something is disrupted inside and causing this.  He instead said that it's because I laid on the hard surface which I can't quite believe it is due to that.  Sigh!

I'm pink, no blister or peeling.  Pain under the arm and little bit of numbness on my Left arm.

I used Miaderm and not agreeing with Aquafor.

Thanks very much, MHP70!! I'll bring it up on Monday. I don't have a breast on that side, so I wasn't worried about skin folds and such. Thanks for reminding me to be careful.

Well, I am DONE!  Finished #28 today and just feel so relieved to have it over with.  I had wonderful rad techs and will actually miss seeing them.  Protocol has me back there in a month for a follow-up, then again in 6 months.  My rad ONC says to expect my skin reaction to continue to develop through the weekend but should peak by Monday and then rapidly improve.  I am quite pink, especially along my collar bone so plan to keep after it with that gooey Aquaphor, Hydrocortisone, and aloe.  Of course, I will be seeing my reg ONC along the way also.  So, not sure about any follow-up tests yet, still have my port and need to do my TE/Implant exchange.

Hair... wish I had alot more with this cooler weather moving in.  Brrrr.  I am 10 1/2 weeks PFC and seems that my fuzz is starting to look more like hair and getting thicker, but not getting any longer fast enough.  Patience is wearing thin!

DesignerMom... that is an awful long delay today.  So sorry that happened.  This disease does present us with so many ways to test our patience.  Everyone enjoy the weekend and take the time to kick back and relax with NO doctor appointments!

I have eight treatments left, total 25...my crease(sp) under my breast and ( I have large ones..lol) are starting to get raw and peel a tiny bit.  I too have run into the waiting game in regards to machines down....it makes the process even longer...but as a Canadian...I am thankful that all of this does not cost me money health system wise....my heart goes out to you all that have to pay insurance costs...etc...to have this disease to start with and than to deal with the aftermath...is unacceptable to on top of it.. to worry about finances....you must be an advocate for yourselves...always...thinking about you all...wishing you the best...wish I could do more...xx

Hi All-  I am another Joan who is done.  Right now I am feeling happy.  But, I am told to not be suprised by times of depression.  The possibility of recurrence or mestasis will always be in the back of my mind.  As far as hair goes I am 6 weeks post chemo and have fuzz alover my head with the exception of the nape of my neck.  I have a rash there.  I will be seeing a dermatologist about the rash.  If I receive any hair growing wisdom I'll let you all know.

DiamondGirl - I have found that the Radiation dept appears to be very defensive of their process.  I have had nausea and they insisted it was not due to the radiation.  I had an abdominal CT and an ultrasound to get checked out as a result.  My primary MD told me that one could get radiation to one's foot and get nausea.  Why the radiation dept gets so defensive is beyond me. I hope things get better for you!  Hugz!  MichelleC

Hi Ladies:  Well, I'm done with rads tomorrow.  It's been a loooong 6 1/2 weeks, but I made it!  I can't even begin to describe the fatigue.  I think working full time through all of this wasn't the best decision.   I will start on Tamoxifen sometime within the next month.  I just want to feel normal again for a bit before I start taking it!  

Congrats to the other "Joan" who also finished up last week.  And congrats to Linda who will be done tomorrow.  It is so liberating.  Today is my first Monday in a while without that daily trip to radiation.  Lovin' it!

My rad ONC thought that my skin reaction would worsen a bit over the weekend, but I did not experience that and things do seem to be getting better today.  Still going after it with Aquaphor and other lotions.  I'm thinking that it will take a few weeks for my skin to totally recover.

I will say that I hardly noticed any fatigue at all through my radiation treatment, but I do work from home and that probably made things easier. I also got in my daily walks and played tennis a couple times a week. There were a couple nights during the last week that I went to bed pretty early to hopefully pre-empt the fatigue and maybe that helped also.

Thinking of all of you who are still going through rads. You will be done soon too!

Joan

Finished 33rd treatment today....Yeah!!!  Underarm has started sloughing off.  See rads doc in 4 weeks.  Doing Tamoxfin in December.

It's crazy or maybe because this is my second go around with cancer 2003 and 2010, my co-worker was trying to be excited for me...which believe I am glad i am done with chemo and rads....but i just can't seem to bring myself to be excited at all...I know still have to do tamoxfin, see the chemo (5years), surgeon (for life), and rads docs (5years) PLUS the fact that it is always in the back of your head that this may come back again.......people without cancer truely are not able to understand the feelings behind the cancer..but it's not their fault.

YAY Roberta!!  You did it!

I agree with you, too, and with you, MHP70.  I've gotten a lot of the think positive crap, and heck, I thought positive after every mammogram I ever had, and then there was this last one!  And there it was, a "suspicious area"---that eventually measured 2.5 cm.  I don't think positive thoughts keep you from getting BC, nor do they prevent anything else.  It's sort of like a card game in that you play the hand you're dealt.  Sort of like getting the Queen of Spades, I guess.  And all of us, right now, are taking what we're told is our best shot and just carrying on as best we can.  

I'm just looking forward to the end of this hand and waiting for the next deal, which in my case will be arimidex, which I inagine will cause it's own set of problems.  But like all of us, I'll take them as they come and I can cope with it at the time.  (Said she, hopefully.)

Kathy

Congratulations Linda!  Another step in the process finished.

Colleen

Linda and Roberta... CONGRATS!  Go celebrate!  Heal the past, live the present and dream about the future... with no rad appointments!

Well, I don't start rads today after all, maybe tomorrow...dr office says storm caused power outage...