March 2011 Rads

HAPPY MONDAY  EVERYONE!!!!

Well I started the boosts today! 6 more left YIKES!  Hate to say this but glad to read others are having skin problems.  I guess misery loves company!  The underside of my breast has peeled completely.  Just last Monday I had a tiny bit of peeling there (less than 1/4 inch) Yuck.  While at the hotel this weekend I knelt over the air conditioner while hoding up my breast.  Oh how silly I looked, but how good it felt!

Also I could have sworn they said that they would not radiate the scar where I had the SNB.  So I never put lotion there.  It is a horrible deep red and hurts like a *beep*.  Now part of my boosts extend to that area.  Hope I can hold out.

Hope everyone has a great week.  Here is to the finish line.  Love to you all!!!

I just finished #14 today..I guess thats almost halfway done.  I'm sorry so many of you are having a terrible time with your skin.  I'm starting to be pink, bumpy and very itchy. The spot on my back were the beam goes thru is the worst!  I guess I wasn't getting the aloe back there in the right area. 

Is anyone not having boosts?  I don't know yet about getting boosts because my BS never marked my tumor bed area and the Rad Onc can't see it from the CT they did for planning. She's talking about doing an ultrasound to try to find it and then have clips put in to mark the correct area.  I'm not sure I want to go thru that...it sounds about the same procedure as my first biopsy. Anyone else have this happen?   

Marjie,  Lets do it! The countdown today was #10 for me too and tomorrow will be #9 and so on. I just hope i can make it. My underarm is hurting so bad right now and it's not going to get any better until they stop. Don't know if i should even try to work tomorrow. I'm a bartender so my arm is in constant motion. Oh well i will figure it out tomorrow. Have a good night everyone.

                                                      Pam

I finished chemo last week and am starting radiation in about 3 weeks.  I'm scared!  I had a left mx plus te so I know this may ruin my reconstruction too.  I don't know how to prepare for it.  Thanks to everyone for their info on this thread!

I just started to get a little irritation/pleeing but not in my radiation field, where my affectied side arm creases when reaching above my head... Putting aloe on it

9 more to go!!! then i am DONE!

Texas I still have some numbness after the lumpectomy in Jan.





Off to the radium spa today for number 20. As a reward (thrill) it is doctor day. Yesterday there was a student in the machine room. He was extremely fine and very nice and polite.



My RO nurse told me the key is to keep the skin moisturized. Fingers crossed, so far the radiaplex gel is working.



I want to ask Dr Cute today if they will reCT before the boosts. The technician seems to think they will. She did tell me no more tattoos, just drawing. Libraylil

Libraylil: Had CT scan for my boosts last week. Boosts start tomorrow- today is last day of regular tx. yippee   BTW the CT scan/boosts went very quickly. RO came in and drew the field and then the tech did her CT thing. No tattoos. Oh, and the tech traced the field on sheet of something clear. Really wasn't paying much attention at that point.

Good luck. Keep on doing the Radioplex- the more the better, esp. at this point. You are almost there!!

marjie:  My skin is going to give out too ...After rads this morning it looked totally different.  I guess I reached my maximum tolerance!  I put the benadryll cream on what ever is itchy, and I just gave in and purchase Aquaphor, so I put that on over the other cream. 

gingerstx:  The rash is caused by the rads...it's the hair follicls giving one last angry scream before they die...The rash does behave like an allergy too.  I take benadryll at 8, am usually asleep by 930, and then I snore the rest of the night until 430am. But the alarm goes off at 5am.

texasrose361:  I was just thinking about you this morning!  I'm glad you are doing well!

lee7:  My tumor bed is clear so it's already been marked...not drawing on me anymore, they lined me up last Friday, and I start on Thursday.  Part of it will nuke the top of my nipple which it terribly sore...not looking forward to more rads on it!

27/33...Boosts start on Thursday!

8/21 down and I am going for similation for boosts tomorrow. Skin holding up well, although I wasn't getting enough moisterizer far enough towards the back, so it's a little pink. Going double on all the lubes in that area now.

I started getting a weird pain Sunday night. At first I thought it might be the nipple getting sensitive and rubbing against the bra. At weekly check yesterday, RO told me to take tylenol. Since then it has happened every couple of hours and actually in the boob and not the skin. It's a brief sharp jabbing pain that sometimes happens when I reach for something with my arm on the same side and sometimes while I'm just sitting and doing nothing. Any suggestions? I'm debating whether it's a big enough deal to call the RO or wait for next Monday's check.

Otherwise all is well. I was lucky enough to snag a morning rads time so I make it to work without usuing up too much sick time.

Double yeah for countdowns! I have three more boosts and I am done!! woo-hoo. Saw the RO today and he said I was healing "great,"---not how I feel. Cuz it hurts, and its red and angry and it itches and wah-wah-wah!! He said I was lucky it was "dry" healing and not "wet" healing--not raw and oozing. Seems raw to me!! My skin has turned this deep scarlety red and has pealed under my arm to leave behind this 1 1/2 inch round super pink baby skin. Looked at it a few minutes ago, and saw two new blisters on that fresh baby skin. So now I am walking around with my arm extended so I don't rub my arm there. Fun stuff!!

Also asked him about arthritis and achy joints that have just started in the last few weeks--he said that was a delayed reaction to chemo--but not rads. He then said with his cute little smile(he is a cutie) that it just could  be cause I am getting older. OOWWWCCHH!!! I let him get away with that one cause he is sooo cute!! 

Thanks marjie!!!! I hope mine stop in about a week, too!!!

So many countdowns getting low!!! Love it! 

hey girl friday!- its been hard for me to get onto the boards with this hectic schedule! i think i mentioned before i drive an hr each way to rads- thats what happens when you live in middle of no where tx LOL

8 more to go! oh and i am not geting boosts- what are those?

I guess I'm 'officially' half way done today! 16/33 finite!!

Ok, my RO is not eye candy, she is a she, and not eye candy at that.  I think I am cuter than she is.  HAA!  How is that for a reversion to high school.  JK all, she is very nice.  

I feel for you ladies with bossums.  I think this is the one and only time I have thus far said I am glad to be flat.  I had a recon, that became a decon, but that is another story.  

I hope and pray for good days for all here.  

I was somewhat pinker today.  I think I swear by Miaderm and I have been using a diaper rash cream from the health food store.  I hestiate to using it during the week though because the white film it leaves stays put.  Not sure that is good.

hang in there ladies.

Alice