April 2011 Rads

Hi Ladies!  I was supposed to start my rads the first week in April,but they bumped me up so I have my first appointment on Moday!  I have to admit I'm nervous. Blonde hair, blue eyes and extreamly sensitive fair skin.  The nurse already told me to expect a bit more of burn than most.  I also have delayed recon, my oncologist told me to wait at least 2 years before starting.  Hopefully my skin will bounce back a bit with that amount of time to heal.  I've heard recon after rads can be difficult.  I try not to worry to far ahead, but sometimes it's hard, lol.  Wishing everyone the best of luck and hoping all of our SE's are minimal!!

Hello ladies!  I'm on the March rads site, but one lovely lady there posted the following suggestions.  13/30 just beginning to get SE, I should end treatment on Passover!  
[grin]

Radiation Suggestions
Soap: Basis, Dove: Go for free of perfumes and dyes. Do not use wash cloth and pat dry
Lotions: Look for no dyes, no parabens, as pure as possible...100% Aloe: Fruit of the Earth, RO Suggested: Aquaphor for later weeks of treatment, Other Suggestions: Glaxal, Baby Aveeno, Miaderm (purchase on Internet) Boiron's Calendula (lotion, cream, gel)
Always go in clean and lube when you go out. Lube 3-5 times a day
Treat your skin delicately. It's being assaulted!
Tank tops, Camisole's with shelf bra, Fruit of the Loom front hook athletic bras, Everything Cotton and loose that you can stand.
Buy a yard of white fleece, and cut to fit inside "bras" so something soft is next to rads area.
If you are larger breasted, be concerned about underneath your breast and treat with care.
Absolutely NO lanolin or oil prior to treatment. Avoid Lanolin during treatment
Do not wear deodorant or shave the rads underarm.
Breathe through the process: Consider counting the timing of the treatments, visualize the "healing" beam. Ask for music to be played and a warm sheet/towel if available.
Consider naming the machine: Bubba, Sparky, The Accelerator, Trilogy
If the position you are in for radiation hurts your arms or back consider taking ibuprofen or something prior to your appointment...ask your RO about this for recommendations.
Enjoy your tattoos if you get them. They little blue dots to add to the constellation of your body!
Drink Lots of Water
Eat Plenty of Protein to help health skin heal
Do not take extra anti-oxidants
Fatigue is real. Plan for it. Some can take naps and be better, other's can't. Try to plan your days so you don't wear yourself out.

Hi to all...Lisa it is good to see you leading the pak again.  I did not post much lately in our chemo thread but have been reading faithfully every day.  I have four more Taxol left and so I am a bit early to be here but decided I should not lurk without making myself known.  I am hearing so many different time frames between chemo and the start of radiation.  Can anyone clear this up for me.  I know that I am looking at 6.5 weeks everyday and that is all I know.  I feel like I am starting the education process completely over, just like when we all started chemo.  I would imagine I will be jumping on the May bandwagon but would love to hang out here and get some tips before I begin.

Thanks for all the support and advice and we will make it through this.

I'm starting Rad exact 4 weeks after my last Taxol. 20 plus 5 boosts. My appointment is

at 7.40 am then I'm off to work. 

I'm  also start on tamoxifen last Monday, nearly one week and so far so good. 

I love baking Lisa! I'm find it so nice and relaxing. 

I'd like to jump on this board, as I will be starting rads April 4th. Just finished four rounds of Taxotere/Cytoxan on March 10th, so less than a month after last treatment. Since I was unlucky enough to be in the 10% group who are triple negative, I won't have any more treatments or hormone therapies after rads. I got so much help and support from the January 2010 chemo board, and I am looking forward to meeting all of you ladies. A little about me: age 53 (just had my birthday on Thursday - and got tattooed to celebrate! - JK, that's when I had my simulation and had the 4 tattoo placement marks done). I live a bit north of Seattle, and have a job that normally requires me to fly 3 weeks out of 4, so being grounded since Jan. has been a real adjustment. I have been on STD since Jan. 6th, but will go back starting tomorrow and will try to work through radiation. Are any of you ladies doing the same?

Aimee

I'm new here, but will be starting Rads next week.  I have my planning session March 30th and hopefully starting a week from then.  They told me 34 total, 27 whole and then 7 boosts.  They also cautioned that most people need to take a break due to burns.  Was hoping to finish before Memorial Day, but doesn't look like that will happen. 

sunflower - I'm also on Herceptin every 3 weeks.

Sammolisa~Hi it looks like I'll be joining you on April 4. Yikes! Let me know how yours goes. I'll be thinking of you.

Hi everyone, I am sooo new here, can't believe I didn't find this sooner, but chemo head kept me pretty fuzzy!  I'm Gina from San Antonio, Texas, 41 and triple negative.  I had chemo to shrink tumor and opted for partial mastectomy.  I am three weeks out of surgery this Friday and chemo ended three weeks before that! Thank goodness.  I have my initial appointment with the radiation oncologist tomorrow.  I don't have a clue what to expect and am grateful I found this site and will take notes about the skin care etc.  My oncologist said I should expect 6 1/2 weeks of radiation. They are in the same treatment center and work closely together.  Any questions I should know to ask tomorrow?  I guess I get to undress for someone yet again! lol.  PS chemo didn't shrink the tumor it blasted it!!! They couldn't find any viable tumor in surgery!

Welcome aboard to you both!

Gina~that's fantastic that your tumor all but disappeared. It must be so reassuring to know your chemo not only worked but kicked butt!!! As far as your first appointment with rads its just to talk about what radiation is, why they use it and what you can expect from both the actual tx and possivble side effects. Then you'll have to go back another day to do a simulation where they place you in position (in my case they did 2) and use a CT machine to look at placement of where they want to hit but also to look at your anatomy (lungs, heart,etc) in relation to where they need to radiate. With that info they will come up with a plan. They will also tatoo at this visit or at the very least mark you in some way.You'll go back again for a dry run of the plan they picked and to readjust if they need to.Then you'll finally go back and start your treatments. I assume it's all basically the same no matter where you are. It's probably the same protocol. I hope this helps. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Aimeemac~how is it being back at work? I decided to stay out of work until my rads is finished. Once I go back to work there will be no mercy so I'm taking this time to rest and build myself back up.

HollyinMich~How is your skin holding up since you've had a few treatments? Are your lymph nodes cooperating? Any lymphedema? Do you do special exercises in PT?

Doreyme, so far so good.  The initial sensitivity I had has subsided quite a bit.  Day 2 was a bit more sensitive and by the morning of day 3 it had subsided.  Just had number 4 today and I'm not really noticing it much at all.  I guess my skin is adjusting to it.  I'm hoping I keep this trend for as long as I can!  I've been lubing up at night really well with Aquaphor and using Eucerin in the mornings after my shower.  The Eucerin is not greasy like the Aquaphor and absorbs in real well before I go in for Rads.  They told me not use anything 4 hours prior, lol, I'm assuming so that the "grease" doesn't help cook the skin.

I haven't noticed too much swelling as of yet.  I had a little bit this morning because idiot me took a really hot bath to help with the body aches I'm getting now almost 2 months out from Taxol.  Uggh, got to love those late SE's.  I didn't think about it and stuck part of my arm in the water for a few minutes before it dawned on me.  So I had a little tightness from a bit of swelling in my upper arm but it's disapated now thank goodness!!

Hi Ladies,

I'd like to join in ... I'm starting rads on the 6th.  I did the fitting yesterday....  I also started the tamoxifen yesterday.  But at least the sun is shining in Nashville today.

Debbie