December 2011 Rad

LuvRVing, I never thought about the markers!! They always used the same markers for everyone!  Am glad I have had no open areas. Like you I will finish Friday!! 

My PT also helped me with the stifness in my arm, but my upper arm is still numb (they keep saying is because the nerves they cut). I am a little worried that with the rads my arm will get worse. I may bring my own marker

#23 today, or was it #24?

I'm trying to be more like you gals and feel warm wishes toward the radiation techs (poems and pumpkin rolls?!?) But all I can feel is a numb anger at the whole situation -- and everyone involved in it.

I've gone from being chatty and friendly to the radiation staff to curt and monosyllabic. I can't get away from them or out of there fast enough. So I admire you gals with the better attitudes.

I'm with you guys.  The techs ask me how my morning is going and I say fine.  They ask how the weather is outside and I say comfortable.  I am typically chatty and cracking jokes all the time, but now I feel like I just want to get in and out.  I know they mean well, but after dealing with BC for almost 8 months I'm kinda burnt out.  My techs are both men and women, but they are all young.  If any of them were over 30 I'd be surprised.

My techs are all really nice, too.  I have one who is well into his 40's, the females all seem to be late 20's.  I've probably had 8 different ones over the six weeks...so I'm not bringing food.  Plus I have one of the last appts of the day so they are ready to go home when they are done with me.

They'll remember me, though, as the paranoid lady who brought up the issue of using markers on more than one person.  My RO and nurse both raised their eyebrows today and said "you've got a very good point."  There will likely be a process change at Dana Farber because I brought this up.  I guess that is my gift - perhaps making it safer for the patients that follow me.

Two more and I'm done!

YaYa - that is awesome!  By the way, if your skin is broken, that alcohol will sting.  New pen or bring your own, that is my advice for everyone!!!  Glad to help!   I love that the tech walks you down the aisle, that's awesome!!!

Two it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats, Shelley!  Time to kick up your heels and celebrate!!!

Michelle: Hopefuly you are feeling better. Could you ask Dr. Harris if he can point us to some data about the benefits to boost the scar after mastectomy? I have researched for days without any luck. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you~

Maybe my sick-of-it-all attitude comes from the fact that I've been dealing with breast cancer since January of last year, and have been in continual treatment ever since -- with six more months to go. Radiation feels like just more heavy straws being piled on the camel's back.

I shouldn't complain, really, since the radiation itself has been pretty easy on my body, aside from extreme fatigue and hellacious neck and shoulder pain. (Hmm, maybe it is not so easy, now that I think about it.)

Hi ladies, although i am very far away from rads, just had my 3rd AC last week, to be followed by 12 taxol, I was drawn to this thread today.



I want to congratulate and wish the best to all of you who have almost or completed your treatments and wish you healing and health.



I noticed that at least 2 of you, Michelle and AnnAlive had your TEs removed prior to rads. May I ask if that was at the request of your RO? I do not intend on completing reconstruction and am hoping that removal prior to radiation is possible, but am concerned that the effects of chemo would greatly reduce healing. I am also concerned that the TEs would interfere with rads.



I also wanted to ask how far in advance did most begin meeting with potential ROs?



Thank you for listening ladies, and take good care,



Hugs, Laura

I'll second that, Pebee!  Woohoo, indeed!!!!!!!!

Laura - yes, my RO requested that my left TE be removed and I figured if one was going, they both were going.  I hated them and plan to have DIEP reconstruction later this year, so I didn't mind at all.  The surgery was very easy and I had no problem healing even though I had finished chemo just four weeks earlier and I am diabetic.  As a matter of fact, I never even took a Tylenol once I left the hospital one hour after being moved from recovery. 

I highly recommend having them removed before radiation if you're planning on not completing reconstruction.  Everything I read about TEs and radiation made me believe that unless they are totally filled in a way that would prevent the solution from moving around, it would be difficult to get consistent measurements.  Think about a water balloon and how it changes shape depending on how you hold it.  After I read about this issue, I was angry that I let myself be talked into TEs at all.  And I was relieved when the RO told me that the left one "had to go."

Congratulations Pebee and Shelley2011!!! What an awesome feeling that must be. Love your poem Shelley!



My RO is STILL out of the country! Maybe he's not coming back! Mind you, he has to be at least 75...so maybe he's decided to retire!! LOL

I got an answer back from Dr. Harris at Dana Farber concerning boosts to the mastectomy scar area:

"It is correct that we don't have level I evidence for the use of a boost in mastectomy patients. As noted, we do have strong evidence for a boost after lumpectomy. I tend to use the boost in 'high risk' post-mastectomy patients or patients with recurrence."

I am definitely a high risk patient with a recurrence, so that explains my boosts!

Shelley - your graduation poem is beautiful!

No bell-ringing or "ceremony" at Dana Farber.  I'm really OK with that.  When I finished Mammosite last year, the techs played "Pomp and Circumstance" and presented me with a diploma signed by all of them.  Having now done traditional radiation in addition to brachytherapy, I now have earned my "Masters" in Radiation Therapy...LOL!