March 2011 Rads

Marje,  I believe you finsihed Chemo this month, just wanted to pop in and say CONGRATSS!!!!!!

Yahoo!!!  Hope all is going well!!

Yeah MARJIE!!!!!!!!!  Enjoy our Mohito's, you certainly have deserved them!!  Nice to count down they days to the beach instead of the rads and chemo's!!!  CELEBRATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GirlFriday,,,everything here in MA has melted...unbelievable spring like weather...so glad!! Last year I  had chemo on the days of the big snowstorms!! Celebrated last friday...0ne year since last chemo on Feb 3rd...yahooo..!!!!   Going to Florida in a month for a week to see my sister in Cocoa, can't wait to go into the ocean/pool...  Hope everyone is doing well!

Aww GF that bites. I'm hoping for the best for you. Sometimes I wonder how much Tamoxifen helps us and how much it hurts. I wish we could really see how it individually works for us. Too much to ask I guess.

GirlFriday--thinking of you today. I know waiting is the hardest part. Let us know what you find out, we're all concerned!! Msjag, I am doing quite well, all things considered. I always considered myself extremely healthy--although a huge hypochondriac. And darn it, despite what I have gone thru in the past 2 years, I still think I am pretty darn healthy. Of course, thanks to the tamox, I have gained 20+ lbs and I am really tired of wearing sweats. Friday I see my hunky rads doc for my sort of one year check up. (April 8--you know how you don't forget dates?) Hopefully he will clear me for reconstruction and I will never, ever have to see him again. WOO-HOO!!

Hope everyone else is doing great! See you on FB!!

Isn't it funny that we can remember all these dates--but can't remember a phone number?

Hey All! haven't been on here for a while...the biopsy went fine...was even able to go back to work.  The doc said after she did the procedure that I did "very well"  apparetly when they use a tenaculum, or some such torture device to pry open your cervix, many women pass out.  Really? Shocker.  She actually said this is going to pinch.  I can't believe I didn't kick her in the head.  I'm still waiting on the results...apparently it's a 7-10 days for results.  But the doc is on vaca, so although I've called, they will probably just wait until Monday to give me the results.  I do like this doc...I've been to see 4 different ones in the last two years, and she's the first to suggest that my misery may just be a part of perimenapause.  Which is what I've asked of each of the docs, and they all said No.  She is concerned about the Tamoxifen influence, but feels it's negligible because I haven't been on it for a year...where as the NP I saw got all radical about it.  Bit tired of the drama.

My rads boob is firm too.  And bald.  And I have tender spots.  I saw the oncologist PA a couple weeks ago, and she said I was in the "cancer funk"  We make it through treatment, and then there's nothing to do.  She also said that my muscles on the rads side are really tight,and I need to stretch more.  Funny I got more info from her than I ever have the oncologist.  Like for instance did you know that vaginal atrophy is a SE of Tamoxifen?  How enlightening.  I've gained about 10 pounds too, but it just adds to my goddess shape.  I'm going through some sort of retro fatigue too.  It's the weirdest thing.  I thought for sure I'd be fine by this point, but just recently I feel like I'm back in rads!  Probably something to do with cellular memory HA!

All in all things are going well.  I just got a job offer this week...I've been temping in this job for 7 months...I really like it.  The interview process was horrible, but they said I interviewed so much better than the other 8 candidates that the decided to not do a second round.  Whew!  I'm starting to train to run a 5K end of July....Tri for a Cure.  I'm part of a relay team.  I started to read this book by Deb Jarvis, the Irreverent Reverand...It's called "It's not about the hair"  I just found it at the library, and I love it! I love her humor!  Although my invasive cancer would not have responded to chemo, there's a lot for any of us BCr's to relate to.  I highly suggest giving it a gander.  She had someone write her a letter and say that they would ferverently hold her in the light.  I love that idea.  I do that to each one of you...I just drop you into the healing circle during meditation.  Although our lives are headed towards normalcy, I still think about you all.  xo

YEAH, a job offer GF, what great news! Someday,I'll join you!! Meanwhile, I'm enjoying being broke and unemployed. I too have a sore spot on my ribs--all docs say it is a SE of rads. Have had chest xrays for other ills and didn't show anything so I feel better. And I get that sharp pain on the side of my rads-mostly at night and enough to be annoying but enought to be concerned. My rads doc last week told me that my forearm was 2 cm off, but not my hand or upper arm. No part of my arm looks swollen or hurts. If i'm getting LE--I am going to be p'd off. RRGGHH.

cmblastic:  Look up a LE therapist STAT!  Don't waste any time.  I've heard it's one of those things you have to stay on top of, and it's hard to recoup once it gets to a certain point.  I guess there are massages, stretches, etc for it.  I read an article that suggested lifting/strength exercises are excellent for prevention.   Where that article lives, I have no idea.  But I'll see if I can find it!

BTW, my rads boob skin is so soft since there's no hair, that I wish the other one was just like it.  Crazy?  Most  likely.

Finally got the biopsy results...they were normal! No uterine cancer for me!  But I think the TVUS was a little rough...have to wait another week for those results, but I'm pretty sure that stupid fibroid has grown. 

Love to ask a question from the group that did Rads about the same time as I did. I finished May 31 2011, got a few burns nothing overwhelming. The area under breast is  still sore and that was a spot that had burns, also on lump.scar. I am just so uncomfortable with both pains on inside of breast also soreness on outside. My radiated breast has shrunk up considerably. One side is a 36DDD the other maybe a C, and so very firm. Is all this something others are dealing with or am I just having awful SE some 10 months after the fact. Thanks for any and all info.

Diane, I will be a yar out April 29th from rads (had chemo before then), and I am now experiencing sore spots where my SNB scar is and spots along the ribs under the breast, from what I hear we can all have those pains as things heal, some last longer for others.  I am having my oncs check them out in April.   THe breast still feels like its shrinking so, yes to the noticeable difference! and it still tends to feel warmer than the other one, pretty typical from what I've heard on here, no swelling or heaviness in the breast, that could mean a sign of infecton. Every once in awhile when I feel tightness under my arm, I can feel a cord which with stretching,  and gentle yoga usally goes a way for awhile!

You could ask your onc for a referral to a pt just to get base measurements of your arms, chest hands and they should be able to give you good stretching exercises.  My podiatrist (yes!!) told me it takes so long for an inch of nerve to heal itself, so our bodies are still undergoing major healing, especially if you had chemo.  Hope things heal soon, Diane.

cmblastic..Thanks for responding with the knowledge you had for my situation....

msjag.. Yes what you mention is what I am experiencing. I had PT for arm LE was minor but I did get sleeve,incase I needed it, I also got a compression bra. Just does not seem to help with the firmness or soreness. I did get NP at onco ofc to give me a rx for gabapentin. This is the drug they give for shingles. Thought since that was  for nerve pain it may help. It makes me relax so I feel somewhat better but not a whole lot. I will only take it a while lomger.  Again Thanks for answering ladies.....