January 2012 rads

Ann, you're right: it's for cleaning up. I used the wrong term. Can I still claim chemo brain?

#9 today. Very red. I'm exhausted. Fatigue has definitely set in, however, many factors; 3 arthritis flairs in two weeks, report card week last week, fighting off a cold, and #9 rad treatment. I feel like I have led feet. I took off tomorrow in hopes of feeling better.

NWArtLady - I guess you could say rads prevent local recurrence by cleaning up.   We can claim chemo brain for a while yet. I have evidence of it every day!

Bgirl - funny about the free half-shave. I didn't get hair back in my armpits since chemo and it's been 5 months. But I am losing my eyebrows and eyelashes for the 2nd time!

Ossa - IIB is what it shows for T2N1M0 on the chart my BS gave me. It has the "5-Year Relative Survival" percentages too, but what does the "relative" mean? Do the stats assume our current treatments were done? My MO told me initially that my prognosis was "not good." But with presumably clear pathology, I guess it has improved??? I don't recall stats comparing before/after various treatments for a given stage.

Lifechanging - Are you taking tomorrow off of work or rads? I hope a break with good rest will renew your energy and let you push on! I haven't hit that fatigue wall yet after today's #14, but dealing with Taxol side effects -- seeing a dermatologist tomorrow about my sore fingertips and messed-up nails.

Booster 1 today!  4 more to go!  Sore as hell and have some blisters but will be glad to get it over.  I am religiously using my rads cream.  They told me I probably don't believe it but my skin looks good.  The doctor also gave me some percocets.  I may be digging into those next week.

Hi ladies!  Hope you are all doing well.

I am so excited cause I only have 10 more to go!  Yeah!  I am so ready to get this over with.  I am now using the cream my RO gave me.  I have peeling skin under the fold of my breast and I noticed today that my nipple area was trying to peel too!  Ugh!  Went to wearing my sports bras cause they are lots more comfortable.  I usually go braless around the house.  Can't seem to find the time to lay down and put a fan on my boob.  The RO told me this would help dry out the area underneath my breast.  That may be true, but right now, I just can't find the time!!!

Hope you all have a good day and treatment (if you are still having them) tomorrow!

HUGS!

Two more boosts this week and I'll be done. The itching and the rash cleared up and now my skin is just peeling. The boosts are hitting a smaller area, so the rest of the breast that was being treated is starting to heal. I'm more pink than red now. Just using the Aquafor. So much better than last week.

Hi AnnAlive,

I took off work today. I don't want the rads to take longer than they have to. # 10 today, only 23 more to go. Red today but not sore, thank goodness. The fatigue hit hard. Not necessarily all due to rads, but no matter how long I stay in bed I don't feel rested. I guess that's the definition of fatigue. I hope for a breather soon.

Had #25, my last whole breast tx today. I start boosts tomorrow. Talked to the RO today about the treatment plan and, as expected, they can't do the electron radiation on me. He explained that my tumor bed is too deep in my breast since the electron radiation shoots shallow. So it will be the 3D conformal photon radiation I've been getting all along but just to the surgery scar and tumor bed area and in a stronger dosage. The great news is that since it won't be electron they have cut me back from 8 boosts to 3 and I'm done on Monday!!! OMG! I can't believe they cut a whole week off my tx. I will end up with 28 total treatments. I'm still doing great on the skin. Dark pink under my arm and upper chest area close to the arm. I have a little pink under and on my breast and still have the rash on my upper chest. The doctor really didn't think I would do this well since I'm fair skinned and big breasted. Of course, he had also told me from the start that the worse week will be the week after it ends and I'm not there yet. He wrote me a prescription for Silvadene cream just in case I start to blister after I'm through. We said our goodbyes to each other today as I won't see him again. My MO also said he doesn't need to see me again as well as my BS. Guess I'm back to my nurse practioner at the GYN office. I have refused hormonal therapy and both my RO and MO support my decision. RO said I need a mammogram in 6 months and then yearly after that and my nurse practioner is going to do breast exams for me every 6 months. The fatigue has been okay. I take every Wednesday afternoon off and take a 2 hour nap and I take naps on weekends so that, along with a good dose of caffeine daily, has gotten me through my workdays. Thanks all you ladies for getting me through this in one mental piece. There were days I wasn't so sure I would make it. I'll continue to check in and let you know how the week after works out for me for any that are curious how it might be.

Hi Christyn37,

I was curious why the week after rads was going to be the worst? Also, why did you decide not to do hormonal therapy?

Hi lifechanging2011,

  You know how you leave food in the microwave oven to continue cooking for a minute or two after the heat is off? It's the same with radiation. We keep on cooking even after the tx is done. My doctor and radiation tech both said about 1-2 weeks beyond the day you finish the rads before you are sure you're done burning.

  As for my decision not to do hormonal therapy my MO showed me statistics for my risk of recurrence if I did nothing more than a lumpectomy, if I added on radiation, and if I did hormonal therapy. I had to choose the number I was comfortable living with. Since there is such a large decrease in risk by doing radiation therapy I agreed to do it (though I actually also looked into the Van Nuys Prognostic Index, used for DCIS, to see if I was comfortable skipping it and I wasn't). Though I have non-invasive cancer, clear margins and a small tumor I had high grade cancer and at that point I quit fighting radiation.

   The statistics I've seen when tamoxifen is used in conjunction with radiation therapy cut your risks only a couple of percentage points more over 5 years. Besides the menopausal symptoms brought on by tamoxifen there are also the risks of blood clots, strokes, uterine cancer and cataracts. I've already been through menopause and would probably have to use AI which have less SE than tamoxifen but they have their own. They include possible heart attacks, broken bones and osteoporosis. I really didn't want the risks or the walk back through menopause hell and since I'm older I'm taking the chance to pass on the pills. I probably wouldn't make the same decision if I were a lot younger and had many more years ahead of me but I'm not so I'm going to take my chances.

#27 down!  Monday will be the last regular tx and then I begin the 5 boosts.  I can't wait to finish.  I Have a MO appointment coming up and I'm sure he will hand me the tamoxifen script.  I think I'll wait until March 1st to begin.  I want to give my body a rest from treatments and medicine.  I also think I'll ask about testing my estrogen levels.  I was in peri-menopause before the dx of BC and I haven't had a period since October.  I have a feeling you have to be without a period for 12 months before they consider you post-menopause, but it's a good question for me to ask.

Have a great treatment free weekend everyone!

Rockeym,

Good idea to rest for a couple of weeks before starting the tamox. It may be your last chance to rest from tx. for 5 years. I had my estro levels checked and they came back negative. Menopause all the way. So its most liklely arimidex for me????????? If i decide to give it a try.

Only 3 more WBR and then I start the 10 boosts. burn baby burn.

Enjoy your weekend off

Hi Christyn37,

Thanks for the information.Great analogy with the microwave. Also, thanks for sharing your story. I'm not looking forward to the SE with the tamoxifen. I'm 48. I want to reduce the possibilities of a recurrence  as much as possible because if it comes back I lose my breast. It's all very stressful.

#12 today. 21 to go. I'm very diligent about using the lotion 3x a day all over the irradiated area, but my side got so itchy today I thought I was going to scratch my skin off. It's a spot I didn't even think would be affected.  I'm trying to be proactive but sometimes I'm just frustrated.

Had heartburn for a few days during the first stage of rads

Helen, why tamox if you have been through menopause? I really think you should ask about that.nI had an onc suggest the same strategy, but everything I have read saysbthatan AI is better. Better survival, less dangerous SEs.