May 2011 Radiation

TonLee - That photo looks like cream-de-menthe ice cream. Oh-la-la! I only found vanilla and cookies and cream so far. So, I still need to get out more. Even for the ice cream. 

mmmmm.....ice cream!

Heading off for #28 this afternoon - the last of the regular tx. I spent 4 hours at the pool yesterday and I'm definitely feeling the effects of the sun on that area. Ouch! It's my own fault, but I refuse to be shade bound in the summer. LOL



TonLee - Congratulations on finishing treatment. It seems as if we've been at this forever!!!



All other May Gals - Enjoy the long weekend. We're getting there ...



I am interested to know how long it takes before the rads tan starts to fade. I burned through to my back and it looks really ridiculous.



Tammy

Hi all- I participated some and lurked more, but I finished rads yesterday and wanted to pass along a few things that were helpful to me and that I learned from these boards. I did use Miaderm, right after treatment in the AM, and again around around noon. It seem to calm the burn I would occasionally feel. When I got home from work, I'd add emu oil and aquaphor to the mix at around 6:30 and again before I went to bed. I used fleece under the fold and on the side when I wore a bra. I bought camis with shelf bra from Costco and they made all the difference in the world. MUCH better than any sports bra, I tried. My skin is tan, and reddish at the boost area. But all in all, it went pretty well, so I recommend all of the creams described above. The 6 1/2 weeks did go by much quicker than the chemo counterpart. I also had protein and veggies daily I even add Whey to a smoothie in the AM. Today I tossed all my chemo meds, my onco instructions and put away the turbans and caps. I am moving on (well- with herceptin every 3 weeks!) Good luck to all you on this journey. You are all strong and brave to have gotten this far and you will get to the other side of these treatments.

TonLee:  Ugh! That sucks!  I feel for you...I hope they heal quickly!

I've started peeling (well, more like flaking) in the areas that had turned magenta (which are now dark brown) during the whole breast shots (my areola and my armpit...and the areola gives me the heebie jeebies; it's all mottled looking now)!  The area under the peeling skin looks normal so far.  The boost site is still just dark pink; no real change to it in the week since my last shot.

Happy Independence Day to all the Americans and happy plain old 4th of July to the rest!

Tomorrow is my last treatment.  I am so excited. I can't wait to be my old self again.  Any ideas on how long that takes?  I am so tired that even walking the mall wears me out.  I feel pretty stupid because I just can't keep up.   I have burned worse than I thought I would.  Under my arm and breast are peeling and not comfortable at all.  Now where the incision is for my surgery sites seem to be tight and pulling.  I am putting cream on 3 times a day. 

That's all the bad stuff.  The good stuff is I don't need to drive an hour for treatment.  My breast will heal and maybe just maybe I'll feel pretty again.  God Bless you all and stay strong it's over before you know it.

Dolphines041 and GmaFoley~ Congrats on finishing.  My last week of radiation I couldn't get out of bed.  The next week after I felt a little better - two weeks out a little better than before.....I'm one month out and finally had a full weekend lots of walking, visiting, driving etc. and no naps....huge accomplishment didn't think that would ever come back!

Hello friends~ Hope everyone had a good holiday week-end. I remember having a 3-day break from rads was cause for great celebration over Memorial Day. I'm now 3-weeks out from my last rads treatment and can confirm what others are posting here. I've gradually gotten my energy back, skin is making steady progress, I'm still using the Aquaphor on the last remnants of the rash, any clothing that rubs irritates the skin. This week, even the bright magenta boost area is starting to turn more pink than red.

The first couple weeks after rads were emotionally draining, partly because I was so ready to turn the page and just be done, but I wasn't done. I decided I'm going to celebrate a second "last" day when my skin is cleared up and I'm finally off the Aquaphor.  

As to the energy/emotions, during treatment, I was able to "carry on" and only hit the wall a few times. I realize now I was just going through the motions, putting my best face forward. The good news is that I realized this because I'm now starting to find happiness in things I enjoy again. That's been missing for months and I had come to the point that I wasn't sure I would ever get it back.

GmaFoley - Sorry your DH will be on the road for your last week. Lots of virtual shoulders here for you to lean on. Keep us posted. I'll be thinking of you especially on Friday. 

Congratulations Ker and Dolphins!

TonLee - Ouch! Hope your skin gets the message "it's over" soon and heals up. 

ducky - FWIW - This is how I'm approaching the whole AI issue. I've just finished cutting out and zapping the cancer cells. So, theoretically, at this point in time, they're gone. If the job of the AI is to make it more difficult for cells to turn into cancer, this is a good time to start taking it. Make sense? I remember reading up on breast cancer treatments when I was first diagnosed and when I got to the information on hormone therapy, my reaction was "no way". Now that I've learned more about everything, I've chosen to embrace it. This isn't saying this is right for everyone, just thought I'd share my current thought process on it.

Today and Tomorrow - THAT"S IT!!! I hope I survive - more blistering started under my SN scar yesterday!

HANG IN THERE GMA!  You're soooooo close!!  I'm so excited for you!

no i don't finish until tuesday!  but will celebrate with gma tomorrow,   and i'm at $38 on the scratchoffs!

Juliet - no scratchoffs here - had no money to buy them in the first place LOL..

Gabby- My church is going to pay for my prescription of x-clair - doc also gave me a sample of silvadene but it is a sulfa cream - i'm allergic to sulfa.... so i tried some on my good arm nothing happened - so i tried just a dot on my chest where the burn starts and i was itching instantly :O so decided just to bite the bullet and let my church buy the x-clair for me... no one can get samples until at least next week and i can't wait that long...I'm a mess. infact he wants my 2 week check to be 1week.

Hi girls!

I'm done as of today. 33 total, incl 5 boost with "bolus". I value so much the info and support I received on this May Rads thread. Thank you ladies for everything!

TonLee:
My rad-onc told me that it would be worse next week re: fatigue and skin issues. But still, sooo happy to be done!

Huge hugs to you all ladies!!!

YES I AM DONE!!! but I'm not happy dancing unfortunately - last night I rolled over in bed and had very very bad pain in my breast - like it was ripping apart (sorry for that graphic) I went in to see doc again before my last treatment... gave me some heavy duty pain meds to fill at the pharmacy..but when I went to lay down for my treatment - the pain I felt last night came back - I cried all the way through treatment and the tech said nothing just got her done..... I won't miss him at all...

Anyway, like you SLCST, the doc said that pain and the burn would get worse before it got better... I don't know how much worse I can take!!! --- Cancer sucks!!! 

Sorry about the rant but no DH hear to cry on... he might get home from his trip tonight - 

EDIT : Oh yes, Thank you awesome ladies for all your support!!!! I don't know you all personally, but I love you...