October 2011 Rads

So who was doing the playlist for rads?  Was thinking Thompson Twins (from the 80's!)  Doctor, Doctor. . . . you know the 1st 2 lines of the chorus . . . Doctor, Doctor, can't you see I'm burning, burning. . . .   LOL!

Got a new "treasure map" on my chest today. . . . planning for boosts!  We had some good laughs getting it done too   No idea what it's called, looks like an upside down wedding cake to me, telescopes the rays toward the chest. . . . Anyway, they had been using one labelled "14" and changed it out for one labelled "6".  I mentioned that was the first time I had gone down 8 sizes in one sitting   How I wish I could go from a size 14 to a size 6 that easy! 

One of the therapists at my place is always switching languages, joking around.  Today the dosimitrist (who is Japanese) came in to check the placement of things for my boosts.  While she was there, the therapist started talking in Spanish.  The dosimitrist looked at me, I looked at her and told her, I KNOW he isn't talking to me!  LOL  You had to be there. . . . I'm just happy that we can laugh, and that it is nearing the end!!! 

Losing the entire top layer of skin under my arm!  Marthah you are right, I'm in a better place today.  Emotions are just so crazy.  Been up for a day or 2 and that almost makes me scared that a crash is coming!  Going to try and keep my chin up.  The end is in sight!

Hi all -  There's so much chatter that I struggle to keep up with it all but I thoroughly benefit from all the convo!  My RO uses the bolus on me every OTHER day.  Tomorrow I'm going to ask why that's her approach vs. others here using it every day.  I definitely AM glad my skin's holding up so far.  Today was #11.  Similar to some others, I've been surprisingly down at times and lately am having trouble sleeping (which is really unusual for me).  I also fake it well enough that I think family and others forget I'm still in the throes of treatment.  Ah well...

Kay - so psyched you're finishing on Friday -- yippee!  I'm also a Blackthorn fan - have a fantastic time.  Lots of dancing, right?!

Lovetosail - I'm enjoying the rad song suggestions!  Thanks for starting this.  My time in the rads room, however, is so limited that it wouldn't even make sense for me to bring in my own music.  I really love how efficient they are at my place.

Take care all and keep applying the lotion.  (Cannot remember who encouraged me to lotion a lot and made the comment that the frequency seemed more important than WHAT we're applying - but I have taken that advice to heart and am being faithful with lotion in multiple rooms and in my purse at all times!!)

Hi Silia!  I was also getting the bollus every other day.   Maybe that is a Philly thing.  I asked the RO about it and he said the purpose of the bollus is to have more of the radiation go into your skin.  He said the places that do it every day stop using it once a patient's skin gets very red.  I guess mine got very red because  he decided to stop using the bollus on Tuesday.  I was only supposed to get two more.  Now I only have two more treatments and I think my skin is actually a little better than it was on Monday.  Maybe not using the bollus made a difference.  I'm not sure, but I think I am going to make it through with no pealing, oozing or blistering.  That's a relief.  I read in a lot of the older rads threads of women having really horrific things happen to their skin.

pam 53 going for boost  3 today also...skin on nipple all came off in shower...now I have a goo to apply and teflon gauze which doesn't stick...I'm getting 5 boosts. My rads have been in prone..up early  as breast is sore....but getting ready to cross the finish line.

how is everyone fairing with tiredness and level of energy?

Best to all you wonderful women!

I think boosts have more to do with the likelihood the cancer will recur near the scarline. Does anyone know for sure? They debated about doing boosting with me but decided to anyway. I too had an MX that took the nipple, so I'm pretty sure it's not that.

I have purposely not counted the days. I know its weird but i guess I just don't want the stress of possible missing days to stress me out but its been around at least16 or 17 days if not more of my 33. my skin is holding up well but I hit a brick wall with fatigue this week. Its snuck up on me . So I have to have someone drive me now- because other than a few blocks I get too sleepy and my Radiology appointments are 45 minutes away. I could barely keep my eyes open on Monday- it was down right scary.

I had already planned a trip to San Diego to visit my brother for this weekend. Its a direct flight there- I will just have to take it easy and not push myself.  

wish me luck! Its been years since I have seen him and his family and its just what my heart needs right now even if my body might disagree. 

Beagles, have fun with your family this weekend! You totally deserve it, girl I'm getting a 3-day weekend, too, because I'm traveling to Miami for work. In fact, I'm typing this from the plane. I love inflight wifi. Anyway, it's good that flight is a direct and that you have your family to take care of you on the other side.



I'm not looking forward to the Treasure Map on my chest wfor boosts. They still haven't tattooed me so I am wearing outfits that deliberately hide my large sharpie marks. And hairy armpit. Turns out all my cute and summery going-out tops are sleeveless The tech offered today when she heard I was going South, but I needed to rush to the airport.

Paintingmywaythru,

When are you scheduled to finish?  If I pass the MD visit on Mon, I will finish on Wed.  She put me on hold in the past and I hope that does not happen again!  So far, so good.  Boost area is not too red.

Like the treasure map, made me laugh.  I think I am just getting tired of it all. This morning I was in the shower, hating the "treasure map", the special soap, the deodorant that doesn't work, the hairy armpits, the lotion 4 times per day, the inability to wear a bra, exposing my boobs to techs everyday--Hee hee--can you tell I am ready to be done!!!!

I have read that radiation fatigue is much less than chemo fatigue, but I am not finding that to be the case for me. I have been SO TIRED this week! I am grateful when someone can drive me (hard to find people who have time to drive 3 hours a day!). Monday was pretty scary- I had my 2 year old in the car and couldn't stop yawning. I panicked a little about the drive home but I know God was watching out for us and we made it safely.

I'm going to ask my RO for details about my boosts tomorrow. Wondering if I am going to have a treasure map too :-)

Hi all,

So happy to hear so many of you are in the final days or week of rads.  I missed a day here and there is so much good info - love the Doctor Doctor song :-)
I had my sim appointment today.  I finally decided to continue at Sloan and not go to the 2nd opinion med center.  I opted for the 25 day rads plus boost.  I turned down the ten day after reading the trial proposals and many papers.  I had breast conserving surgery, and if I get a reurrene then I start over with a mx.  Yes, it's a possibility with full breast or partial breast rads, but I am taking the insurance.  I know my left breast had cancer, and I want to insure against missed cells.  Oh was it ever tempting.....
So, after weeks of anxiety, I got through.  It was shorter than I expected, and I was surprised that the entire sim was done in the CT scan room. I thought I'd go to the rads lab.  It was really hard to lie still.  But I spent days upping my allergy meds.  Last night I started xanax and all told, I think I used 3.5 in 24 hours - a huge amount for me.  When I went in, I quietly told the NP exactly what I needed to know to get through.  i couldn't have breaks or water, had to lie the whole time; but the sweet NP brought me my favorite remedy (a Listerine dissolvable strip which dissolves in my mouth, giving moisture and has sinus-clearing properties) - she "rewarded me" after each long session.
I spent all morning setting up my iPod shuffle and it was so calming to me - I convinced them to let me clip it to my hair and I taped up the head phone wires.  I only used one ear so I could hear their instructions.
Am waiting for the program and will start soon.
My NP washed off my markers.  she gave me the tatoos and no pain at all.  I cannot even see them.  That to me was the easy part.  I hope I don't have too many long sessions ahead....but when I do, I will bring a driver and use the xanax.
Noone has given me instructions yet about stopping the Arimidex, or not shaving.  I guess that will come next time.
Everyone here has been so supportive and helpful to me....I will be checking in here just because I really want to know how y'all are doing.  Some of you will start hormone suprressors - I am on week #5 - had aches and joint pain, but when I started steroids for my allergies, the pains went away.
Only downer now?  I will probably be starting the week of Tgiving and they are open the day after.  That's my BD and I want it off already!  That would make a 4 day break in the first week.  I doubt that is happening.....
I took off work today, went to the Cheesecake factory for avocado spring rolls after my appt., and decided to take off tomorrow, Veterans Day,  to spend it with DH as he is retired fro military.  We'll go hiking, rain or shine, out at Montauk Point.
Hugs and good rest to all,

Joan

I am finished!!!!  I rang the bell at rads today.  My DH came up with the idea of a pretzel tray to bring for the techs.  It was very nice, had 192 soft pretzel nuggets, a couple kinds of mustard and some nacho cheese to dip them in.  (I'm in Philly and fortunately or unfortunately what it is known for here are cheese steaks and soft pretzels.)  The techs were very appreciative of it.  2 of the techs who have been there for almost all my treatments weren't there today.  A little disappointing, but they took me almost 45 minutes before my 11:15 appointment, and I think they were coming in at 11, so will get to partake.  It's been such a crazy day (in a good way).  I was brushing my teeth this morning and the radio was on.  I wasn't paying any attention at all.  But I hear them announce my DH's full name on the radio and some how that got my attention.  He was down stairs, but I called him up.  He had e-mailed the station and asked them to play a set for me for the last day of radiation.  What a shock it was to me.  They played Sheryl Crow Make it Go Away (a song about radiation), Adele Someone Like You (my current favorite song) and KT Tunstall Black Horse on a Cherry Tree (because DH calls me Katie and I loved when Kat McPhee sang that song on American Idol).  I was talking a mile a minute at radiation and am usually a very quiet person.  I was not expecting today to really hit me like it did.  After I was still kind of giddy and high, but when I was in the changing room, tears just started streaming down my face.  And it totally hit me as I was leaving and a blind gentleman was entering with someone helping him for his first tx.  I showed them how the gowns were all set up in the changing rooms and wished him luck and told him I just finished txs.  Went out, met DH and rang the bell as I was leaving.  Got a round of applause from the people there.  I hope it helped someone.  Then went out to lunch with my sister and DH, and the partying is continuing tonight as we're going to a Black Thorn concert and going out to dinner on Sunday with DH, DS and DD.  DS has to work tonight and tomorrow night.  This almost rival's my DD's week long b-day celebrations.

This was so long winded, thanks for letting me get it all out.  I think because I still have to go back to cancer center through May every three weeks for Herceptin, it wasn't going to feel like a very big deal to me, but I was surprised by all the emotion that came out.  And I choose to believe I was leaving just at 11:11 on 11/11/11.  That has to be a good omen.  I'll share the good luck with all of you. 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Hang in there Joan811, and I hope you get your b-day off too.

Thanks McCrimmon!  I had 28.  You will get there.  I am about as fair as you can get and the RO told me it had nothing to do with burning.  The residents and nurses told me I'd burn since I was so fair though.  (Damn Irish Genes!) 

I burned, I am pretty red, but nothing ever got painful and still so far not peeling or blistering, so not nearly as bad as some people have faired.  (HaHa, had to get that pun in there.)  Good luck to you with the rest of your treatments.

Congratulations on finishing up Rads Kay1963!

Kay1963,

Congrats on finishing....Hurrah! The last day IS emotional, but you've been thru a lot! Now let the healing begin! See you on the Radiation Recovery board..... ( ain't graduation grand?)

I don't think the skin SEs have anything to do with fair skin because I have olive skin that tans easily (thank you, Medietrranean ancestors) and I already have an impressive rads burn, after only 8 tx. To be fair (ha ha) that is not a part of my body that has ever been tan, but even what I call "the white meat" is darker than many other women's skin.



Kay - congratulations!!! I am green with envy. May you heal quickly and feel 100% better by the time Thanksgiving rolls around.



I am definitely not feeling any fatigue yet. I went for a pretty challenging 2.5 hour canoe trip around Miami last night in 20mph winds. My new friend could not believe I was undergoing rads, when I told her about it afterward. I think I'm fine because I didn't have to undergo chemotherapy, my surgery was also fairly simple (lump, no SNB) and I'm in good physical condition. Also, I don't have kids, so I probably get more sleep and downtime than all you moms out there...



I will confess that I accidentally went for a swim twice last night - don't remember them telling me not to go swimming in the ocean but I'm pretty sure that the salt water wasn't the best thing for my skin. They did tell me not to take multiple showers, but I had to get all the salt off me before bed, too....



Nat