May 2011 Radiation

I did my last full breast, skin w/bolus, and super clav txs today!!  Now just 5 boosts on a  2 x 4 inch patch and I'm done next Thurs....

Carberry and Pixels:  CONGRATULATIONS!! That's awesome!

GmaFoley:  Great to hear you're feeling so much more confident in your ability to handle rads! Keep up the positive thoughts!

TonLee: Congrats on the end of whole breast sessions! Some healing can now begin!

28/30 and the machine only needed one restart today!  Scratchers remain a bust; I have two more shots to get back the last $7 of my scratcher investment!

Completed #22 /28 regs today. Woo-wee my skin knows something is up now! My entire armpit is a lovely shade of fresh sunburn and feels like I've been using sand paper instead of aloe. 6 more regular treatments and then on to the 8 boosts which I'm told will target a completely different area. I'd love an extra day this weekend to recover. I'm a tad fearful of what tomorrow might bring at this point I'm also noticing that my back directly behind the treatment area is peeling. Anyone else experiencing this?



Tammy

Hey   Ladies...................great your finishing,........................good luck in the next 2 weeks...........I found the fatigue set in after the last boost...............but the techs told me it would........nothing major, just not normal for me to be tired..............just take it easy.

They radiated up near my clavicle and that got the worst of the sunburn and at the end my back shoulder started to itch and I could feel bumps back there, so it did go through to the other side.

Also during the last 2 days I have had a sore throat,not sure if related to rads, but cant think what else it could be.

Just when you think you cant do any more, or your skin cant do any more, it will all be done.  Cried all the way home yesterday just from shear joy of being done.  Got a diploma too!

Rohanna  Such a sad story, hearing more and more of these lately  UGG!

Just had my 33rd rad treatment today! Starting Monday, I will be on my last week of treatments!! Yay me!!! It's a really good thing, cuz, I don't think my skin can handle anymore of this. My RO told me yesterday that my skin reaction is the worse he has ever seen. It's all red and swollen, with blisters and very painful. I can't take any more pain meds! I just can't! So atleast I am on the downhill slide!!

Omg.  I had a total freak out on the substitute RO today.

Yesterday when I finished with all the other fields, the RO drew in where I get my boosts....told me how it will work, and that he wouldn't be in today, another RO would.

Ok.  Good.  Great.

Today I showed up, get on the table, the sub RO comes in and says, "Where's her bolus?"

I said, "Bolus?  Dr. S never said anything about bolus (because he knew I'd have stuck with my decision to skip boosts).  I don't want bolus."

He said, "We need it to treat the skin."

I said, "I know what it's used for.  I just had 28 txs with it.  I don't want anymore skin tx."

He said, "I won't treat you without it."

I said, "Well, ok" and started to get up.

He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "I can show you on paper why we use the bolus for all boosts.  Your RO should have told you...we use it on everyone for boosts here."

I said, "Even over incisions?"

He said, "Yeah."

I didn't know they used bolus for ALL boosts....haven't heard that before...I say fine whatever...if you use it for everyone then he must have forgot to tell me.

So they point the arm of the machine at me and I see a block of metal at the end with a square cut in it where the beam comes through.

I said, "What kind of metal is that?"

He said it was 4 kinds....heated to whatever-degree-I-wasn't-listening...they made it last night for me.

I said, "Are you telling me radiation won't go through that?"

He said "That's right."

I said, "Well why the hell didn't someone make one of those to go over my throat to protect my thyroid?!?  I was told "nothing" could keep the rads out."

He said, "I think you need to come in early Monday and talk to your RO."

The retelling doesn't do justice to the amount of tension in the room.  There were 4 techs and the RO, and when I questioned him they all just looked like deer caught in the headlights....everyone was uncomfortable....I'm sure that RO will tell mine I'm a pain in the butt...

Carberry and brenilea, YYAAAAAYYYY!  I'm 19/36! Can't wait to finish!

OK, stupid question time. What is a bolus? I've never heard it mentioned at the onc's office. In fact, they've never mentioned boosts. What questions should I be asking the onc?

Hope everyone has a restful, healing weekend!!

TonLee:  You'll recall I thought the techs were discussing putting a bolus on me for boosts but they've not done anything like that (must've been someone else they were discussing). My tumor was deep...there's not been an attempt to treat my skin to speak of.

I, too, have the attachment with the custom cutout that shaped like my tumor. They use a different ray for boosts than they do for whole breast. The whole breast ray (don't know what else to call it lol) goes right through you (hence the back getting some level of burn, too) as well as the floor from what they told me.  The boost ray is a different type that penetrates the skin and then dissipates as it hits the tumor site so it doesn't hit your internal organs (at least not in a way that would cause the damage the whole breast one can).  So...based on that information that I separately got from two RO's at my center, the metal probably would not have protected your thyroid during the whole breast sessions.

Brenilea: Youza!  That's an award I'm not feeling competitive to win!  Hang in there!

GmaFoley:  So sorry it's been rough...you're getting there!

Rohanna:  I've not seen a bolus so someone else will need to define that one for you!

Tonlee - I started my boosts earlier this week after having 26 of 28 regular treatments with a bolus.  I am not getting the bolus for the boosts......and I wouldn't let them near me with that bolus again, even if they tried.  I am so crispy and blistered right now and I don't think I'd be this bad if not for that bolus.  I'm especially burned in areas that it was snug to, like my collar bone and the side of my chest wear they taped it to me each day.

i never heard of a bolus either!!

I decided to suck it up and went to radiaiton yesterday, i felt fine, there was a 89 year old lady there that is just having ten treatments, not breast, and they also told her to maybe take a day off, and she said no way!! I am finishing monday!  I said i am right there with you!! Hell, she is twice my age and can do this!!! so...ONLY TWO MORE!!! i will finish tuesday!! WOO HOO

Here is a funny story for the day....a few weeks ago i was at a grad party for a friends daughter, i made a roaster full of these cheesy bacon potatoes that i make for everyones parties. Another friend who was there has twins graduating and their party is today. She asked me to make the potatoes. I said sure, i made them for her other two kids. woke up this morning to a phone call from her asking what time i am bringing the potatoes...I TOTALLY FORGOT!!!!!! about the party about the potatoes!!! I had to run to the store and get all the stuff. ugh, i am an idiot. I am blaming it on the radiation , because never ever ever would i have forgotten soemthing like this!!!!

oh well, at least i have something fun  to do today (i mean have a few drinks later!!! LOL)

brenilea, July 6th will be your Independence Day! Yay! Blow up something! I still don't know if I'm getting a bolus. I'm going to ask Monday. No one has mentioned one to you? Maybe we're not getting one.

ftblmom3, I'm forgetting everything these days! I check myself before I leave the clinic to makes sure I put everything back on!

Does anyone know if we can use ice packs on the weekend?

Hi girls:
Feeling a good bit down about rads these days.

My skin is suffering quite a bit, and I have 4 more whole breast and 5 boost to go. I'm tired of driving up there.

Help me hang on...

sicst: I understand your feeling  - You can do this - we will hang on together... My treatment doesn't have boosts, just whole breast and lymph nodes - at a little higher dose... I understand... I have 9 more to go.

Do any of you ladies know what I should do about the red/raw spot under my breast - at first RO told me to powder it but now, when I lift my breast, it feels like it is going to rip open... I have put the x-clair cream on it then a baby washcloth underneath my breast so it doesn't stick to itself... I hope that will work....guess ask the nurse/ NP tomorrow..

Hi everyone!! I am reaching the end of my treatments! Yay!!!! My RO told me last Thursday that the last week of my treatments will be the hardest on me..because the treatments will be the harshest yet..but I know, I'm getting closer. I can't thank everyone in here enough for all of the positive support.