March 2011 Rads

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  • thrmine
    thrmine Member Posts: 98
    edited March 2011

    HI All,

    Beautiful day here in Ohio. Crocuses are croaking.

    I have the Miaderm too and so far I like it.  I also bought the Udder cream and that is MUCH cheaper.  My techs swear by Aquaphor sp? but I haven't picked that up yet.  

    Marjie- I had 21 nodes removed, all cancer free at the time of surgery. My arm is doing ok, but my walk today seemed to puff it just a bit.  Looking forward to PT next week. 

    First day to church for me sans wig.  My friends all cheered.  One lady who didn't know me said, "Oh, you look so striking.  Couldn't take my eyes off you. " Yea, Then she had to add, "Are you sick?" Dang! 

    CT scans - I had one last May when first Dx and one recently to map for Rads.  There was diagnistics then and no mets found.  

    Hope you all ejnoy the day. Happy start to a new week.

    Alice 

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  • marjie
    marjie Member Posts: 1,134
    edited March 2011
    Well...another week about to begin.  Wondering how it will go, my boob turned kind of pinky-red this weeked Surprised
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  • sandymess
    sandymess Member Posts: 299
    edited March 2011

    Good luck this week, everyone!



    Marjie: What kind of lotion/cream are you using?

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  • shooshoo23
    shooshoo23 Member Posts: 96
    edited March 2011

    Maureen- I had a CT scan at the beginning to map where they were going to be doing the rads. I had mine without contrast (dye) though. That's the only one I've had.

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  • marjie
    marjie Member Posts: 1,134
    edited March 2011

    sandymess - I am using the Glaxol so far but with the changes this weekend I am also putting aloe on it.  Hopefully I can stay on top of it!  BTW, I bought the Glaxol earlier and tried it on my dry face and neck (my skin is sooo dry from chemo) - love it!  It might not be glamorous, but I'll use it even past all this cancer crap.

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  • pumela115
    pumela115 Member Posts: 231
    edited March 2011

    Hi everyone! tomorrow is going to be my 15th  rad and my skin is starting to hurt. But under my arm looks a little swollen, anyone else have that happen? I see my RO on tues and will ask about it. I get scared so easy now, i just hate it :(   Thanks and i hope everyone had a good weekend.

                                             Pam

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  • Angelice
    Angelice Member Posts: 1,739
    edited March 2011
    hi ladies Maureen i also had CT scan same as (shooshoo)  same reason i start my rads this week wed ...
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  • libraylil
    libraylil Member Posts: 528
    edited March 2011

    Pummel I like the way someone on this board called it the cancer crazies. I too am very suspicious of everything and also a "node obsessed".



    Another week and round of rads for us. Good luck to all, may the force be with you! Lib ray lil

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  • crlacey
    crlacey Member Posts: 31
    edited March 2011

    Congrats to those ending!

    Today's treatment is #13 out of 36. So I still have a ways to go. Though I am turning pink/red in spots. I've been using Calendula cream put out by California Baby (at Target) and the Aloe gel that the RO gave me. Though it's tough for me to find enough times to put it on since I've got young kids in the house and can't go topless unless I'm locked in my bedroom.

    Alice- Congrats on your bravery to go all natural to church! I'm sure you looked great and that your friends were proud of you.

    Maureen- I did get a CT scan to map out where the rads would be before we began treatment. No dye though.

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  • shooshoo23
    shooshoo23 Member Posts: 96
    edited March 2011
    crlacey- I have that same problem with having to lock myself in the bedroom! Very inconvenient! My boys are 15 and 10 and they know when my door is closed they just have to yell through it if they need something! HA! The aloe gel seems to take forever to dry enough to put clothes back on.
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  • LovemyLife12
    LovemyLife12 Member Posts: 43
    edited March 2011

    HAPPY MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 19/35 done. 

    Thrmine-Glad to hear of your progress and to go to church with no wig.  Fortunately I didn't require chemo, but a dear dear friend had to do chemo for renal cell cancer.  The first time I sawa her without her wig, I remember thinking how beautiful she truly was.  You really saw the beauty in her face and everywhere.  Of course her hair has returned (she is still beautiful).  Actually, she said her hair is better than ever before chemo.

    Pumela-  My breast feels swollen also.  Also feels burned.  I am so afraid to look in the mirror always think I am going to see burned or peeling skin.  So far only a light almost indiscernable tan. I use miaderm during the week.  On weekends, I use a product I picked up at the beach last year called save your skin.  It has some fragrance and vitamin e so I don't use it on the weekdays.  But it is a spray and feels so good.

    Have a great day EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • GirlFriday
    GirlFriday Member Posts: 461
    edited March 2011

    16/33

    My areola is swollen and red.  I can now clearly see the area of skin where the rads hits...It's tan.  I'm itchy today! Especially my scar.  I've just been gooing and then throwing my old stretched out cotton athletic bra on, or a tank top + the next tshirt sweater whatever layers on.  The kucky feeling only lasts a couple minutes, but I put up with it cause the rest of my boob feels so much better.  I've been keeping some aloe in the fridge too for that "cool" feeling.  I am in Maine and there is less than 0% humidity with all of the furnaces going, so that may be why the sticky kuckiness doesn't last!

    The last two sessions I've been holding my breath when they try to align me...not sure what started that, but I know I'm just bracing, forcing myself through it. I've been so SE regular(meaning nothing abnormal), I'm just anxious for the next stages! I know the SE's can get worse from here on out, but I'm hoping it's all manageable!

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  • Adey
    Adey Member Posts: 3,610
    edited March 2011

    23 / 28, took a break Thursday and Friday.  Almost there.

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  • GirlFriday
    GirlFriday Member Posts: 461
    edited March 2011

    Pumela115:  Are you shaving?  They told me no shaving, and my skin is really sensitive where the rads hits.  I look like something out of National Geographic, but I'm just following the "rules" for fear of painful SE's.

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  • gymnut
    gymnut Member Posts: 37
    edited March 2011

    Hi all,

    I'm a little nervous and also wondering should i be posting here b/c i "only" have dcis....so glad i only had excisional biopsy & reexcision & then margins were okay...we hope (i guess they're never sure).

    first rad treatment is in a couple of hours.  a week ago friday they did the treatment planning/cat scans & then last friday x-rays to make sure everything was all lined up correctly.

    i'll be getting 30 treatments altogether, 25 whole breast (Left) and 5 partial, just to sugical area.

    congrats to those almost done w/ treatment.  my b-day is in may so at least i'll be done before then.

    sounds like a lot of you have had lost of skin rxns. i need to buy some more stuff, but all i got so far was the aloe on recom. from rad. onc. & nurse. said i needed to use that or calendula, & also only dove, tone or basis or something like that for soap or body wash.  any recommendations for that?

    thanks all, take care & hope you heal quickly & well.

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  • pumela115
    pumela115 Member Posts: 231
    edited March 2011

    Girlfriday, no i'm not shaving and i'm not putting anything under my arm except for the calendula ointment that they recomended. I will show them today when i go. I know what you mean by looking like National Geographic. Hmmmm i wonder what it would look like if i played dot to dots with my scars, i had a reduction  8 years ago, so i have a few extra ones. Happy Monday everyone!!!

                                                                              Pam

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  • 3teacher
    3teacher Member Posts: 42
    edited March 2011

    Hey all! Today was #15 out of 26. Then will have 8 boosts. Tech told me today that boosts are nothing compared to this/easier. hmmmm

    Skin is holding up pretty good considering I am really, really fair. This week will be the test, I bet. I am slathering on the Miaderm like a wild woman. I let this dry and then sometimes put Fruit of the Earth 100% Aloe Vera over top in some places. I find it at Walmart and is sooo much cheaper than the crazy expensive Miaderm. (I go through at least 2 tubes of Miaderm a week!!) The only problem with the Aloe is that it takes forever and a day to dry and can be a sticky mess. I slather all this on and just go topless around the house until it all dries. Sure understand how that would not work with kids around!!

    BTW if you are having rads to upper chest/superclavs, be sure and lube up on your upper back. PA said radiation goes through to the other side. Now that freaked me out!! But I am putting cream on my back shoulders each time, too.

    Just met with surgeon and scheduled preventative hyster/ovaries out in May due to BRCA1 positive. Wants pelvic MRI just to rule out anything before operating. Had vaginal ultrasound done in Jan. and it was normal. Am bummed out about having to have yet another test! But this too shall pass.

    Well, everyone check off your Monday rads. 4 more to go and then 2 days off. Loving the weekends!!

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  • heavenschild
    heavenschild Member Posts: 212
    edited March 2011

    I answered a Craiglist Ad today for someone who was giving away free aloe plants.  The guy actually came to my office and dropped off four HUGE aloe plants for me to plant when the weather here in sunny (?) California clears up.  The kindness was overwhelming, he didn't even know I was going through rads. 8th out of 30 today!  Only drawback is that they draw on you each time, during one of my grumpy sessions I accused the tech that his mother did not give him enough crayons when he was growing up!  ;)

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  • sandymess
    sandymess Member Posts: 299
    edited March 2011

    Happy Monday, everyone! I am now 4/33 done. Today I saw the nurse and she measured my arms. My LE is acting up, but not bad yet. One upper arm is an inch larger, but the rest measured similar. I've been wearing my special sleeve so it shouldn't get too bad. I see the RO tomorrow. I need to ask why they focus on the entire breast, the lumpectomy scar, and the lymph nodes at the clavicle, but they do nothing to the scar from the lymph node removal where there were 3 tumors. The pt. liaison told me that chemo took care of that scar. Huh? Then why didn't chemo take care of everything??

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  • Ween62
    Ween62 Member Posts: 10
    edited March 2011

    Hi Marjie



    I see you are going to get or get herceptin I am curious as to how you are feeling

    I signed up for the trial but they tested my tissue 2x and couldn't diagnose if I have the HER2 gene they said this happens sometimes hope your feeling better

    Lisa

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  • shooshoo23
    shooshoo23 Member Posts: 96
    edited March 2011

    6/33....

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  • libraylil
    libraylil Member Posts: 528
    edited March 2011

    Gym nut. Welcome, this is great board. The peeps are very positive. 8 down and get to see dr. Cute tomorrow. Libraylil

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  • pumela115
    pumela115 Member Posts: 231
    edited March 2011

    #15 today, techs looked at my swollen underarm and decided i needed to see the nurse after they zapped me. I saw the nurse and she said so you have a lump under your arm?( I wanted to say pls don't use the lump anymore) No i said it is just swollen, she looked and told me i need to see the doc. now i am freaking out, long story short, he thinks it's scar tissue from having my nodes out and i may need pt after rads. the fluid is not draining, i think they call it LE. oh well it scared me, but i feel some what better now. I see my RO tomorrow and will show it to him. Happy Monday and tomorrow is #16, can't wait to be done with all this cancer crap!

                                                                   Pam

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  • GrandmaBubba
    GrandmaBubba Member Posts: 111
    edited March 2011

    13/28 done Today the tech agreed with me about the burn. Said I should expect to take a break before I finish since I'm not even half way through yet. Agree with the sticky aloe. I use a blow dryer to dry it, but I think I'll start using a fan soon. The burn looks crazy because I have an area that is still as pale as ever. Tech thought it was because of scar. Fatigue is really getting bad already too. Having intermittent FMLA filed so I won't be afraid to take care of myself.

    gymnut - I've been using Ivory with aloe. I love it.

    I shaved once between chemo and rads and haven't needed to since. At least that's one blessing.

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  • Eloise
    Eloise Member Posts: 137
    edited March 2011

    gymnut, I "only" had DCIS too, but radiation isn't any easier or any different for us...so you're in the right place. 

    Yes, different docs/clinics recommend different skin regimens.  Aloe and calendula products are good; my doctor felt that a good moisturizing cream such as Cetaphil was fine, but I did end up buying two tubes of Miaderm towards the end of my rads, and liked it very much.  Miaderm is a relatively expensive cream specifically formulated for radiation treatments, and mostly available online.  I felt it was more soothing and absorbed into my skin faster than Cetaphil.  Whatever you use, it seems like the most important thing is to use it consistently and frequently.  

    Going without a bra or with the most minimal and least irritating one you can find is also good. My RO's nurse recommended buying a yard of white super-soft fleece at the fabric store and cutting it into pieces to wear next to the skin.  It was comfy, but it also left little bits of white fleecy lint over everything. 

    Good luck and hang in there -- I am 21 days out from my last treatment and my skin is completely healed, though I still have a fair amount of fatigue. The time will pass more quickly than you think. 

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  • gingerstx
    gingerstx Member Posts: 91
    edited March 2011

    12/35 today!  yay:  1/3 done!  I use Neo Soothe, an ointment the RO recommended, and slather it on several times a day, even tho my skin still hasn't changed color.  The RO nurse told me that the first place I'd show signs of a burn would be any area that'd been previously sunburned, so I make sure those areas are generously covered with the stuff.   Monday's are my most difficult days because they take xrays before my treatment and by the time they get to doing my rads my arms are already screaming to be put back down.  Yesterday's seemed extra long because they had a student they were training.  Oy!  How do you get through this pain?   The purpose of the xrays is to make sure their calibrations are correct.  Does everyone have to go through this or is it because they used magic marker on me rather than tattoos? 

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  • shooshoo23
    shooshoo23 Member Posts: 96
    edited March 2011
    gingerstx- I have tattoos but get xrays every Monday. They call it 'film day'
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  • crlacey
    crlacey Member Posts: 31
    edited March 2011

    gymnut- Welcome!

    heavenschild- That's really cool getting the aloe plants. My mom keeps asking me to buy her some if I ever see them for a decent price.

    gingerstx- I have tattoos but still get x-rays at least twice a week to be sure things are lining up right.

    I have 13 treatments down and too many more to go (a total of 36). I have had some fatigue issues the past few days. Now DH and kids are dealing with seasonal allergies, so our house is just miserable right now. But at least we're starting to see spring type weather instead of constant cold!

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  • doreyme
    doreyme Member Posts: 32
    edited March 2011

    Hi

    You guys are all ahead of me. I'm an April rads gal. Someone suggested Aloe gel to put on right after treatment for the burns. Has anyone tried that?

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  • GirlFriday
    GirlFriday Member Posts: 461
    edited March 2011

    gymnut: Welcome...there is nothing "only" about cancer. You are at the right place!  We all have different SE and stressors throughout our treatment, so don't put stress on yourself that you don't have enough to share and contribute.  My first path report said my cancer was in situ, then when they did the Lx, they found that my "Lumpy"  was two faced and half of it was invasive, but it was low grade.  Sometimes I find that I feel guilty because I haven't had things so extreme, but just like everyone else I will face the fear of recurrence for the rest of my life.  All of us here, whether invasive, chemo, radiation, horrible SE's, Tamoxifen, etc...we all face the fear of recurrence.  So you can minimize your guilt at having less of something and rejoice in the misery of fear! Ha!  I'm not sure why but that makes sense in my fatigued brain.  :)  I've been using Dial's glycerin soap for a quick wash hand wash, no cloth, and delicately pat dry. They recommended Dove or Basis.  I think the most important part is don't use anything that will irritate, and this includes toweling.  You'll see through out the posts we've all tweaked are regimine to what works best for us, but we all Lube multi times a day.

    17/33:  I'm breaking out in a rash in the upper center quadrant of the rads square.  The doc reco'd just plaing OTC hydrocortisone.  My nipple is starting to look like leather...I guess I'd rather have that then cracked and peeling!

    Pumela115:  Sorry to here about your LE, but I'm so glad you found out what it is.  Now you can add that to your tackle list and Kick it's Arse!

    LibrayLil:  I have a crush on my rads nurse.  He's just so darn cute and spunky.  We talk all of the time, and I've been showing him my research and different books for his opinion (Most recently Core Balance Diet, by Marcelle Pick) The doc was out in the OR, so he tried to maintain the Monday patient review.  When we got in the exam room I asked him if he wanted to see, and he said "Nah, we're getting kind of close, unless you have an issue I don't want to have you undress"  I totally blushed, and I am NOT a blusher.  I just wanted to grab him and kiss him!  It seems like everyone has seen my boobs lately, they take a picture every couple of weeks, and I'm on camera during radiation, and I've totally adjusted to it.  But the fact that someone wanted to preserve my modesty was so refreshing! 

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