October 2011 Rads

Options
1…5681011…26

Comments

  • Joan811
    Joan811 Member Posts: 2,672
    edited October 2011

    Robyn6463 - So happy to hear you have had your last chemo.  Don't look too far ahead...look at how far you've come.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Ceeztheday
    Ceeztheday Member Posts: 403
    edited October 2011

    Happy Saturday ladies! No treatments today. Hooray! Since some of you are fairly new to this radiation journey, I wanted to share an informative website with you,,,



    http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/radiation/



    Onward and upward. Have a great day!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pam53
    pam53 Member Posts: 131
    edited October 2011

    I am at 14 out of 34.  So far my skin is doing well.  It is a little pink but not sore.  I had some itching but was given an ointment that helped.

    Last week, I began to develop muscle soreness and fatigue in my legs.  I do not feel tired overall, just leg muscle fatigue.  I started tamoxifen the same day I started radiation so I don't know if it is from the radiation or the medication.  Just wondering if anyone has experienced this side effect.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,418
    edited October 2011

    Hi Pam,

    I get a strange fatigue sometimes that has my legs feeling like lead weights. It's strange. Not exactly muscle pain, just that they're too tired to move. course sometimes my whole body feels that way. Don't know if it's the same thing you're feeling or not. I'm not on the meds yet.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited October 2011

    Thanks Ceeztheday!

    Here's the link you posted from the main Breastcancer.org site, made hot: http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/radiation/

    You ladies will find really helpful information about what to expect with all types of radiation, questions to ask your doctor, and tips to manage side effects.

    Hope this helps!

    --The Mods

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Beaglesgirl
    Beaglesgirl Member Posts: 287
    edited October 2011

    hello everyone I'm Laura. I finished chemo on 10/4 and I had my planning session on Friday. I will most likely start my sessions on the 11/24 I need 33.  

    I  will read and catch up with every one as I am already 8 pages behind! 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • marthah
    marthah Member Posts: 322
    edited October 2011

    Welcome, Laura! Many of us are still navigating our way through our first week of treatment, so you might want to check out the September 2011 Rads group too.

    And congrats in finishing your chemo! I'm PFC 5 weeks now, and it's been heavenly!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Beaglesgirl
    Beaglesgirl Member Posts: 287
    edited October 2011

    thanks Marthah- I meant 10/24...  chemo brain -- I can still blame that right? Wink

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,418
    edited October 2011

    Hi beagles girl,

    Welcome to the group. Sorry it's these circumstances, but it's great to be among friends and these gals are so nice.



    You certainly can blame Chemo brain........I'm doing it and I didn't have Chemo!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Robyn6463
    Robyn6463 Member Posts: 167
    edited October 2011

    The chemo brain excuse ought to last us a while! I think we're entitled!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • marthah
    marthah Member Posts: 322
    edited October 2011

    Re: Chemo brain

    Ladies, I feel like I'm starting to come out of that fog. My mind has been much clearer at work the past week or more. I'm sure a lot of it too is that I'm no longer taking the hydrocodone (aka vicodin) for the neuropathy, and I'm not taking the lorazapam for sleep. 

    I'm just feeling healthier in general, although still having some leftover neuopathic pain in my legs...mostly they just feel fatigued. 

    But it's nothing a little Rocky Road won't help me overlook. Laughing

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • abatellik
    abatellik Member Posts: 80
    edited October 2011

    Hi Ladies,

    I guess I am a little late on this since the discussion was a few pages ago but I just wanted to say that I also had an RO who poo-pooed my questions on heart damage from the rads. He actually said the breathing techniques are "a bunch of hooey". (My cancer was left-sided, and I am only 31). I got a second opinion, and I am SO GLAD that I did!!!! I decided to go with the 2nd opinion, even though it is an hour and a half drive each way. I too have the "snorkel" for breathing. It freaked me out at first but is really not too bad. If it helps to protect my heart and lungs and keep me around longer for my kids, then I am all for it!!!!  My doctor said that a little of my heart is in the frame, but if I hadn't gone to U of M, my heart would have gotten A LOT of radiation. (my first doctor said it was "an acceptable dose". It's almost half of the level considered safe. I wonder if he would want his heart to get that much radiation?). I can't stress enough that if you aren't comfortable with your doc or feel like he/she isn't taking you seriously, get a second opinion! I ended up changing ROs AFTER my planning. It was a pain in the butt, but totally worth it.

    Ok, off my soapbox :-)  I also wanted to add that my doc said the bollus was to concentrate the radiation closer to my skin, since most recurrences happen around the scar line area.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kay_G
    Kay_G Member Posts: 3,345
    edited October 2011

    abatellik:  good for you for not accepting the first RO!  I think we all need to stick up for ourselves like that. 

    Just got up, DH was off today and got my daughter up and off to the school bus.  Getting showered soon and then wrapping my arm and then off to radiation #9, will be bollus, all the odd ones are.  abatellik:  are you getting bollus with every tx?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • abatellik
    abatellik Member Posts: 80
    edited October 2011

    Yes, every time. But that could be because mine is diagnosed as Inflammatory (but possibly isn't) and that really manifests on the skin.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kay_G
    Kay_G Member Posts: 3,345
    edited October 2011

    Interesting, I think momof5kids also gets bollus every time, but part of her treatment without the bollus.  I get it every other time, but the entire treatment is either bollus or not.  Mine was deep, close to the chest wall, so that may be why I don't get it every time.  Today is the clinic day for me.  I will ask why it is every other time and let you know.  If I can remember and understand it.,

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 5kidsMom
    5kidsMom Member Posts: 118
    edited October 2011

    Kay you're right, I do get the bolus with every treatment, but only some of the "zaps" get it :)  Actually most, there are only 1 or 2 without.  I'll try to remember why.  Mine isn't inflammatory, but my tumor was very large.  I *thought* that I had huge margins after surgery but all along I have believed my cancer to be much less serious than it was. . . . denial!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kay_G
    Kay_G Member Posts: 3,345
    edited October 2011

    Denial is a good thing IMHO.  Much better than thinking it's worse than it is.  And even though you did have a large tumor, your nodes were negative, which is a great thing!  Do you know Lago on the boards here?  She is a lot like you, a large tumor, triple negative and no nodes.  She has a lot of information.  If you have any questions, I'm sure you could PM her.   

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Snoopy73
    Snoopy73 Member Posts: 287
    edited October 2011

    Hello ladies, Hope your weekend was relaxing and good:-) I was busy with my kids both saturday & sunday:-) Well, its monday and back to Radiation uurrgghh.. so far 9 down, 21 more to go. My skin feels okay, i apply miaderm cream thats all. I wanted to buy the aloe vera but could not find the clear one from CVS.. will check walgreens. I notice something on my underarm where there is a scar from the SNL.. there is a littel bump,i am not sure if its just a skin reaction or something else, will cehck with the RO when i see him on thursday. Anyone got soemthing similar?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • marthah
    marthah Member Posts: 322
    edited October 2011

    Snoopy,

    How long ago was your surgery? I has a small bump under my arm for a while from the SNB, but it eventually went away...just some temporary scar tissue. I did not have a second incision for the SNB; they just went up and under the tissue for the 2 nodes. I was pretty sore at first, but I think in the long run, I healed faster b/c they used that approach. I've had hardly any impact on my range of motion in that arm/shoulder. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,418
    edited October 2011

    Hi snoopy,

    I had a funny bump, sort of poking out just last week, through the incision. Checked with the RO before picking at it (which I sorely wanted to do) and he told me it was a little bit of suture coming out. It has now gone away, was just a little kernel. He also told me that right now, if I got a scratch or so that a thing that would normally heal in a day or two, would take at least 2 weeks to heal! Needless to say, I didn't touch it. My surgery was in July.



    23 of 33 finished. Boosts start Friday, sure hope they don't concentrate the beam on my severly red/brown SNB site.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 5kidsMom
    5kidsMom Member Posts: 118
    edited October 2011

    Kay maybe I should take that out about the no nodes.  The ones they biopsied before chemo were negative, but they just took a sampling, they didn't do it under MRI or anything, to get the enlarged ones.  I had chemo before surgery, and the nodes they took in surgery were all negative, but I'm sure that's more from the chemo than from them actually being negative.  I had a "clinically positive" intramammary node, and apparently that never happens, unless the axillary nodes are also positive.  Honestly I have no idea why they took nodes in surgery, since I had already had chemo--makes no sense, of course they would be negative, then chemo wiped everything out.  The tumor had a "100% response" to the chemo so of course the nodes were negative.  Would have made more sense to either do a SNB BEFORE chemo, or do a biopsy under MRI/ultrasound to make sure they got the enlarged nodes.

    live and learn.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dawmson
    dawmson Member Posts: 75
    edited October 2011

    Hi everyone,

    After a weekend of normal life (swim meets, soccer game, my daughter's birthday) I landed on Monday with a wham. My younger daughter woke up with laryngitis and a sore throat, so she is staying home from school. Then my sitter called in sick (I work from home, so she's here after school to run my kids around to their activities). Luckily I was able to get my rads appt moved to 9am instead of the usual 2pm so my husband could stay here with my daughter til I got back. 

    I do NOT want to get sick during rads! I've been sanitizing my house like crazy; hope it helps.

    Today was #4. My skin definitely felt hotter today when I was driving home than other days and so I came home and took my shelf-bra camisole off and am braless. Feels much better. 

    Welcome Laura - the Sept 2011 boards have a lot of good info if you have the time.

    abatellik - Three cheers for standing up for yourself but yuk on the 90-minute drive. I agree the snorkel feels weird but it's really not all that hard to get used to. 

    Snoopy73 - I found clear aloe gel at Rite Aid, if you have those out your way (I'm in Seattle). I put it on this morning and it felt really nice and cool!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • abatellik
    abatellik Member Posts: 80
    edited October 2011

    5kidsmom, I had positive nodes with the biopsy but negative nodes after chemo/during surgery. I count this as no nodes because there is no longer cancer there! In fact, there is no longer cancer anywhere, as I keep trying to remind myself :-) IMHO there is nothing wrong with claiming the positive things the doctors tell us! (especially since there isn't much...)

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • marthah
    marthah Member Posts: 322
    edited October 2011

    abatellik, I like your 'tude, girl!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jandot
    Jandot Member Posts: 12
    edited October 2011

    Hi ladies, how have your wait times been? Just curious. I'm sitting in the bullpen now, they are about 3 1/2 hours behind!!! I just had to vent! I hope you all are making out better.



    This is only treatment 4 of 37, this is going to be tough. Think I'll be leaving here close to 11 tonight. Start my 12 hour workday at 7 am tomorrow with the next rad at the end.



    On the upside, I'm not feeling any ill effects. My doc gave me some prescription cream that I have been using faithfully.



    Sorry for the whining! Hang in there everyone!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • marthah
    marthah Member Posts: 322
    edited October 2011

    Jandot, has that been your experience will all of your rads so far, or is this an anomoly?

    I'm also surprised you can get in that late!

    My treatments are early in the morning before work -- 7:30/7:45ish. So far, they've been pretty much on time, too. I'm in and out in less than 30 minutes. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kay_G
    Kay_G Member Posts: 3,345
    edited October 2011

    Had #9 today!  Everything was uneventful.  Also saw RO.  They said my breast and armpit is about the shade of pink they would have thought at this time.  Lovely.  I am not sore, but won't be seeing the RO again until next week so they gave me some cream they mixed up.  A combination of aquafor and lidocaine.  It's very thick and greasy.  Much different than the lotion I've been using. 

    Appt. was for 3:20 and I got called back about 3:30 and waited about 5 to 10 more minutes in the gowned waiting room.  It has mostly been pretty good.  I have never experienced as bad a delay as you Jandot.  But I did get cancelled once because the machine was down.  They do radiation at my center from 6 am to 10 pm (scheduled times).  I guess there are people who don't get out of there until 11 at times.   Later this week I go to 11 am time.  That will be much better with my daughter in school.  She's 14 and in 8th grade so I can leave her get home by herself, but it's nice to be home when she gets home.

    Hope everyone is doing well.  Have a great night.  I hope you get home soon Jandot.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • marthah
    marthah Member Posts: 322
    edited October 2011
    Got my Miaderm in the mail today! Yay! Smile
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 5kidsMom
    5kidsMom Member Posts: 118
    edited October 2011

    Jan do they always run that far behind?  My surgeon was like that and I started calling before I left to ask if he was running late.  I'd just kindly let them know that I wasn't "up to sitting in the waiting room very long" and if he was running late, I'd also be late :)  Maybe that would work for you?

    Dawmson I have a sick one at home too!  My 4 y/o woke up sounding not too good, low grade fever. . . . I've felt a sore throat coming on too.  trying to get good nutrition and rest, hoping for the best!  Was wondering what would happen if I sneezed during a treatment though. . . .

     Saw my RO today, he agreed skin is pink, but says I'm tolerating it well.  Nurse thinks I'm swelling in the armpit, RO wasn't concerned.  I guess time will tell!

    Changed my appt for tomorrow for later in the day so I didn't have to rush home--going on a field trip with my little ones.  Hoping it isn't TOO hot. . . . don't want my skin sunburned!  Praying that Wednesday they will be running on time and AHEAD of schedule!  booked appointments back to back with rads.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • abatellik
    abatellik Member Posts: 80
    edited October 2011

    Has anyone else had their (reconstructed) breast move up and get smaller? I was told this could be a side effect, but I've only had 3 treatments, and the bollus now isn't fitting exactly right. I always like to make things interesting for them...

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories