May 2011 Radiation

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  • GabbyCal
    GabbyCal Member Posts: 277
    edited July 2011

    Congratulations slcst12!!

    GmaFoley - I await your post letting us all know you finished today. Hope you're out celebrating. 

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  • Romansma
    Romansma Member Posts: 1,515
    edited July 2011

    Congrats to everyone finishing!  I can't wait to finish....I had number 34 today.  I think I've just got 2 more to go next week.  My skin finally healed enough to start back up this past Tuesday.  Just hoping it holds up long enough to get through these last few boosts!  Have a great weekend everyone!

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  • achpurple
    achpurple Member Posts: 290
    edited July 2011

    Can't wait to see all of you finishing soon on the "After Rads" thread.  Several of us from the May thread have moved there but I still check the May thread to see us all through finishing.  What a journey we have been on together and I can share with all of you things I cannot share anywhere else.  What a blessing it is!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2011

    CONGRATULATIONS to slcst12 and GmaFoley!!   (que graduation music Cool)

    Romansma!  Hang in there!  Still trying to figure out who our last graduate is...you have a strong chance of being it!

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited July 2011

    tina - Juliet finishes on tuesday - next week!

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  • NewatThis
    NewatThis Member Posts: 41
    edited July 2011

    Congrats GmaFoley!! Hope you are feeling better soon. My thoughts will be with you.

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  • GabbyCal
    GabbyCal Member Posts: 277
    edited July 2011

    GmaFoley - I am so sorry to hear you've got such pain. You've got lots of broad shoulders here (pun intended) to tide you over until your DH gets home. Hope the pain meds kick in and you get a good sleep tonight.

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  • GabbyCal
    GabbyCal Member Posts: 277
    edited July 2011

    Romansma - Good to hear from you and glad you're getting close to the end. Did you see I sent you a PM about ILC? 

    So, from what I'm reading looks like Romansma and Juliet both finish up on Tuesday. Is that our final graduation day? 

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  • juliet62
    juliet62 Member Posts: 3,412
    edited July 2011

    well i was always last across the finishing line in the school sports day, so something bc hasn't changed!  lol       

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  • Romansma
    Romansma Member Posts: 1,515
    edited July 2011

    I'm usually a bit more competetive, but I think this cancer thing has slowed me way down! Hang in there Juliet, we're almost there!

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  • TonLee
    TonLee Member Posts: 2,626
    edited July 2011

    YEAH!!  To all who finished and are close to it....

    I can't tell you how liberating it is to be FREE FREE FREE everyday!!  I'm getting all the spring cleaning I put off this year done, playing outside with my kids...it's great!!

    The only "negative" (quotes because considering everything it's nothing)...my burn where I got the boosts...well I had bolus on that area for the 28 and then for the 5 boosts.  Nothing for the 28, not even a tan, and after the boosts nothing...but this week!  OMgoodness!  UUUUUUUUGLY.

    They boosted the tumor bed area because I had close margins on the skin side.  Well...within the red square boost area, there is a darker purple black area, right over where my tumor was, AND it's in a circle shaped about 2 cm across!

    The RO said when rads kills cancer in the skin it will often turn purple/black and rupture.  That radiated cancer cells become "Toxic."

    I think there were cancer cells in my skin, and the rads zapped them.  I also had another area under my arm in the axilla that did the exact same thing, and the RO said it was likely a lymph (I didn't let them take my axilla because I knew I was getting rads and it is supposed to kill it.)

    I knew there was likely axilla involvement because my SNs were positive and the LVI.  But it was "nice" to see that the two areas (axilla and tumor bed skin) responded the worst (meaning the best if what the RO says is true).

    Whew.

    Anyway, I am still very sore in the boost area...but small price to pay considering I went against my gut (which was wrong in this instance) and took rads.  The rest of my breast area and back aren't even tanned.

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited July 2011

    Hubby is home and we are going to go celebrate a little today... Pain med did help until it wore off in the middle of the night - will have one at that time ready tonight... DH, a inquisitive mind, looked up the PEAK of radiation damage... it comes 24 hours after your last treatment.. then you are on the downhill to healling... He is so funny sometimes.. I hope its true..

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  • Pinkprincess
    Pinkprincess Member Posts: 280
    edited July 2011

    Post rads visit with PS went well. No exchange planned for a year but he added another 50 ccs on that side just for good measure. Now I am 675 on rads side and 625 on non rads but I had more skin on noncancer side so they look equal. Amazed how fast the healing comes after rads.....Praise GOD!!!  Hope everyone is feeling well:)

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited July 2011

    Ok Ladies one more question - the blister under my breast has broken and is growing to the whole underside of my breast... Am I supposed to keep it dry or moist at this point? It is very raw red where it is peeling and you can see where it is going to peel even more... What did you all do?

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  • pejkug3
    pejkug3 Member Posts: 902
    edited July 2011

    Ugh.  <GmaFoley>

    That sounds terrible!

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  • brenilea
    brenilea Member Posts: 41
    edited July 2011

    I am done with my radiation treatments!!! I have two appointments next month for my chemo and rad onc., and then I have to set up my mammograms. Last Friday, I participated in my first "Relay for Life" walk!!! It was such a awesome experience! My family and my "radiation angels" were there and walked with me. I walked a total of 3 miles around the track, I would have done more, but it was so hot. What a great feeling!

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  • juliet62
    juliet62 Member Posts: 3,412
    edited July 2011

    well done brenilea

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  • Romansma
    Romansma Member Posts: 1,515
    edited July 2011

    GmaFoley....I had open blisters too and they were the size of my hand. I used burn pads (otherwise your clothing sticks and then rips off more skin) and then wrapped all the way around my chest with gauze to hold them in place. It might work a little different on the wrapping for you since I don't have breasts anymore, but keeping the wet blisters covered for about a week really helped the healing for me. You can get the burn pads at a pharmacy. I hope you feel better soon!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2011

    CONGRATULATIONS brenilea!!  That's awesome!

    GmaFoley: OUCH!  I hope you heal quickly!

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited July 2011

    Thank you Romansma, I called the R nurse and she said it is normal and just let it AIR dry - I don't know how they think I can do that with DDs   The blister/skin is getting larger as I type... I am so frustrated and can't  stop crying.it burns so bad... I will hit the town pharmacy tomorrow and see about some burn pads.. Do I need to ask for them???

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  • carberry
    carberry Member Posts: 1,153
    edited July 2011

    GMAFoley   Congrats on being finished, sorry that your team let you get so burned....shame on them for letting you go to fend for yourself.  Talk to your pharmacist as they will have some good ideas to help you.   the good news is that it does heal quite fast once done with the rads.  I still have dark patchy skin but never had open areas and no pain.  Played in the lake, not really paying attention to the sun, since I dont usually burn, just get really tan and noticed that the back of my shoulder became black from the sun!  Not burned just extrememly tan, and I mean black!

    Congrats to everyone finishing!  I will now remove this thread from my favorites and move over to other topics.....see you guys on the next topic.  The Tamoxifen train.

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  • Romansma
    Romansma Member Posts: 1,515
    edited July 2011

    You can ask, but they usually have at least one brand of burn pads on the shelf. My RO is the one that told me to get the pads. Airing it out is good, but you can't walk around naked all the time......or maybe you can ;-)



    Today is my last one! Thank goodness! I am soooooooooo tired. Interrupting work every afternoon to go in and then sleeping through dinner and then staying up too late because I napped is getting really old! Cheers everyone!

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  • GabbyCal
    GabbyCal Member Posts: 277
    edited July 2011

    brenilea - A big Yahoo!!! and Congratulations to you on finishing and the Relay for Life walk. You go girl!

    Romansma -  Good to hear today is your last one. Here's to starting the healing. Cheers to you!

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  • TonLee
    TonLee Member Posts: 2,626
    edited July 2011

    Congrats Bren for finishing and Roman for today being the last!!

    My boost area is still red and itchy but healing.....I went for a MUGA yesterday and they put one of the leads on that side, when she tore it off, and entire layer of skin came off with it!  YOUCH!!!

    lol

    But it was white underneath.....not pink.....

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  • GmaFoley
    GmaFoley Member Posts: 7,091
    edited July 2011
    Congrats you two for being on your last - Romansma : no, I can't just hang out all day topless - today maybe but I need to do something else - I think the RO thinks I just lay around the house all day and can cool myself with wet wash rags and sit near a fan... Good news is only  the bad burns under my arm and breast are the ones bugging me - my chest and top of my breast is tan and light peeling has started..
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  • sundermom
    sundermom Member Posts: 463
    edited July 2011

    I think I may be our last member to finish. I'll be done on Thursday. I got boost #6 today. These are easy compared to the first 28 tx IMO. My implant on the radiated side is now considerably higher where the tissue has contracted. I have to make an appointment with the PS :(



    Tammy

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  • juliet62
    juliet62 Member Posts: 3,412
    edited July 2011

    i think you do have that honour  tammy , i finished today  and the final scratchoff total was $41!  just taking that last ticket out  ,was yeas i've finally finished

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  • Romansma
    Romansma Member Posts: 1,515
    edited July 2011

    Done! Too tired to celebrate, but maybe after a nap!

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  • dolphins0412
    dolphins0412 Member Posts: 26
    edited July 2011

    Congrats to all for finishing.  I want to say thanks to everyone for posting.  I have enjoyed reading.  I have some questions.  My nipple is like beef jerky.  Did any of you encounter this?  If so what did you do?  I finished my Rads 1 week ago and the skin and blisters are healing nicely.  I do have some tender areas under the breast and some back pain.  I also have swelling still.  Is this normal?  I know it's going to take a while for healing and I'm ok with that.  Do any of you massage the scars?  Just curious I hear this helps to reduce scaring. 

    Anyway God bless you all and I hope you have a speedy recovery.

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  • sagina
    sagina Member Posts: 1,219
    edited July 2011

    Come on over to the "after rads" thread.  You all deserve it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Dolphins041~ I had the beef jerky nipple and underarm!  I started using Medline Olivamine Skin Remedy cream - it has worked wonders!  the nipple is stil sore - I"m over a month out of rads.

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