May 2011 Radiation

GmaFoley.........I have done well so far..........no rash, no pink, and the aloe seems to agree with me..........the aquaphor is so greasy it drives me nuts.........I bought 6 mens XL t shirts today to wear to protect my nightgowns, and anything else..............I am doing #20 tomorrow, and have 13 more to go.

Then I go on Femara........not happy about that.

Sag,

If my RO wants to get naked, I won't complain..he's just out of residency, young, and smokin' hot.

Carberry,

You may want to try Melatonin to help you sleep.  My husband has restless leg syndrome and he uses it with fabulous results.  (It is a naturally occuring hormone that helps us sleep that isn't produced well as we age.)

I take magnesium right before bed...and it puts me out, and helps keep me regular...how great is that?!  lol

I'm off to #5.

Oh, and I think I'm being hit by scatter because my entire right side down to my pelvic area is sore...like a too hard workout....and the official "field" stops mid ribcage......

GmaFoley - your schedule sounds good. You won't fall apart, but I personally think you'll be happy you can just relax.

Have you been given directions for using gels/creams on the radiated area? My doc has be putting on Aloe Gel (99% pure from Trader Joes or Whole Foods) 3 to 4x/day, but not 2 hours prior to treatment. Starting at week 4, they added Aquaphor at night because my skin was getting dry.

I remember you said you work at a fabric store. This is not the time to be volunteering to do any heavy lifting on the side getting treated. Keep smiling and handle just one bolt at a time. 

Here's a question for our docs about the Aquaphor. Greasy mess that it makes, it does do a great job of softening up my skin. (My hands are looking better than ever too.)

I was told it will keep my skin moisturized to prevent cracking. I started spreading it across my whole chest area because both sides were looking dry to me. I noticed this morning that the non-radiated side seems to absorb the Aquaphor better than the radiated side.

I've read that radiation changes the texture of your skin so now I'm wondering if the Aquaphor is also helping to keep the skin softer in the end than it would be without it. Have any of you heard anything about that?

OK - this is post 3 (or maybe 4) in less than an hour. I'm signing off to go outside and get some exercise. 

Finished 5/25 today.  So far so good.  No problems, not even pink, although I am only getting my axilla and supraclavical zapped.  I am using Miaderm also, and I like it so far.  Not greasy at all and doesn't seem to wreck my clothes, at least what I have been wearing. 

Ker - I agree, TGIF and hope everyone has a great rad free weekend too.

No winning lottery ticket yet, but that's OK. 

Tina I already asked that!! Lol  My RO said Rads is so much more powerful, a lead apron wouldn't do anything...he said it goes through me, the table, and the concrete floor..a lead apron wouldn't cut it.

KC,

I am using bolus, it will make your skin red and likely blister/peel...but that's how they "know" the skin is treated....also my RO said the same thing...if I'm not red at the end, I'm undertreated....I dunno if I agree with that...

I went to the gym today after Rads...I lifted the same as I always do...but now my rads side, under the arms hurts, like I might have pulled something...oh well, will have to monitor!

I broke down and bought scratch off tickets...1/2 are win up to $500 the other ½ up to $1000.....I don't have good luck tho, but what a fun idea!!

Quick question...what are you all using for SPF? I have a party tomorrow outside...taking an umbrella, and SPF 30 spray....

Well Happy Rapture day tomorrow...lol. 

Have a great weekend!

Thanks Gabby for your input.. I was wondering about lifting the bolts.. surgeon told me no problem, but I never thought about asking my RO.. might need a note from him if that is the case..The ladies I work with are so protective of me, all I need to say is I shouldn't lift the bolts and then they won't let me do anything LOL.. Maybe not a bad idea ..

After 12 sessions I saw pink today. So it is definitely working! My tech told me the untreated areas of my body recieve more radiation on the golf course than they do in that wonderful treatment room.



Have a great weekend!

Tammy I only have 3 tattoos - they line them up with the red line on the machine so I am exactly in the same position every time - but I'm only having axillary and breast rads done. Oh and all the techs and the doc have a tattoo on the back of their hand to show me what they looked like lol.

Hi all! I am 9 treatments in on my 38 radiation therapy. I am very red and it stings quite a bit. I have been putting Gold Bond Ultimate w/aloe and that helps but it is still very sore, so my rad. onc. prescribed me xylocaine cream. Has anyone used it?

As far as deodorant, my doctor told me to use any with aloe in it, so I have been using Mitchem w/aloe. I like it alot. I could not go without deodorant, yuck!

Has anyone experienced a rock hard feeling under the skin? It's very hard under incisions and nipple. Feels very strange!

GmaFoley - I'd check on it. My RO's nurse advised me to take it easy on the side being treated. I think you can sometimes get lymphodema from radiation treatments. One bolt would probably be OK, but don't think you should be hefting a stack of them all at once using the side being treated.

I'm training myself to carry my purse, pick up groceries, etc. with my non-treated arm. I'm just mentally shifting the "heavy duty" to that side. (Which is backwards for me, but I'm making progress.)

Gabby - thanks I will ask my RO nurse too -I usually put the bolts of fabric in the cart first and then put them away.  One more thing to add to my list.  I have also started working on lifting heavy things with my other arm.  Its a pain to switch from your dominate side but if it help me through the process then we do it...don't we?  

OK so I lifted to sticker to peek at the tattoo.  I HATE it.  It's quite a bit bigger than the pinpoint it was described.  Why is this pissing me off so much???  I have giant scars and silcone implants where I used to have breasts.  I have no hair, no eyebrows and no eyelashes.  However, these marks on my body are just about to put me over the edge!!! I've sailed through two surgeries and dose dense chemotherapy, including the red devil in the last 6 months.  Why am I finding the whole radiation thing so difficult?  Maybe I'm just getting worn down.  IDK, but I need to kick the Xanax back up a few notches because today I've fluctuated between wanting to snap another human in two to fighting back tears.  

TonLee- I am getting rads at Kettering Medical Center.  My doctor is Dr. Keiller. 

Tammy

Tammy ~ I felt the same way with Rads I'm on 21/33 I think.  I realized that I had been in such a heavy fog with the red devil and taxotere (received at the same time for six cycles every third monday) and the benydrl and on and on that when it came time for Rads I was AWAKE and taking it all in differently than chemo.  Perhaps the chemo brain is just our body's defense mechanism?

I didn't have the option for tats for rads, and today one of my five "stickers" came off in the shower....I love to soak in tubs, that is my relaxation, but with these stupid stickers I can't! I don't know what they will have to do on Monday to re draw the marking that is now washed away....

--ForMyBoys--I finished my 9th one yesterday. I have been red since the first day and it's very painful. My RO, prescribed Xylocaine and I'm supposed to use it three times a day. So far so good. It's very unconfortable. I can't get over how hard the area is underneath. It's hard for me to look at it sometimes, with all the scars and markings. I try to stay positive, but sometimes it gets very hard, I just want to cry.