March 2011 Rads

Hi everyone,

I just finished chemo on March 8  and am starting rads April 4, any advice in preparation? I've been reading your posts about after tx. How long do you wait to put the creams on?

20/35 Done.  Only 8 more until the boosts

A very warm welcome to all those joining this board.  I was so very nervous about SEs. But have found that for me I can handle them pretty well.  Told my Doctor today I was having a Margarita on my last treatment day.  He said that sounded good to him:-)  So looking forward to April 12th..

Have a great day!!!!

Hello and welcome to our newcomers!



I have to say, I am SO jealous of those of you who are ahead of me. I want to be done with this so badly! ;-)



Marjie, you mentioned that the skin on your face got really dry from chemo. My facial skin has been dry and leathery for about a month and I didn't realize it was probably from chemo. Thanks for pointing that out. Maybe I'll see if I can find that Glaxol stuff because my regular Olay is not doing anything to help.



Take care everyone! I'm off to have #5 treatment out of 33.

doreyme~ I had 6 treatments of TCH, will still get Herceptin every 3 weeks for as long as it works for me.  In the past month I had a lumpectomy and SNB, a sternal bone biop and a second lumpect to clear my margins.  I will probably start rads @ the 11th of April.  Have to have 4 weeks of healing from my surgery before I can start it.

Girl Friday,

Great summary of tips! I want to print it out so I can have it handy. I just finished #6 so I've a long way to yet to go and I want to remember all this stuff.

Concerning real AloeVera plants...My RO said not to use them because of the risk of bacteria or molds possibly being on the plant that might end up causing infection on burned/broken skin.  She wanted me to use 100% Aloe gel or Calendula gel (make sure there was no alcohol in it).

I looked up Miaderm and saw it is made of Aloe, Calendula plus a third thing,Hyaluronate. Since Miaderm  is pretty expensive, I'm using Fruit of the Earth 100%Aloe, and Boiron Calendula Gel, for now hoping for similar good results.

Anyone else here doing gated breathing? I get xrayed every time to make sure I'm in the right spot before they zap me.

thanks so much Girl Friday for the summary....writing down this page # so I can come back to it in a few months!

Hey ladies I started My rads today was. Ok better than chemo so far. All the best to all doing chemo or rads

18/33  Hydrocortisone cream is my friend.  I have an itchy rash now.  Not so bad considering.  I'm getting very clear tan marks where the radiation hits.  My nipple is less sore and swollen than the first couple of weeks, but now it resembles leather.  I think I'm going to get one of those BC awarness license plates that says TUFFNIPS

I keep singing that song by Elton John Benny and the Jets....She's got electric boobs, a mohair suit, you know I read it in a magazine Ohoh!  Mmmmarcy and the rads.   Of course I make it all about me   I'm envious of your naps....I can't seem to take one, and if I do actually sleep I wake up so groggy I can function less than before the nap. 

Lee7: I asked about gated breathing this morning.  The techs said they don't do it for BC, but they are starting to work it in for lung cancer. 

Marjie: That is awesome...I'm sorry you didn't get cookies!  My beau and I are constantly talking about how things are the "breast" ever.  And occassionally when we're out in public, he'll grab the pink ribbons and say, "ribbon marks the spot!" as he places it on my right boob. 

Hey all!  Do you think at the end of this,we should do a "weekly" summary?  Like I know basically what SE I had per week, but I don't really know what I'm going to face.  It's a daunting process to move forward through something without knowing the true outcome, and I think the techs prefer to keep us in the semi dark sometimes.  I the kind of person that wants to know so I can put on the right battle gear, but I know some people just want to go blind....Ignorance is Bliss.  What do you all think?

21/35 done.  Seven until boosts

girlfriday- you are so funny and smart.  Love your writing style.  Sorry about the tichy rash.  Haven't had that yet.  But my nipple is like leather and huge!

The skin under my breast is starting to feel very raw.  But the doctor said miaderm and aquaphor shoulf help.  I've been told that they will heal while the boosts are taking place.  I took two aleve last night for soreness..

Have a great day all!!

almost forgot...I took claritin for they watery eyes and it seemed to help a little bit.

Lee:  I have been looking and looking for someone else who does the gated breathing. I do, too! Not sure if we are doing the exact same thing, though.

Mine is called respiratory gating. It is something very new (well, a few years old) and on a machine called Trilogy. Not everywhere has this special machine. My tumor on the left side was deep, hence the need to get the chest away from my heart duing radiation. Basically what happens is I wear googles to view a grid, follow a grid while breathing and then when the tech says take a deep breath, I breath in and match it to the top of the grid and hold it the entire time during the beam.

I must say... the first few times were nerve racking!! Even the simulations and prefilms were very difficult for me. I sat out in the car and cried that first prefilm/whatever it was day- my arms hurt so bad from being in that darn position for over hour!

 Now it's a breeze, even on the film days. Total time in the "position" is only like 15 minutes or so.  I think what made it tougher is that I have had a BMX and they are doing both sides so takes twice as long as most gals- chest/underarms/superclavs. And all that preliminary stuff took sooo long- it is a very complicated procedure.

I am 17/26 and then need 8 boosts. The tech said boosts will be a breeze- no gated breathing and they target only around my scar area....I think that's what she said. Anyway, with the boosts I can just lay there and relax and let the machine do it's thing.

Day16 (yesterday) is when the preblisters started- on my upper chest. RO gave me RX and it seems to be helping. I call them preblisters- probably not what they are. Rest of the area is okay maybe just a bit pink. I am slathering on the Miaderm and FruitoftheEarth Aloe Vera like wild. Trying to make it 9 more treatments. The good news is that I'll have Sat/Sun. soon to give it all a rest. I am soooo fair, so this is not unexpected. Just wish it had held off a bit longer. And then maybe it will with this RX I'm now using in the affected area.

Going tomorrow for MRI. Need preventative hyster/ovaries out due to BRCA1 positive. Dr. is hoping to do it vaginally-that's why he ordered the MRI to make sure everything is okay. Vaginal ultrasound was all normal. So this BMX, chemo, radiation road will be a bit longer now with hyster. in early May or so.

Everyone, have a great evening!!