December 2011 Rad

Hello Shelley,

Thanks - I write on the the Oct and Nov rad thread - will also be here with everyone on the Dec rad thread. I had treatment 7 out of 32 today. I had to add 2 extra days to my plan since the darn rad machine broke down for three days. I expected to make up the three days, but the extra two days were added as I went for five days in a row without treatment, due to a weekend being in the middle of the breakdown. Oh well....it is what it is.

Sher  

Hi girls, I am starting rads on either 5th dec or 12th and want to join your thread if that's ok. I have just finished 4 x AC DD and 4 x T DD and am feeling completely wiped out. Going to hosp on Monday for scans and simulation etc.. Fingers crossed that all goes well for us during this next stage of treatment. My RO seems to think it will be a walk in the park.... We will wait and see 😃 xx michaela

Hi Ladies,

Shelley, I just read your post on the chemo thread, and found you here!  Great idea to start a group for rads. I'm not sure about times, because I haven't started, but my RO told me it takes 20 minutes each visit.

My first visit is on Monday.  I guess it involves a CT scan?  Not sure about tattooing, but I'm guessing that is happening on Monday too.  I will start the treatments on December 5th.  I've been told that I will have 18 zaps, no boosts that I know of.

I'm not really looking forward to doing this through the holidays, but I really want to get it over and done with.  I'm hoping that all of us will find it a walk in the park, but I don't want to take it for granted because of what I have read on other threads.  It looks like it can get pretty bad.

Hugs! 

michelleo13 I just finished the same chemo on Thursday!!!! How are you feeling? Where are you doing your rads? I am doing mine in London I am also from around your area. Welcome everyone!

Hi Ladies,

I had my prep CT and tattoos done yesterday.  I've decided that the tattoos are the size of the inside of the "o", on my computer screen, as I am typing here.  They were like little pin pricks.  The CT was pain-free, just a little cold. I didn't have to wait, so the whole thing took about 20 minutes.  Afterwards I slept all afternoon, and then all evening, and then all night.  Not sure if it was the CT, or just the fact that I was day 12 post my last chemo treatment, or maybe it is the stress of embarking on yet more treatment after finishing chemo...  So looking forward to being all done!!

Hugs to everybody! 

Hi ladies;

Popping in here to share some helpful info on the main Breastcancer.org site on Radiation Therapy, including types of radiation therapy, what to expect, and how to manage side effects.

Hope this helps!

--Your Mods

Hi Kat!  Hope you can get started, so you can get finished!!!

Shelley, there's no evidence for the statement that rads presents a 30% chance of developing lymphedema. In the first place, because there are no accepted standards for diagnosing lymphedema there's no way to quantify it accurately. And secondly, there are lots of factors that might increase or decrease your personal risk of lymphedema, some of them known (overweight, for instance, or post-surgical complications like seroma or infection) and others still murky (like genetic predisposition). It also matters a lot what surgeries you've had and what areas they radiate.

Bottom line: much as we all fear lymphedema, preventing a recurrence of breast cancer is WAAAAY more important that preventing lymphedema. They're not even in the same class. So do keep the goal in mind.

And besides, there are a lot of simple life-style changes you can make that will help lower you risk of developing lymphedema. You can find them at these two websites:

http://www.lymphnet.org (See their Position Papers on exercise, air travel, and risk reduction)

http://www.stepup-speakout.org/riskreduction_for_lymphedema.htm

Getting a referral from any doctor on your team for evaluation by a well-trained lymphedema therapist is a great idea. S/he will do baseline arm measurements for future reference, give you personalized risk reduction tips, measure you for a compression sleeve and glove or gauntlet to wear prophylactically for exercise or travel, and teach you a gentle lymph-moving massage. Here's how to find a qualified therapist near you:

http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Finding_a_Qualified_Lymphedema_Therapist.htm

With lymphedema, the more you know, the less you have to fear, but it's up to you to learn about it. 

Hoping you're soon on your way to complete recovery!
Binney

Joining you. My 33 tx start in December. I did TCH chemo 6/30 till 10/19 then BMX with ovaries out 11/9. It seems this may be the easy part...

Still feeling pretty beat after surgery though.

Hi there! I had a BMX with right lymph node dissection on 11/7. I had emergency surgery the same night after my mammary artery decided to burst open. Lost 3 liters of blood and nearly my life. I had neo-adjuvant therapy and horrible neuropathy from that as well. I had a cord-like something in my right arm when I stretch, and have noticed some fluid under my skin under my scars. Have any of you experienced this?

Heading out for my first appointment this afternoon. What should I expect or ask? Thank you. Rose

I just got back from the f/u with my surgeon, feeling so discouraged as it's not immediately clear from the path report what's going on.  One margin is close and BS wants to review the slides side-by-side with the pathologist... he will also present my case to the interdisciplinary team this week... hopefully by Friday we'll have a better sense of what's next.  In the meantime, my sim is moved out to 12/9, but of course that may be subject to change if the one margin is indeed too close for comfort.

I don't have much time off left so I am returning to work on Wednesday.  No sense in wasting my time off just waiting....

Hard to believe I want to start rads so badly!  Wishing you all lots of luck as December approaches.

Had a long consult today with the RO. I have an appointment next Friday for planning. Going to have supraclavicular, intermammary nodes and chest radiation. Went directly to the surgeon's office, and had a seroma drained. Now I have to see LE specialist for the cording in both arms. What a long day...

Kat, you can have your slides sent to another pathologist for another opinion as well. Hugs to you.

Thanks, Michelle. I'm feeling pretty beat up. I know this is the easy part. Woke up with pain in my arm pit were they drained the seroma, my nails are killing me again, and I am having difficulty walking. I fell asleep reading about cording, and woke up crying. I can't stand it...