July 2011 rads

pejkug3:  I would be happy never to see my rads center again either.  I made my follow-up appointment on the day of my last treatment before I left the center.  Otherwise, the temptation not to return would have been too great.

LindaJanette and Mimidi:  Congratulations on finishing rads.  I hope your skin heals quickly. 

Lena- Wow, and last I was on here you were doing so well...so sorry to hear about your skin suddenly taking a turn for the worse, but very glad that your RO saw fit to promptly end it!

Congrats to all of the others who finished up Rads this week as well!!

I am a week and two days out of Rads and the one spot where my skin had broken down really bad is almost "healed" meaning you can only see a small section of pink flesh...  It was pretty much like my Rad therapists said and most of the ladies on here reported - it got a little worse, before it started to get better!

To those still getting daily Rads - hang in there!!

Praying for none to minimal SEs for all of us moving on to some type of hormonal therapy.

Blessings to All!

Gigi-If I remember right tomorrow should be your last treatment and I'm done on Friday.  Let's celebrate!!!!!!!

Lena-Sorry nothing ever seems to go right for you.  Keep us posted on what the RO has to say at your follow up.

My Mom left today to go back to Az and the house seems empty tonight. Had my pre-Femara DEXA scan today.  Tech said everything looked normal but of course the Doc still has to reveiw it.

GiGil:  Congratulations on finishing rads.  Isn't it a wonderful feeling?

janinnj:  Congratulations to you, too.  I hope all goes well tomorrow. 

Thanks everyone for congrats on finishing rads.  It feels like a huge relief.  Janinnj, congrats to you for finishing also.  I celebrated yesterday by having lunch with my husband and then going to a movie.  In the evening he grilled steaks and made salad for me and my sister, who has been such a trooper to stick by my side through this  Won't it be nice to have a long weekend when we don't have to hurry up and heal for Monday?  How soon will you be starting the Femara?  I have to make an appt. with my MO soon.  I want to heal a little first.  

Lena, I am so sorry for all the trouble you have been encountering.  I hope they get it figured out for you soon.  I have been extremely red and peeling as well, but no blisters or nodule type things.  You have got to be beyond frustrated with all of that on top of enduring most of the rads therapy.  

Hi GiGiL, What an eloquent way to describe the end of rads.  I hope your skin will heal soon.  I saw my MO the day after I finished rads and he prescribed Arimidex for me.  He said it would be safe to wait a month before starting to take it.

I would love to have a month to try to get 10 lbs off too before i start the meds. My MO wants to start me on tamoxifen for 3 years and then an AI for 2 years. I have to talk to her about that. I am post menopausal and I don't like the SE's with Tamoxifen. I know the AI's are not SE free, but i have read some research that makes me feel better about them. Some research is showing the SE in regard to bone loss, reverse when you stop taking them, and they may prevent mets to bone. I need to study more.

GiGi- My family history of Blood Clots anf Uterine Cancer is one reason we're not going with Tamoxifen.  The studies I have read seem to favor Femara slightly but definitly recommend taking it after the Tamox if you do that first.  Yes I am peeling.  The worst is over my clavicle because I didn't realize I needs to use my oil and aloe up that high until it started bothering me.  Then second worst is the nipple but the Emu oit seems to soften the peeling skin and toughen up the new skin.  My scar is a real mess.  I started out beautiful after the first lumpectomy.  My BS went right around the areola and you could hardly see it.  When we had to go back in to get clearer margins it was a little more visible but still not bad, but after my 3rd round of AC I got an infection in the same place and they had to open it and clean it out.  After that my whole nipple collapsed and my scar is a deep groove and very tender throughout the rads.

But we made it through. I just keep telling myself the the peeling isn't any worse than I've gotten from a sunburn in the past and it will be over with soon. Let the healing begin!!!

Janinnj my family history has blood clots and uterine cancer as well.  I will have to point that out to my MO.  She may not have made note of that.  Sounds like we are all moulting right now.  Too bad the end product won't be more beautiful looking skin.  My skin looks just awful.  Some is bright pink new skin, some is grayish and some is black and peeling, under the ointments and oils.  It is hurting less though, so that is good.

yorelh-still peeling 12 days after finishing RADs. The itching has lessened, tho

Hi Ladies, hoping that everyone is doing well and healing/healed from Rads!

Thursday made three weeks out of Rads for me and had follow-up appt with Rad Onc, as well as first appt with Med Onc ---- it was also 5 months to the date (April 8th) that I received the call with the results of my biopsy...

First had appt. with RO and he said that my skin looked good and that I should continue with the therapy lotion for about three more months that that would help my skin get back to normal sooner.  I only had some minor itching during early Rads, but no peeling just discoloration (light and dark patches).  So I will continue to use the Alra therapy lotion.

Just curious as to how many of you received the tattoos on your breast or did you have the semi-permanent markers during Rad treatments?

Next, had appt with MO and was already to tell her about my hesitation/resistance to taking the Tamoxifen, the main reason being that I have fibroids and had read that it was common after taking Tamoxifen for 2-3 years that existing fibroids could nearly double in size.  I had the UFE procedure for my fibroids about 11 years ago that worked wonderfully for 8-9 years - the fibroids returned so I had the same procedure last June and the results were not as successful as the first procedure.  A heavier or longer or more bothersome period was just not an option for me, after going through everything else!

So wanted to hear her thoughts about that (I switched Oncologists after my lumpectomy so this is my first time seeing her about BC post treatment) - I saw her as a Hematologist a couple of years ago for anemia due to my heavy periods, so we initially talked about a hysterectomy, which I was all for.  As she started looking through my charts, she noted that my recurrence score was pretty low but that she still highly recommended the Tamoxifen because it could do nothing but increase my chances of remaining cancer-free.  She said that there was definitely a possibility of the fibroids growing due to the Tamoxifen.  She then suggested that there was a shot I cold take monthly that would stop my periods!  That she also said could only help, with pretty much same side effects as Tamoxifen, hot flashes (she stated that if the hot flashes are unbearable or I couldn't function - night sweat, no sleep, etc.- she could prescribe something else, but that it would be best to deal with them if you can, so that you're not taking yet another drug.)    I didn't ask her the name of the drug, but I came home and did some research and I'm assuming it's something called Lupron (a drug that basically shuts down the ovaries).  Her office has to confirm  that my insurance will pay (it's supposed to be pretty expensive) and then they will call me to come in and get the shot...  So, definitely interested in it as a short-term fix (I believe that she said I would take it for 2 years), but also open to hysterectomy/oopherectomy if I need to.  Anybody have any personal or second hand experience/knowledge about Lupron?? 

So, I had the prescription filled and took my first pill that night, so we'll see what happens!  I'm going to NY next month for my birthday and do not want to be feeling lousy, so wanted to go ahead and start taking it so that if I feel sick or have horrible, horrible hot flashes, maybe I can stop a week or so before my trip! Also, I have NEVER had a prescription that was totally FREE!!! I've had some antibiotics from the dentist that were maybe $2 bucks, but never free - wow :-)  I was already trying to figure out what this was gonna cost monthly for 5 years, so that was a nice surprise.

Continued Blessings to All!

I had tattoos - 7 tiny dots

LeeLee-I took Lupron shots several years ago as part of my infertility treatment. I was temporarily put into menopause by the Lupron. I loved it! I was going to try & talk my MO into giving me Lupron in addition to Tamoxifen. I have fibroids but also a history of ovarian cysts which I don't want again. I don't see my MO until the end of the month. As for tatoos, I have 3 small "blackheads". Thay're actually quite small & don't bather me.

Thanks Janinnj, Pejkug3, Elizabeth1889 - Was just wondering about the tattoos...because I'd initially been told that I would be given one so that it would always be known that I'd had radiation and I exactly where radiation was aimed??  Didn't really think any more about it until I was going to meet with my Rad Onc for 3-week follow up visit after Rads and was thinking of questions to ask him.  He said they should've done it, but the markers were gone now and that it was no biggie, because it's in my records and the incision is an indicator as well.  So just curious - not that I'm claiming a need for that information again!!!!

Coraleliz - Thanks!  Exactly, I was so looking forward to it --- however met with my breast surgeon today for a check-up and she said that I was NOT going to like it - she seemed to feel that the Lupron and Tamox were gonna give me serious hot flashes.  This is day 5 for me on Tamoxifen and so far no SEs, she seems to think that they would've kicked in by now and that I should wait and see if the Tamoxifen stops my periods.  So now I'm undecided whether to wait a couple of months or go ahead and try it and if I get unbearable hot flashes from the combination, then stop getting the injections????  I have some time to decide so...

Lena - Thanks - like I said I was so looking forward to not having a period.  I have always been the most regular person I know!!!  The only time I didn't have one is when I was pregnant, and I was too sick then to even enjoy it!  Yeah, and I definitely know what you mean about the missing estrogen and the effect it can have on the libido effect !!  I was telling my husband and he was looking at me sideways - LOL!!  Then I was thinking I'm gonna have mood swings, be cranky and then not want to be bothered with my husband - this is gonna be one "happy" household - LOL!  Yeah, but with regard to getting old, let's think about it the way my mother always has (she's 81) and has always said "the only way to not get old is to die - so let's just keep living!!  After getting through this we can do anything!

Blessings!

3 weeks out and still peeling. Can anyone out there give me hope that my skin will be better in the near future. My mastectomy scar is really looking awful right now.