December 2010 Rads

michelekb - So sorry you had a bad day with rads.  Don't feel stupid for crying. Your pain is real and if it hurts go ahead and get it out.  My rad onc was such a moron and I dreaded going everyday.  In fact, I cried everyday.  I had weekly x-rays done. Everyone has these. The techs have to make sure you are still in the same place and they are zapping the right spots.  Don't think it too that long but each facility is different.  Hopefully, it will get better with time.

toni30 - Glad you are feeling better today.  I am with you and I love Chinese food. Just not in the mood for Christmas this year.  I did get my cards out that had to be mailed.  Have several to do that don't need mailing and can't find the energy to do them.  Maybe tomorrow.  This fatigue will not go away - sick of it.  Sorry, just venting. 

jo1955 and Barbcard2,- Thanks for your kind words. it is nice to be able to post here and know that your feelings will be understood by others in the same boat.

Barbcard2- I have not experienced any changes of taste with rads. Thank goodness because my taste buds were really screwed up with 5 months of chemo. They just got back to normal last month.

I am wondering if taking an anti anxiety medication might help me get through rads. I know I experienced much worse side effects with chemmo then I will with rads, but rads has me much more upset. With chemo I could see what was in the IV bag or syringe and I could read the label. I'm a nurse so it all made sense to me, and I felt like I knew exactly what was going in my body. Rads is different. I am being zapped with some machine and don't really know exactly what is being done to my body. When I was first diagnosed my BS gave me a prescription for xanax. I only took a couple and have about 58 left. i wonder if I took 1 or 2 an hour before rads if it would calm me down during rads. I may try it.

I hope everyone has a good day with rads today!

michelekb - I have been very anxious during rads too.  I downloaded a mediatation tape from healthjourneys.com on radiation therapy and listened to it a few times before going to radiation.  It helped me to visualize being somewhere else.   But hey the Xanex works too.  I am working so could not take something and was afraid to drive with a pill in me.   Good luck.  

Well micheleb I'm right there with ya on the crying, and I haven't even started rads yet.  I'm on my 2nd week of weaning off prozac due to its noncompatibility with tamoxifen, and the emotions are running a bit stronger than I'm used to.  I dont necessarily think that's a bad thing; perhaps I've been over-medicated for awhile.  I'm supposed to cut my current does by half starting Sunday, and add a new drug Effexor, but I'm almost curious to find out how I feel on the lowest dose before adding Effexor.  Could be a rocky ride, I suppose.

I've not even heard from my RadOnc yet regarding my schedule, and today is 6 weeks since my last chemo.  It would be nice to get started so I could have an end-date to look forward to.  This waiting is frustrating . . .

michelekb: By all means take the Xanax!   I've been taking it for years, long before BC, so it doesn't affect my driving.  I have. however, gotten completely off dexedrine--part of my "depression cocktail." Silly pharmacologist has zero interest in my BC treatments.  I do take one trazadone at night and sometimes an ambien.  Anything to get some sleep.  BTW, I cannot tolerate even a small glass of wine since this nasty business began--not that I've ever been a drinker except socially. 

Big condo holiday party tomorrow night.  I don't want to go, but will force myself to do so!

thanks for the welcome everyone!

Barbcard2- i think tx in Israel is fairly similar - i did 5 months of chemo and that seemed to be similar to the other people on the June 2010 chemo list. Although my rads simulation only took 25 mins (plus dressing/undressing time) which seems quite quick compared to some others I have heard about. i got 3 tattoos too.

Starling - I had my port out 6 weeks ago (I got it out right after the last chemo because it wasn't working and was causing problems for me - I had to have an incision and fixes done to it 3 times during chemo, and only ended up being able to use it for 7/16 tx :-(   Anyway - i have the exact same disfiguring lump that you mentioned. i was sent for an untrasound to check if there was something in there (liquid, infection, stiches, etc.) but there is nothing there, it is just damaged tissue that apparently may get broken down and removed by my body at some point in the future...

i got given my rads start date today - they told me it is jan 9, but I complained that that would be two months after my surgery and 3 months after my last chemo and i think it is too long. So they called me back and I am starting on December 26 (Xmas season is just regular work days here) - unless my lumpectomy infection hasn't managed to heal yet.

Well I started my Rads last thursday.  I had 2 treatments than got this nasty virus that every around my area seems to be getting.  So I missed treatments Monday, Tues and today.  I pray I am better for tomorrows treatment at 12:45.

hi everyone

im soooo far behind.ill never catch up.i did tx.#1 today.so far so good

eventho im behind on everyone im prayin for all of you.God Bless

huggggggggggggggs

K

Hi Sherry and all, I guess it's high time I joined this group, I am in to my second week of radiation, and counting only 29 more to go! yuk, lol

For those behind my schedule wondering what it is like, so far the radiation has been easy. I'm starting to feel sore, but not bad enough to put me down for the count. I am trying to remain active, although a little fatigue.

I've had some major problems with my legs as I ended up with atrophy from neuropathy all the way to my hips. So frustrating to have this happen when it is so rare, and of all people who normally hikes about 3 miles a day with heavy photo equipment, and was brought to a standstill from the chemo.

But I have managed to get out and walk now, and have hope that this is subsiding. 6 weeks ago I literally had to pull my legs off the bed and use crutches or walls to hang on to. The legs were gone. But I've gotten about half my strength back from my efforts, so here's hoping..... as you can see, the Radiation is the least of my worries. If not for my legs, I'd say I feel damn good. [although ask me again in a few weeks, lolol]

Take care everyone!

Good Morning everyone-

If it's not too late I would love to join the group. Just had my first meeting with my Rad Dr yesterday and I am going back in this morning for the simulation and starting on either Monday or Tuesday.  So far I really like him and his resident,and will meet the technicians today.  Apparantely MD Anderson don't do tatoos but they do a whole grid marking pattern instead.   Should be interesting to say the least.  Also, he is not a fan of creams and lotions but promises that if I start to get red or itchy that they will give me something.  Hope that's ok - I've heard so many things to the contrary.

I have/had DCIS, grade 2, a lumpectomy 11/8 then a re-excision 11/29.  I'm 37 so they pretty much feel like the whole breast and long course is really my only option given my age.  So I'll have 30 treatments in all.

Sounds silly, but my sons school has a gala on Feb 4th, would be great if I wasn't all marked up and red for it, especially since my dress that I've had in my closet for months is strapless! Can't wait to read through all of your posts so far and get caught up on everyone's journey!

Hi Everyone!

 Just wanted to say hi!  Rads is going good so far.  Go for number 4 this afternoon  I am still shocked on how fast it is.  It takes me longer to get to the hospital than the actual treatment.  I went to get on port flushed this morning, It was nice to talk with my chemo nurses.  I really do miss going there (don't miss the chemo but miss the people). Well I hope everyone has a great day!  Jenn

WELCOME TO ALL THE NEWBIES

Hope everyone who is having their simulations that things go well.  This is the place to get lots of support and ask lots of questions.  This is a wonderful group of ladies.  They are so supportive and really helped me get through rads. 

I'm probably the oldest woman on this board: 75, turn 76 on January 15,  at which time I'll still be on rads.  I guess I'm lucky in a way.   26 to go.  I hate, particularly at my age, to be wishing the time away. I guess I should think of my rad days as a sort of parenthesis in my life, but I know I'll never get back to my BC (before cancer) days.  Will try to come up with a new image.  Good luck all.