December 2011 Rad

Another big welcome to WCinIRB!!  Where is FL are you and can we all come down to visit?!! lol Actually here in MD it has been rather warm so no complaints here!

 Tomorrow puts me half way through at #15. It is going quickly. Still no skin changes but feels a bit hot. But yesterday I felt fatigued - not sure if rads or just other stressors. But it didn't feel good and was a new type of feeling tired and a bit down - well more than a bit down.

I am enjoying getting to know others at my same time slot for rads. The woman before me was like ships passing until they were running late and we got a chance to talk. I am also talking about books with a guy who waits for the other rad machine at the same time.

 Michelle - I notice the pattern of the machine moving etc. It starts on my left and has 2 very low positions aimed across at my right breast with 2 short bursts. Then it shifts to my right side aimed at the area where I had the lumpectomy (outside of my right breast). Then the tech comes in and slides something out of the machine like a glass plate and then it goes to 2 positions with long bursts. I guess it is more intense aimed directly at the point of incision. The last week will be boosts aimed only at that area.

i had a surprise at rads yesterday.  it was my birthday and as i walked into the radiation room, the therapist said, 'we all want to wish you a happy birthday and give you a high five,' and when i turned around to thank him, he was holding a little silver coin that was engraved with a hand on the front and the word 'healing' on the back.  i was so touched i almost cried.  it had been a bad day with my daughter and me, and for someone to be that nice to me was so wonderful.  i know they do it for all their patients, but still.  such a nice gesture.

i was told not to use any deodorant, just use corn starch to absorb moisture.  i take a shower every day before radiation and hope i don't stink! 

thank you so much, michelle.  my birthday with my daughter and my sister was brutal, but then i had dinner with my son and his family at their home and it was wonderful.  family ... i'll never understand why they don't get it.  my daughter could basically care less that i have cancer.  it makes me so sad.

Welcome to the the rad group WC in IRB I started that day as well!!!! Hope everyone is doing well with their treatments so far. I am already tired of the drive but I guess it could be worse...Was wondering yet again????? How is everyones eyelashes??? Still waiting???? Can't wait to look somewhat normal and not a cancer patient.

Kennylynne, I'm still losing my eyelashes. I took a look this morning and there's hardly any left. I'm 4 1/2 weeks PFC so I hope to see some hair growth soon! I see you're from Ontario too. Where are you having your tx? I'm at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener. I'm lucky....it's a 15 minute drive from my house.

Thanks ladies, it is so nice to have support from my fellow sista's. I am now almost 5 weeks PFC. Still doing herceptin though. LuvRVing you lucky lady and you already have a nice head of hair too!!! michelleo I live in a small town west of London. I am doing tx in London. Hopefully yours lashes start coming in as well. Mine were almost totally gone the week following last taxol. Shelly2011 hope thats the last of the fallout!!! Nice to have the weekend off hey ladies??? Was also wondering for those of you that had a masecetomy and node removal....... are you feeling really tight at the insicion and does your arm hurt????? Don't know if its from the herceptin or the rads or the tamoxifen F$#k!!!!!!

My last chemo was 10/7. I had no lashes left then, but had a lot of eyebrow hairs. The eyebrow hairs starting falling out a few weeks PFC, and I was upset. I am pretty sure it was the new growth pushing them out. My lashes are full, but only half length so far. Same with my eyebrows. I had to pluck some of the crazy long eyebrows already.

Kennylynne - yes, I am very lucky.  My hair is growing like crazy and I never had it real long so it won't be long before I am back to where I started.  And I had lost every eyelash and eyebrow, but they are back in full force.  Just finished rad #13, so far, so good.  You can see the radiation field, but nothing hurts, not really red, just a little itchy.  I bought some cortisone cream with aloe and have started that as a preventive measure.  I think we all might luck out with two 3 day breaks for the Christmas and New Year's holidays.  And my treatments take less than ten minutes.  From the time we enter the parking garage until we leave is less than 30 minutes.  They are the model of efficiency!

My left arm is a little uncomfortable when I am on the table "in position" - my pec muscle seems to be really tight and something is pulling up my arm from my armpit.  Not painful, just tight and uncomfortable, but getting a little better each day.  I didn't really notice this until after the surgery to remove my TEs at the end of October.

Augustmoon, welcome to BCO and this group going through rads along with you. You'll get great advice and encouragement here. The main Breastcancer.org site has information too, including this section on Skin Reactions to Radiation that may help you.

Judith and the Mods

Thanks for the warm welcome Judith, the  Moderators and  Shelley !  

This is the first time i joined a BC forum -- and i wish i could have done so earlier because of the wealth of information (and wisdom) from actual experience that i could have used to alleviate the SE i had during my Chemo.  

A big warm hug to all from the cold Praries of Canada :-)

Welcome Augustmoon. It's nice to hear from another Canadian. There are a few of us on this thread!

Michelle, I too am very impressed by the efficiency of the radiation treatments. I'm usually in and out within 30 minutes as well.

Did the tattooing and simulation last week. Will start my rads on the 27th. Tattooing was no biggie, super tiny dots. What was I worried about? I even fell asleep when they were doing the chest x-ray.

Are you guys doing nything to strengthen or prepare before radiation? Turmeric oil?  

Dry run on Tuesday, hope to start on Wednesday.  One of my tats didn't "take" and I will need to get it over again.  RO's office didn't think it would be a big deal.  I'm going to start creaming up today!

LOL Shelley2011, you're not bragging. I'm including the walk to and from my car and the time it takes me to change in my 30 minutes! The actual tx is about 10 mins!!