November 2011 Rads

MrsMot, I agree with LuvRving. You need to have them check. They do get in a hurry sometimes. I was amazed when I saw the number of forms they were storing and pulling from. Probablly easy to make a mistake. You do get use to your form and know when it feels different. Good luck on your boosts.

Mrs. Mot - I can't say rads went fast, but I do not remember going every day....just a blur.  So glad you are on boosts.  I was tired but the last 3 days I was so energized by the finish line that I was hyper!
LuvRVing - I had about 2 or 3 days of "rad sleep" and then my anxieties kicked back in ... staying up late again and not able to get back to sleep in the morning.  When I go back to work in 10 days, I will have to adjust.  But I cannot get enough sleep, even when tired.  Good luck with the end!
I got a diploma yesterday, and hugs from all the technologists.  I cried so much in the morning that I didn't really have anything left to cry out during my treatment.  I did get tears in my eyes when I told the dear young ladies that I hope they will always stay on the right side of cancer.
Good news - my skin is actually improving.  Bras no problem.  I insert the thin white cotton sock wherever it feels tight....perfect fit.  No broken skin, no pain.  I feel very fortunate, as I am fair.

On the other side, DH started in about my cardiac workup and that I should cancel it and look for a better hospital etc. etc.  I was so stressed that I barely slept last night.  I am so mixed up and stressed and need to make a dozen phone calls but keep putting it off.
Enough complaining.....
Thinking of you all today.

Glad to hear you get a rest Joan811.  Plus you found the right doc that will put you to sleep.  Why in the world would you need to be awake? I will be thinking of you and sending positive vibes your way!  You will do great!

I saw my Plastic Surgeon yesterday and I won't have to have any surgery till a year from now (clean up the fake boobs, make a nipple, etc.)  He said that he will not cut into my radiated skin till a year has past.  Said the skin needs to heal.  I am so darn happy.  All I need now is to have my port removed.  That is on the other side where they didn't radiate.  Four treatments left and I am so done.  After today, three.  Tues the 17th is my last day. What a long journey this has been.  

April 15th will be my 1st birthday!  My real birthday is April 12, but I was diagnosed April 15 (April 11th was the needle biopsy).  So every year I live I will celebrate two birthdays!  yay! Bring on the cake!  This is gonna be a much better birthday then last year!

Hugs to you all!

I've been running a few times a week for a couple weeks now but remember that I finished rads back in Dec. Also, I'm running pretty slowly! I definitely don't feel like my old self yet. Thankfully, my breast looks more and more normal every day, and hopefully the big scar alongside and under my breast where my skin came off will fade with time. Right now, my main concern is that my performance in sports is still pretty bad. I've been lifting weights 3 times a week, too, but still not ready to increase the weight or reps on anything. I'm so much weaker and so easily winded, even just doing weights. I'm not sure I will be ready for tryouts in April....I'm trying to accept that this season might be a "rebuilding" one for me, and that I my need to give my body more time to recover from the rigors of radiation. Right now I'm working out 6 days a week, so there's nit much more I can but wait and see if I get stronger by April.

I finished today, too!  Congrats flautalee! 

I am so damn done!!!

Congrats to all who have just finished. Natters I am so impressed that you are working out six days a week. My energy is okay in the morning but midday I seem to hit a wall. I tried the gym two days ago but couldn't go on after about fifeteen minutes. Guess I need to give myself permission to not overdo but slowly work back into a regular routine. I started daydreaming about taking a long trip anywhere but was brought up short by that clause in trip insurance that says no treatment or doctor visits within last sixty days. Does that include the routine office visits? Does anyone know? If that is the case would probably have to hold off for several more months as I am still seeig the MO monthly.

I too have finally finished today!  What a long journey this has been for me. I got my certificate of completion.  I just wished it was a life-time guarantee that it won't come back.  I did everything I could possible to do prevent the cancer from returning.  Now its time to heal and get back to life!  Thank you all for being here for me and one another.  I can't wait for my energy to return!

Hello ladies--I hope everyone is getting better. 2 days ago I had a good energy level, got up at 7 (about 3-4 hrs earlier than usual) and was able to do stuff until 6PM and then crashed. Yesterday and today the fatigue is back, still in bed at 2PM. I don't know how those of you who are working can do it. The only way that I can get myself going is to drink lots of coffee--I read here I think that for Triple Neg BC survivorship is improved by drinking 5 or more cups of coffee a day!! LOL!!! I also take a 12 hour real pseudo ephedrine that you have to sign for at the pharmacy. I don't like taking all this stuff, but see no other choice for now if I going to play in my wonderful orchestra which rehearses Tue evening 7:30-10 no break and finish my Master's degree. Well, again sorry for being so long winded. Best to you all. This must be a liitle bit like what people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome deal with every day. Everyone hang in there! We will all get through this. Gotta get up now and make coffee at 2:15!

Flautalee, Nans....I couldn't figure out why I am still feeling so fatigued.  I pushed myself last week end, stayed up past midnight....and now I cannot catch up.  My skin is healing steadily.  I had very few problems except anxiety during rads.  But now....my shoulder is so bad....I would ask for PT if I had time.  I am back to work and I feel OK for awhile and then I crash.  I generally feel different - not back to normal at all.  Thirsty all the time, and as the day goes on, I just feel like I'm coming down with something but I don't. 

It kind of made sense that it will take the same amount of time to heal as it did for treatment.  I don't feel patient today.
Have a good night, everyone.

pt - well, NY got snow today but nothing like the storms that slammed the PNW.  I hope you are thawed out.
I think you should keep on top of the tingling...some ladies have reported nerve damage.  It is so hard sometimes to pinpoint the cause of a change when we are doing/taking so many things at once.  My first few days on Arimidex I felt achey all over then it let up, then I started to get specific pain.  I still have pain in both thumbs even though I stopped the drug over a month ago.

i thought of keeping a journal so I don't forget how I was feeling when....haven't so far.
I hope that wall starts moving back for you soon.  I'm still crashing, but I never know when.
Be well, and stay warm!

Joan

Hello all. I have been here lurking and keeping up with how everyone is doing. Now that the radiation is over, I was wondering how we can keep in touch. It feels like a family and I would hate to not hear how everyone is doing.

Even though I am considered triple negative, I do have very low ER,PR (3 and 5) so my MO wants me to take Anastrozole (generic Arimidex) and, against my better judgement, I have been on it now for two weeks. Joan, I see that you took it or are taking it and have had some thumb pain with it. I am currently sleeping in a wrist brace every night which seems to make the pain better so I am able to get through the day. By the evening though, the pain is back. Will you be continuing with the Arimidex? Just curious as I would like to compare how other people do on it. I found a thread for people taking it, but they have been on it a while and seem to all have had bad experiences.

Natters, Mrs. Mott, ptdreamers, nan and everyone - Now that I am five weeks from the last of my radiation, I am happy to report that my energy is almost back to normal levels. The issues I have now, I attribute to the added medication and not after effects of rads. I do have thicker skin on the radiated breast, a lump in the tumor base area and some edema that creeps in by the end of the day (all normal according to both RO and MO). I am not as strong as I once was though. Still need someone to open those jars for me :-(

Sorry this is so long winded. Hope everyone a fast recovery and would like suggestions on how to keep in touch.

Mrs. Mot - The way I understand it is that Arimidex (Anastrozole) blocks all estrogen from the body and Tamoxifen blocks the receptors and keeps estrogen from entering the cells. They are two different types of medication. I believe anastrozole is used in postmenopausal  women and Tamoxifen are used in either pre or post.

Hey everybody - I am finally starting to feel like myself again during workouts, nearly 6 weeks out of treatment. And I didn't even have chemo or a MX, so I feel like I should have bounced back even faster. Still, we have to be patient and allow our bodies to heal, right? 

2012 is just so much better than 2011 so far and I hope you are all enjoying being out of "active" treatment and managing the SEs from the hormonal meds. My hot flashes went away but then this month I got not one, but TWO periods. So weird. I see my MO in 2 weeks but I'm sure he'll be happy that this is all I have to report.

My best news yet is that I have started dating someone the last couple weeks who is funny, smart and sweet. She is also really athletic and will get up before dawn to go running with me instead of thinking I am completely nuts for working out so much. I was a little nervous about getting intimate with someone because of my scars from the surgery and the radiation (I have a really big scar from where I lost all that skin) but she made me feel so normal and comfortable and OK about it 

Slowly but surely getting my life back!!!

Nat 

Natters - So happy things are looking up for you!

Natters, So glad to hear all your good news. I've been using tamanu oil on my skin and it's looking really good. My BC was so impressed and asked about it. I get it online from mynaturalmarket.com. You might want to try it. I have no scars from the areas that opened during rads. I feel the same way as you about the energy level - no chemo, just lumpectomy & rads - but I'm still not up to working out full throttle yet and it's been 6 weeks. It is getting better and people are telling me that I look better, even though I didn't think I looked different. Let's hope 2012 continues good for all of us here.