August 2011 rads

Jeana-Congrats! I'm sure that they would not let you walk away if they had any fear that you had not had sufficient care (hey, they'd be afraid of a lawsuit, right...lol). Enjoy the weekend!!!!!!

Katfinn after two lumpectomies my nipple has retracted a little. I am hoping my surgery in December for implants and lifts will correct it.

Evelymarie++++++++ this is me clapping for you!

Merilee and all - the pic of the lone woman almost at the light at the end of the tunnel, looking out at snow - I really don't like cold...perfect for the blues I'm feeling today. Such a beautiful visual, yet So glad to finish up four boosts this week, and be done with phase 2 (Herceptin until April I call phase 3) yet stepping out of the tunnel is cooooold - scary. Oof, I usually keep the blues at bay; it's a bit rough today. Sorry, ladies. One day at a time, eh?

Hi Jackifp, Sorry you are feeling down. Have you tried going for a walk. Sometimes that can change your mood. Congratulations you will be finished soon.

Jackifp maybe this one is for  you

Thanks Sarahbob for answering my question... Merilee that is so pretty. jackfp it is true I think we all have been where your at. For myself slowly getting back to normal. It does take time though.  I hope your doing better today. Thinking of you!!!

I can't even wear a bra yet. It is really bad for me. Walking around in all the loose fitting clothes. It is embarrassing, but you have to laugh... haha I hope everyone is having a good day with RADS... Thinking of you!

IRW....I have not been able to wear a bra in a few weeks.  I rarely go out of the house.  I can tolerate a sports bra just for short periods of time.

jackifp....I am so sorry you are experiencing the blues.  I know this is perfectly normal but when you are experiencing it, well, it sucks.  Come here and vent away.  Don't hold it in becasue we all understand.  We can at least let you know we care hon.  This is a rough rough road.  You will be well one day, but bad days are going to happen.  I am sure I can speak for everyone here and let you know we are here for you anytime, and we truly care.  Very gentle healing hugs to you.

Mamav...I laughed when I read your post about the nipple being at attention.  What is up with that?  Mine too.  This has been so weird with my bad burn and swelling.  Okay, before surgery I was a C cup.  Always fit fine.  After I healed, before rads I noticed my right breast was just slightly smaller.  There was a small amount of room left in the cup, but nothing very noticeable except to me.  So I sort of decided the new right breast was a B-.  LOL.  Then after the rads and I burned so badly, the right breast began swelling.  It felt liked it weighed 50 pounds!  It became impossible to even walk much.  I told my nurse I felt like I needed a cart to carry the heavy breast in!  Last night the pain got very bad again.  The burns in that armpit area are still open and weepy.  I stood in front of the bathroom mirror naked and stared at them.  I figure now the right breast is a good sold D cup!  I tell you this is an interesting adventure.  I talked to the nurse last week and she noticed the swelling.  She said because those underarm burns are so hard to heal (arm movement makes it very difficult for the skin to close).  The lymph glands just produce more fluid, hence the swelling. 

I have to have surgery next Tuesday, one week from today.  The surgeon is removing my right thyroid node in order to do a proper biopsy on the nodules.  He thinks the chance they are cancerous is fairly low, at about 20%.  It will be outpatient surgery in the hospital, if I get the early morning time slot I will be home by late afternoon.  (sigh)...another hiccup and just hope this is uneventful.  The only places I have gone in this past month are doctors, pharmacies, and radiation, and more doctors and hospitals.  It is kind of interesting to me that this new thyroid issue was discovered only because of the BC.  I had a CT scan when I had the pleurisy attack.  That routine scan discovered the nodules on the thyroid.  So here I go...off on yet another new adventure!

I hope all of you are doing better every day.  Each day is one more day toward being healed.  Hang in there all of you.  Gentle hugs to all!

Vicky know I was trying to catch up, it takes awhile.  So glad you are doing better,  I hope it continues to improve. 

I am having such a problem with fatigue today.  My sister is a nurse in Colorado.  She called this afternoon with all new instructions for me, after talking to her favorite RO.  This RO said I should not have burned this badly.  She told Susan of a specific oil they give all their patients to use before and all through rads.  They get it at a health food store.  The RO also gave Susan a sample of some burn cream for me. Sue got the name of the oil and will pick some up and send it to me, along with the sample med.   My baby sis is taking great care of me.  She is a real doll.  Also this RO told Susan bed rest only for me to prevent the arm from moving,  This will help the healing as the arm movement just aggravates that burn up there.  It was bleeding this morning.

Thanks, all, for empathy and support. The burden of keeping up a good front wears and tears, doesn't it?



Merilee, usually, that tunnel would be perfect for me; I don't know what was wrong with me that day...oh, yeah, the keeping up a good front thing, now I 'member. The new one hit me perfectly that day, so thanks much.



Two days of rads left, and I be done! Except for Herceptin til April, but the daily extra hour drive and zap of rads will be done, hurray! Best to all of us finishing up, and those of us with the road still in front.

Better yet  rest and have someone rub your feet LOL

Hi all!  Boy, despite hearing it could go otherwise, I really expected to feel better after the rads stopped.  So wrong!  I'm really sore, weeping, peeling - all of that!  I did want to come on and tell you what my husband did for me!  He cut a circle from cardboard (like from a cereal box), maybe 4 inches in diameter, then twisted into a cone and glued it.  Then it cut the tip off.  I wore it while I couldn't stand even my light t-shirt touching my nipple - it helped SO MUCH!!!  (Yes, it looked WEIRD).

Yesterday I came down with a big ol' fever and slept and moaned for 30 hours.  Better today.  Probably unrelated, or just my body saying SLEEP.  You are right, jackifp, keeping up the front, even when you feel like you aren't - it wears us out.  Good lesson for us for when our friends are going through this, as some of them probably will.  

We're all on quite the ride.  And now comes the Tamoxifen question.  I know all about it, and I don't want to take it.  So glad to hear a few people who are tolerating it just fine.  What about weight gain?  I'm so bummed I didn't lose a pound on radiation - could use about 8 off.

I'm with you on the path,

 Jeana

Jeana-I am so sorry that you are feeling bad. I know how you feel and it sxxcks! I am hoping that you will feel better very soon! FYI, I have been on Tamoxifen since Aug. 4 and I have had very little SE's (just a little bit of night sweats). I have not gained any weight, even lost a few pounds. Perhaps there will be more SE's to come, but so far so good.

Ceeze.....it is prescription, called Vasolex.  The RO had originally prescribed Xenaderm but it was too expensive at $67 so I could not get it.  Vasolex has the same ingredients and it was $24.  It is prescription too.

My armpit is better but still has a couple bad spots.  I got out of the shower and it was bleeding where the skin had sloughed off.  This was before I got the new med so hoping it will finally heal.  This med promotes the skin cells to heal and can help prevent infection.