August 2011 chemo, anyone w/ me?!

Hi Everyone!

I've had 8 RADS treatments already -- only 22 more to go!! I only started last Tuesday and last Friday, they had to cancel all appointments as they were doing a machine overhall.

I think Ellen asked about the head turning -- I know for me, it's to make sure the airway is clear and out of the way. For one of my zaps, the radiation machine is very close to the left side of my face as it comes in on an angle to zap the breast. One of my tattoos is near the midline chest area and the airway has to be clear. Everyday, after I get in on that freaking hard-ass table, I have to clasp my hands over my head and hold two stationary rods and I lift my chin all the way up and turn drastically to the left.  

I have zaps on the left, right and middle of the breast -- I'm being radiated also in the lymph area and clavical area.  Doesn't take long at all, but too hold that positon during the simulations and films was unbearable (about an hour!).  

My drive is 50mins (without traffic) and I can say it's already exhausting. I also have pangs, twinges and electric-like pain in my breast at times that lasts a few short seconds.

I'm using Keri Sensitive Skin Lotion (the center gave me this) and Aquafor.  Was told to wash with Dove Senistive Skin body wash and use Deodorant without any aluminum (ie: Toms of Maine or Trader Joe's brand or something natural from Whole Foods).

I will meet with my RO every Monday after treatment, and did see him for the first time this week. I get a full BP, and Temperature Check as well as a physical to look over the breast. 

I hope everyone is doing good! Can't wait for this to be all over with! 

OK. I'm back. My dry run is over. The room is huge and warm. Had to de-robe from the waste up. Glad to be able to keep shoe and socks on. Then I had to lie down face up. Next, clasped my hands above my had and tilted my head up and to the left. It was a weird position to be in. Had the wig off and it felt great. Side note, one of the techs said she thought it was my hair (high fiving Everyone ).

There was a machine with arms that moved in from each side but they never touched me. Lights were coming from above and from the side. I have four tats. One in the middle of chest, the other below breast bone, the others are on either side of abdomen. Asked why there was a tat on my left side when the cancer was on the right. The tech said they used it to make sure I was level on the table. Has to be an easier way. Oh well.

They took plenty of films and scans. Took about 30 minutes total. I tried to sleep and distract my mind so I would not move. Sometimes I wanted to sneeze, scratch my nose, or move my head but did not move so that the process wouldn't take longer. I know it was all in my head.

They marked me up pretty good from the right side of my neck to below my breasts. Thankfully it can wash off.

Talk to you guys later!

Missey29

deb, i've wondered the same thing and i'm glad you asked.  i thought chemo was supposed to get rid of the rogue cancer cells that could be swimming around in our bodies.  my guess is that radiation on the spot where the tumor was is just extra treatment at the previous cancer site.  i'm not really sure, though.

when is your last treatment?  mine is monday.  YAY!!!

Chrys, that's how the radiation ONC explained it to me as well...whole breast with a boost to the tumour site at the end.

Hi Ellen --

Yes, some women who have had mastectomies can also recieve radiatio, due to certain variables:

(http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/mastectomy/plus_radiation.jsp)

Deb - I can't remember what color I got and of course it doesn't say on anything that I have.  I did get the gradient coloring - don't know if I said that before - where the roots are darker and there are hi and low lights in the coloring of the wig.  I think mine had butterscotch or something in the name.  I did find a different site other than wigs.com that showed the colors a little bit better.  Just google the wig name and a bunch of different sites will come up to give you different views of the wig.

Thanks for all the info on rads, ladies.  I need to call my RO - would have thought they would have called me by now, but oh well.  I had a single mastectomy and am getting rads.  My tumor wasn't that big, I had clear margins, and I only had 3 nodes.  I think the reason I am having rads with the mx is that they want to throw all they can at it.  Plus, since I have ILC - it's sneaky.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. 

YaYa - good luck on Monday!  WOO HOO.

Robyn - enjoy the little fur ball and puppy breath!

JMULL--I was posting when you were.  I think we have "twin" hair! I ordered the Sky gradient wig called "Butter Pecan R."  Tell me it's a pretty combination of colors and not too red.  Thanks for the tip about the 25% off--it actually ended last night, so I got in right under the wire. Do you wash yours?  Do you have to restyle it, or does it just go back to the original style? Do you wear a cap under it? My human hair wig is nice and comfortable, but so much work!  Thanks again!

Deb - tee hee hee - we'll have twin hair!  I just went and looked at my actual wig and is says the color on the tag - Creamy Toffee is what I went with and it is very blonde, but not too blonde.  Honestly, I have yet to wash it, but really need to!  I have 2 wigs that I bounce back and forth between.  And although the Sky is comfortable, I would rather go without, so other than for work, I don't really wear my wigs.  You don't have to style it, just kind of shake it out.  I don't even brush it with a brush, just use my fingers.  I don't wear a cap under it and it is a little itchy, but not too bad.  I hope you like it when you get it!!

Lots of ladies are on the facebook thread.

Deb, I think you'll find the synthetic wig easy to look after. I just swish it in the sink with a little wig shampoo and then leave it to dry. I only wash it about once a month as I don't wear it very often. I have a wide-toothed comb that I use to make it look a little neater. I don't wear a cap as I found it gave me a headache. The wig lady at the Look Good Feel Better class said the purpose of the cap is to hold your hair in place so if you don't have hair, you don't need a cap.



I have my last tx on Tuesday. Yeah....I'm so ready for this to be over. I expect I'll start rads mid-December and should be done end of January.



I've joined the Facebook group but still try to check in here once every couple of days.

Robo - haven't flown yet, but will be in December.  Let me know if you have to take it off....

Michelle - Congrats on your last tx approaching this week!  So jealous of all you ladies finishing.  I cannot wait to be done.  18 more days for me...

Maryjrn -yes, the biotine worked very well --also w/the whole dry mouth thing...

Thanks everyone for all the info on rads -sounds like we're taking a trip into the universe w/all the beams etc!...  I had a bmx, and I am having radiation as well --I think its b/c I had lymph node involvement --my BS sd the radiation further "sterilizes" the area where the cancer actually was

The bone pain while on taxol I think is more from the nuelasta shot from what I am hearing from everyone...I've had 3 tx's so far and the one I had w//the shot by far gave me the worst pain.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Hey Deb...I'm as okay as I can be..I'm mostly on FB now , plus the last Taxotere tx kept me quite busy with low back pain (intense) and I also spent the weekend catching up on my sleep...and to top it off , my period did a roundabout and came back after a week.November is not a good month for me , it seems.

  I also got a final dx on my right arm pain - I had some temporary arterosclerosis from the red devil , plus the nurses ( incompetent ) in their haste to get me in and out they also pinched a nerve.Most pain of it is better since last week , but it's still pretty tight.I assume it'll take months for the pain to completely go away.At least I don't have to favor it as much.After this ordeal my nightmares involve needles.Nobody likes em , but now..I think I have a phobia.Ugh.

 I'm about to give up and stop but my family think we've come this far , we should finish it, and they'll tell me tales of this person or that that had to battle cancer at some point ( family friends , relatives , etc ) and they 're doing good now , so I should take heart from it...BC isn't for wimps...but I'm SICK of it.I'm scared.I just want to stop and sleep and heal.January feels a lot damn farther to me than it did in August.My most hated phrase "Only two more months! only x number of tx's left! we're almost done.." I don't want to hear it , I dont want to continue, and yet...I think I reached my limit.

 From what you've said girls , I'm very glad I refused to do rads.My BS tried to push them but I told them that rads is not for me.Also, with SNB clear , left side mx , and chemo...no , it's OK.I can't even imagine having to sit still and let them do that to me and suffer the burns.No.

(Of course, I meant anyone who's gone through chem WOULDN'T judge you, Vivie.  I should proofread my postings!)

My puppy is definitely making me smile, 'though he seems to be bonding with my son instead of me, but that actually makes me smile, too! He's Jasper, although I seem to spend all my time saying "No Jazz, no, no...." House training is going VERY well, much better than expected! He's a golden retriever, and I love that he's still so roly-poly. When he runs, his back legs get going faster than the front, so he stumbles and trips over his own chin! He came from friends, very responsible people, and he's already crate trained, which is also awesome. He was lonely for his littermates and his mom the first night, but he went all night in his crate last night without a whimper or an "incident!"

(((((((HUGS)))))) Taylor: some people are just so dam inconsiderate and dont even realize it...... You are a strong, vibrant woman, Dont let what someone says bother you. I know its easier said than done BUT You are obviously a STRONG woman, I mean your here arent you ;-)  You keep your chin up and smile, you are beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I posted pics of me NO HAIR in the Nov 2011 thread... :-) go have a look I look.....  again BIG BIG (((((((HUGS)))))))))) you are beautiful and you SHINE