August 2011 rads

Girls, I got kind if freaked out reading on another thread that's long term side effect is arthritis. I've been pretty much "what's next? Let's do it" and reading that bummed me out. I am not asking enough questions.

Embrace the healing light

I like Oxnard BB26.

Thanks Julianna

Love the healing light Merilee

Good luck to anyone starting tomorrow!

Wish me luck 1st of 25...Not looking forward to it.

I am wishing all of us a safe and noncomplicated rads experience. And above all, hoping rads kills all those nasty, microscopic cancer cells. Amen.

Hi there,

I am glad to have found this thread.  I have my simulation on August 17...not sure when my treatments will start exactly, but I am guessing end of August.  My RO has told me it will be 6 to 8 weeks of treatments, don't know when he will decide which it is.  I finished chemo on June 1st, and just had a bilateral mastectomy with expanders on July 5th.  My margins were not the greatest, and I had 6 positive lymph nodes (out of 27 they took out), so I am very very grateful that I will be able to have radiation.  I am not looking forward to the side effects, but am committed to doing anything possible to avoid a reccurance.

 Those of you who have already started, did getting the tattoos hurt at all?  

I'm also worried because my RO said I need to be able to raise my arm up over my head enough to reach over my head and touch my opposite ear...and if I can't, my simulation will have to be postponed. So I have about three weeks to get my range of motion back, since right now I can't move my arm above shoulder height.  I start physical therapy this week.

-Liz

Hello, thought I would reply to your thread.  I have finished chemo, one short because I have too much neuropathy, which they say gets worse after the chemo is done and is probably permanent..  My feet up to my knees are numb and my hands to my elbows are suffering from numbness and tingling.  Oncologist stopped with one round of chemo left.  Met with Radiologist this week and supposed to start radiation next week, with 38 rounds.  We discussed the pros and cons and I left there not wanting to do radiation.  I have a week to decide.  Here's my dilema.  I am stage 3A breast cancer, left breast removed 9/29 lymph nodes positive, with 52% chance of survival.  Going through chemo was a cinch for me, I took it well and only suffered from tiredness.  No nausea, vomiting, etc.  Oncologist says it was because I am in such good physical health. (age 63, female).  Now, Radiologist says iif I do not do radiation I have a 30% chance of recurrence.  If I do it, it changes to 5% chance of recurrence.  If I do radiation, side efffects are that at 3 weeks I will start getting pretty sore in the breast area and by the time the 38 treatments are done I will have open sores on my chest and be suffering pretty much.  There will probably be some scarring of the lung, as it is close to radiation sight.  This could (and probably will) leave me with permanent damage resulting in a dry cough or worse.  Possible damage to the heart, but minimal if I am lucky.  Lymphodema is a pretty sure thing as they will be radiating up the arm where nodes were removed.  Now, next to the 70% chance of no recurrence, this sounds pretty cruddy and I am thinking I will call the Radiologist this week and rediscuss not doing this.  What do you or others think.  You have heard the talk and I wonder why you would think you will be better off when it is done.  I know people that have had cancer, but no one that has had radiation.  I am definitely lost at this point.

Merilee - Best of luck!

PEKWD-It is such a hard decision to make...rads or not. My first opinion told me I could skip rads if I want instead would do more survillance. That was exactly what I wanted to hear. Unfortunately my 2nd opinion people put the fear of God in me...thus the rads. What you were told basically is what everyone here was told about side effects. None of us like that we could be the one in ten for this side effect or another. But we all want to decrease our percentage of recurrence.  It is a hard decision.  Whatever you decide, it will be right for you!  All of us in this thread are going to do everything we can to decrease those side effects if possible by exercising the arm, lotioning the rads area, etc.

I, myself, am taking the risk with rads to decrease my odds from 30% to 10% at 10 years because I have too much more to do in life. 

Things get a little easier once the decision is made.

May-be you could read through the July 2011 thread and see how it went for those people that have completed the rads. I have been following that thread also for tips and what might happen when and how can I treat it.

You have done so much already to kill that cancer, don't you want to do the final step?

Welcome to the club no one wants to be in. 

lizhbmom4:  You asked if it hurt to get tattoed.  For me, I got three tattos--one each on the sides of my breasts and one between the breasts on the breastbone.  The ones on the sides did not hurt at all.  The one on the breastbone stung and hurt only for a few seconds.  For me, it was more scary than painful.

Good luck with your sim and your treatments.  We all wish you a pain free time physically and emotionally, but whatever happens, we are here for you. 

julianna51: You asked if I'm getting my expanders filled before starting radiation...and the answer is, I don't know!  My plastic surgeon wasn't very informative on that, but I think it's because he wants to see how things look once all the swelling goes down.  So I have an appointment with him the day before my simulation.  We're only going for a B cup, which might take three injections according to the nurse practitioner.  All I know is right now these expanders are so uncomfortable and hard as rocks...and they seem to be getting harder each day.  They are pressing on my ribs, and making it hard to take a deep breath.

-Liz

Mamamia - if u have tape covering sharpie marks like me then u r not getting tattoos. Some ROs do tattoos and some do sharpies. I look ridiculous with these sharpie marks and trying to keep the tape on!



Merilee - congrats on marking one off the list! Glad to hear it was quick and easy!

Thanks bb!!!! I am feeling better now about starting on thurs! Hoping that my body holds up!

For me mapping was no big deal. I guess it is all relative, after 6 surgeries and doing chemo twice, this seems very easy to me. Hopefully it will stay that way without any complications. I have been lucky that way so far on my journey. I do have a little xray phobia, (afraid they will see something new) so I have to think of my montra while they are doing it. "I am healed, and it it my intention to stay that way."

Going for #2 this morning at 10:50

Oh by the way, looking at things this morning you would never even know I had a treatment.