November 2011 Rads

Michelle - your new profile pic is cute. And my RO seemed surprised that my skin started turning pink almost immediately but although it started to swell and go pink, it really wasn't that bad until I'd had about 18 tx. There is such a wide variation in reactions that it seems impossible to predict how any given person will do and when those SEs may or may not occur!

Joan - I hear you on the double SEs. I went from the occasional hot flash from the Tamox to getting them every single night in waves, and all night long. I also am starting to get night sweats more frequently. The hot sensations and sweating do NOT feel good on my burnt skin and it's disrupting my sleep. I really hope these hormonal SEs work themselves out of our system eventually. Preferably before summer, because I'm not sure I will be able to stand it then. 

ptdreamers - I agree that most of these centers are REACTIVE rather than pro-active about our side effects. Mine didn't even tell me to really start using creams until after they saw my skin turning pink, but luckily I'd read about it on here and started right away. At my center, they never ask about pain. The tech yesterday looked at my raw spot, which she called a hot spot and said that I should be "careful" with it. Not sure what more I can do for it, since I've stopped working out and wearing a bra most days and I'm using all the stuff they recommended. I dunno - I like this particular tech but it's almost like my burns were somehow my fault?

My mood continues to be sour because my partner hurt her knee this past Saturday and now she has to have surgery next week and I will be taking care of her rather than going out to celebrate the end of rads. I'm so petty but I really was looking forward to that. Yesterday I left work even earlier to drive her to the sports surgeon at one end of town, stayed as long as I could then went to rads, then drove back across town to pick her up. She has a bucket tear of her meniscus and they are going to try what sounds like a newer technique to repair it. The good news is that it has a better chance of healing this way, but the bad news is that she'll be on crutches for 6 more weeks and then she will still need to baby it another 4-6 months. When I get home from rads now, there is no time for me to sit and relax because I am fetching and carrying and taking care of her. I know, I know - most of you are doing this sort of caretaking already because you have parents or kids that need you - but this is new for me. I feel like a big whiny baby because I wish she were taking care of me right now when I am all burnt up and getting tired so early in the evening. Well, at least I am almost done, and hopefully I can start healing soon and be back to my old bouncy and cheerful self.

Thank you all for the well wishes! 

Natters - Is there someone in your family or circle of friends that can help you both out?  Sometimes you have to reach out for help.  You need to recover and get better.  I hope you can find some help.  If one of my friends was having this trouble, I would be helping out.  Hang in there!

Dsnydawn - I have not had a bone scan...maybe because I had the PET scan I don't need one.  I had to have the PET scan because the RO found a spot on my cervical spine from the CT scan.  Turns out to be nothing.  I would ask your MO about another bone scan.  We are all going to be pin cushions for months after all treatment is done.  Your doctors should schedule reg appts.  You will be watched like a hawk.  Good question about survivor status.  You are here...reading this right?  You are a survivor!

rn4babies We are on the same schedule. I just had my first boost today too. Can't believe we are almost done!

natters Hope you can have the chance to celebrate your ending Rads and have renewed energy to take care of your partner, and as MrsMot asked, if you can get some friends or others to help both of you. It is a challenge to have to take care of others when you are still healing yourself. My hubby is having minor surgery the end of Dec. and my younger daughter going through tests for sinusitis. It will be my turn to take care of them. Hoping my energy is better by then.  Do you know about www.CareCalendar.org? It has helped us get the word out about specific needs and others have said it was helpful for them to know when and how they could best help. We are going to use it for the end of Dec. when my hubby has surgery and I'm still healing. 

MrsMot Rejoicing with you on your good test results! It's always a relief when those tests come back clear.

I met with my oncologist today. He is going to put me on Tamoxifen instead of going back on the Arimidex. He said primarily because I have osteoporosis and the T can help with that. He said that either one should work fine for me and that we have some options so we will try this and see how it goes with the SE's and if it's a real problem we can try something else. I am glad because I was really struggling on the Arimidex. I am going to have the Zometa (Reclast) infusion the end of Jan for the osteoporosis. 

I had the same question about survivor status. We are ALL survivors!! 

Wonder what it is with doing rads...I was glad when my chemo was done, but did miss the supportive nurses for quite awhile after I finished. I will definitely not miss one person at my rad center, and cannot wait to be out of the assembly-line! 

Mrs. Mot - great news! Doing happy dance for you...in my mind...no energy for the real dance:)



Two more to go! I am not a quitter but I am close to quitting today. When I put my hands over my head today, it felt like my skin was just going to split apart. I didn't have time to put on extra lotion so by the time I got to the RO office, my skin was really dry. Parts of it looks like it is covered with a clear piece of very thin paper. Those areas no longer have feeling on the skin. But there is plenty of deep sensation! I do have a few spots that bleed. The doctor looked at my skin today and wanted to give me Vicodin. Then she told me I was tough and needed the next two boosts for a few extra percentage points in my favor. Well, guess what? I don't feel tough today. Today, I need a hug. Thanks for listening.

Kdayjay - well said...I agree with you totally...I hate anyone thinking I'm sick or weak.  I was the type of kid that would fall off my bike and be bleeding, but would say "leave me alone" haha and I hate not having hair, it's the one thing that makes me "stick out".  People always say I can't believe all you are doing and I'm like well you have to do what you have to do.  I guess I do keep a very upbeat attitude, but I do have my private pity parties...usually I allow myself a good cry in the shower   thanks for the reality check!  hey noticed we were diagnosed 3 days apart...hoping to have all this over by march(still have surgery after rads) and get my normal life back!!

MrsMot

Isn't that GREAT NEWS?!!!!!!!!!!! I know the feeling, I got that kind of news a couple of weeks ago.

Takes a real load off your mind.....

I told my Drs.  thank you for the early Christmas Present!!!!!

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!!

Vickie

A friend sent me this link. It's a hilarious promotion for a mobile app to get women to do breast self exams. Lots of sexy male beefcake!  

http://www.johnst.com/#/work/rethink-breast-cancer

I took one of my friends out for dinner for her birthday tonight and we talked about wvrything we've been going through (she has a couple injuries and will need surgery in the coming year) and she offered to help me out. And I know these friends of ours that live just a couple blocks over will help out, and my "mother-in-law," who lives in town. I like to try and do everything myself but maybe I can ask for help next week.



Some good news today - my boost area narrowly misses my hot spot and they are going to be able to do me slightly tilted on my side, missing more healthy tissue. My RO told me he hasn't been getting my heart and only a "clinincally insignificant" portion of my left lung.

So sorry about your hot spot pain, Natters. I did #18 today - intermittent shooting pains are the norm, but today, they are stabbing, steady pains...I will take Ibu and keep on going...Best wishes

Anandagram, I'm sure they realize it's temporary. I have been using ibuprofen this week, too. I have only 2 more full breast left and then hopefully my hot spot and nipple start healing up. Although it sounds like other people have been told that we continue to "cook" for a week after rads? 

They drew the oval around my boost area and surgical scar yesterday and of course it's almost all off. It is never going to last until Monday and I just hope the stickers stay on at least. The dosimetrist took pix of the setup yesterday and the RO made notations, which is good b/c he'll def have to draw it back on me Monday afternoon!

The RO told me yesterday that I should try to avoid sun on my radiated bits for 6 months!! I'm going to be investing in some heavy-duty sunblock because I have plans to get away to mexico for a week or so in February. And when I start going out on the water, I'll be wearing little tank tops and sport tops again eventually. Maybe I can use that zinc stuff to protect my hot spot and the upper part of my breast that might get sun... 

tvacrat - So sorry that you are so close to being doneand being put off. I know how the open stuff feels though and maybe the rest will do you good. Did your RO give you any burn gel sheets to use while you are recouping? They work like magic.

Natters - I have been told by the RO that this is just like a sunburn. My response is that if I got sunburned like this, I would know better than to go back out in the sun but I come back for more radiation every day. Be careful in the sun in February. Sipping Margarhitas on the beach in the shade and watching the people can be just as fun:-) But enjoy your trip!!

Anandagram - I know what you mean about not complaining to your family. Mine watches me with such concern that I am afraid to let them know how I really am feeling. No sense all of us to worry.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day today. I will be leaving shortly for boost number 4...that means only one more to go after that. Wish I had enough energy to celebrate

kdajay - I'm looking forward to tomorrow vicariously through you. We were supposed to end together. It looks like one of us will keep the schedule - yay!!

m4babies - did the week off help your skin? You're almost through, as am I. We'll just grit our teeth and keep doing what needs to be done. 

tvacrat - the week off rads helped my skin tremendously. I had to take 4 days off work (7 days off rads) to not wear a bra and to "air out". It was very bad. My axilla was burned and blistered, by breast was almost purple and my underboob was red, raw and seeping (this is also where my scar line is" I resumed rads on Monday and they did my mapping for my boosts at that time. The RO kept me going despite the deterioration in my skin but after Thanksgiving it was so bad the techs would not give me the treatment until he saw it. Finally, he told me I needed a week off (no kidding!). I was so miserable at that point, I didn't care. My breast is already amost back to it's pre-rads condition!

Wow, I missed a day and there has been a lot of discussion...pretty helpful stuff.
LuvRVing--I think you are right.  It is too soon for me to have skin damage.  But I have this area of raised red skin and a few dots nearby.  Last night it started to itch madly.  After my treatment today, I asked the tech to look at the spot.  She had me see a NP.  The NP said "I don't know what that is"....I suggested since the itch was intense that it could be ringworm (which I haven't had since my kids were little over 20 years ago).... She said she had no idea what ringworm looks like.  I would think that rads NPs should know what skin issues are.  She also said several patients had mentioned this to her and I said maybe it's going around the lab.  Anyway, she agreed that I can try anti-fungal cream over the week end.  If it responds, then I'll know what it is.
Then, another issue....
I have not had a chance to check out the discussion board topics, but I get occasional chest pain that is similar to angina.  I have not had it in quite some time; but since on Arimidex, I have had it twice.  Tonight's episode was painful and took awhile to go away.  I took aspirin and crawled into bed next to DH just in case I needed help but he never woke up and I was OK.
I searched the internet, and sure enough, the non-cardiac angina that I've had is treatable with estrogen.  Since I am taking Arimidex, my estrogen is being suppressed.  I think it's triggering the vasospasms.  What a dilemma. 
The most unnerving part is i have NO idea who my "doctor" is at Sloan.  Everyone is so busy...I get no sense of team....M.O. has not spoken to me at all; no follow up.
If I go to my cardiologist, he will just order a catheterizaiton after rads are over.
Has anyone else had experience with non-cardiac angina and BC?

kdajay, here are some more {(((HUGS)))} for you to help you get through to the end of rads.
Nat - hang in there.  The last treatment is in sight.
Tomorrow is day 10 for me...going fast.  I'm sure it won't seem fast when I am feeling burned and stressed.
One day at a time - that's all I can take.  I need the day off tomorrow, but have 8 Am rads and a 45 minute drive each way.  I am looking forward to the week end, having coffee by the window, and watching the birds.
Hugs to all,

Joan