October 2011 Rads

Thank you all for your reassurance - this Thanksgiving, one ing I am grateful for is this board, and learning that I'm not the only one with this or that symptom. My RO does look at me every week for about 5 seconds. He's just happy my skin hasn't broken, doesn't seem to care about another symptoms. He was in a hurry yesterday and I didn't notice the dots until later in the day. Glad to hear it so normal!



5kids, your place sounds so fun. It's much more of a grim atmosphere where I go, although people are perfectly nice and polite. Congratulations!!! What a hilarious end to your tx!



Abate- I could NOT keep the stickers on me for very long, between my lotions 4 times a day and showers and attempts to exercise and wearing bras. So I just begged them to tattoo me finally, and I haven't regretted it one moment, ey just look like other freckles I have here and there on my chest. I can wear V-neck tops again! No unsightly large pen mark Xs in my cleavage. You are so far along, though. Congrats on being so close to finished!

Hi all, happy day after thanksgiving! I'm still in turkey coma, I think.



Only 1 treatment left!! Next Monday is my last day.



I am So ready to be done. I have developed a really bad rash all over my breast, extending down below my breast, above it and even onto my other breast. It's itchy red dots that are like tiny pimples. After blowing me off for a couple days, the clinic finally admitted it was unusual but they don't know what it is. So I have Triamcinolone cream and a prescription for prednisone if it gets much worse over the weekend. They told me to stop the creams I was using (Miaderm and 1% hydrocortisone) in case I was reacting to them.



Other than that and the fatigue, I have done pretty well. My skin is dark pink but not broken or peeling.



enjoy the weekend!

i don't mean to be the whiner but I had a melt down this mornin,, because since my pit area burned at the top of the week i've been miserable.I can't use the sulfa creams because I'm alergic- so aparently holding my arm up ( which is painful because of the cordng) and using the aquaphor are my only options. I enjoyed my thanksgiving because I really am thankful but today I saw a military commercial and just broke down. My oldest two are seniors and both are heading off to basic training right after graduation. I feel this ticking clock on the next week before my ooph. Its awful as you all know many of us have been at this since early spring and some days the walls of treatment are just closing in. I want to get the x-mas decorations up, shop, etc and yet the only thing I can mange is to lay here with my left arm on a pillow.

a very sad beaglesgirl.....

L 

Beagles - I feel so badly for you! I just had my 11th treatment - I have felt okay until the 11th one. No sore skin, but I feel awful - tired, nauseated, shooting pains in breast. I believe I held up well during all the chemo mess and surgery, but I am having meltdowns more often now. I believe you hit the nail on the head: We have been dealing with this curse since Spring! II feel, however, after reading your entry, that I do not have a lot to complain about. 'Sending my best wishes, 

Sher 

Beagles - I know how you feel. My armpit did the same thing. If it is any consolation, when my rads ended, the armpit healed really fast. Now, about a month after rads, it looks perfect (still no hair growing there, but who cares). Hang in there. I will be thinking of you. Hugs.

Hi Ladies,  I am on #24 of 33 treatments and everything seemed to be going well for me at my latest session on Wednesday at the beginning of my four day Thanksgiving break. 

I didn't think to ask a lot of questions about what to do if my skin took a sudden turn for the worse over the long weekend  ... and of course it did. Boo.   In the last few hours I have developed two blisters and my skin is now opened in a small (less that 1/4") area.  I am currently only using aloe with tea tree oil, and a wound pad in that area (I stopped the cornstarch already).  

I will place a call to the covering RO in the morning.  In the meantime, is there something else that I should be doing?  I didn't expect it to break down so fast and I am ill prepared. Thanks ladies!

Vegiegirl- Like MostlySew I used Calendula and it worked very well. Got mine thru Amazon. Udderly smooth is also a good cream. Again, got it thru Amazon (but I think some drug stores carry it). Hang in there. It will get better.

I am wondering if anyone else has a tender area by their ribs? (it is not on the side being radiated). The PA said it was possibly a strain from having my arms over my head for so long (my rads were taking about 40 min before I started my boosts the middle of last week). Trying to ease my mind!

thanks Ladies

Well........I HAVE TO TAKE A WEEK OFF RADS!!! I saw the RO today (and another doc I've never seen before). They techs got him immediately as soon as they saw the condition of my breast. The crease under my breast is red, open and excoriated and my arm pit is excoriated as well (think gaulded) My breast is almost purple and peeling.  Can you believe he asked me if I've been staying out of the sun??? It's November in PA for crying out loud!  I've been using my creams 4 x a day but it is almost impossible to keep my underboob dry. I sweat alot at work and it just kept getting worse and worse. Now everything is screwed up. I so much wanted to be done next week! They're still being jerks at work about it (I've missed none so far).

rn4babies- I am so sorry that your finish line has been moved.I know that you were so anxious to be finished. My armpit got quite bad too. Did they give you Silvadene? It burned and stung, but it helped me heal quite fast. Hang in there. We will be thinking about you.



Dawmson- Hooray! So glad that you're done, done, done!

Rn4babies, they are CRAZY to suggest you might be out suntanning in this weather! It just amazes me how little they want to attribute to their tx! I think you're having a hard time because of the location if your scar, which is already one of the areas most likely to be a problem, plus the fact that you have such a physical job. If you could sit around all day w ith no bra or cami on, I bet that would help. But instead you are on your feet running around. That just SUCKS that they are being jerks at work, too, and not appreciating that you haven't missed a single day, despite your condition. You must be so frustrated! I'm really sorry you won't be done next week. I remember back to when you weren't even sure you wanted to do rads at all, and now this. You are so, so close to finishing - hang in there! Soon we will be done and we'll be able to enjoy the holidays without these time-consuming daily visits to rad onc....

kay1963 - They did not give me any rx for the area. I was told last week to use Domeboro soaks by the nurse. The RO told me to use peroxide when he saw the look on my face, he then told me to dilute it 50/50.

Ceeztheday- No mention of Silvadene. All of my nurse friends thought that would be a good idea, too. He's sticking to the peroxide. I'll be honest with you. That's the only thing I haven't tried yet.

5kidsmom - I wanted to blast right through, too! The RO asked me if I wanted a week off, I told him not really. I think the problem is that I only had to more whole breast and 5 boosts left. The boosts will be on my scar line which is directly under my breast and is actually open and seeping. He couldn't even see my scar.  The tech made a comment that they wouldn't even be able to draw a line there for the mapping. He then told me I had to take a week off. The techs told me they rarely give anyone a break but mine is worse than most that they see.

Natters - I actually called off today! If I don't get some air to this thing, It'll never heal. The tech said you'd be surprised how quickly it will heal with the break. I don't even suntan in the summer! I'm only exposed to the sun when we go on vacation in the summer. Work has really been an issue, as you know. Yesterday, I was completely miserable! It was very busy, I was sweating and in alot of pain. Normally, when I wear my regular bras, I don't sweat as bad but the little extra material in the sports bras makes me very hot. I've tried camis and tanks, too. That was worse. The lack of support is painful as well. I have a very high pain tolerance and never complain. I've gone to work despite toothaches, migraines, etc. But this.........The delay also screws up other plans I had so I wish I could have continued. My "airing out" is quite comical, however!

rn4babies

I am so sorry for the pain your going through, and the crappy treatment on all fronts! sending you healing hugs. For my worse burn days walking around with my hand on my head did wonders.

My axilla just recovered from a nasty burn and lucky for me I had a 4 day built in 'rest period' due to the holiday. I'm having my hysterectomy/ooph this Friday so I'll have another long weekend.  My skin appreciates it but I understand your disappointment in the delay to finish.. this is the longest road... but we are almost done 

Rn4babies, I'm gonna be nosy and ask: are youa nurse in peds or NICU or something? Or are you a nurse that has 4 kids?



My underboob is always moist, but so far no real problems. I'm so glad my incision isn't there, although Im sure you'll be glad later, because your scar will be hidden. I think my bikini top will hide mine but im not sure.

My nipple and where my underarm meets my breast are getting raw - I'm nervous about trying to run but I haven't done any exercise in quite a few days now...

Natters- I'm a L&D, Nursery and  PP nurse. Only one grown son. Needless to say, this is NOT my area of expertise!  My underboob feels a little better today. I laid flat on my back last night, arm in the air with an exercise band holding my boob up and a fan blowing on it. What a comical sight, I'm sure! I took today off work, too so I wouldn't sweat like crazy and make it worse. Alot of the moisture is coming from the seeping of the open area. It seems like there's a little less drainage today. Maybe one more day off work and it will feel better.  I had to go out to have labwork done today and couldn't wait to get home to "air out". 

This website has been such a valuable source of information and support for me. Although I work with many nurses, none of them have had experience or are very familiar with BC and treatment.

Many thanks and ((((hugs)))) to all those who have responded to my posts and offered advice.