January 2012 rads

Well I received my last boost today so I'm all done. Yay!! I ended up with 28 total treatments. I'm red under my arm and on that side of my chest. Under my breast is starting to turn red too. My breast is pretty pink and more evident now that I've removed the stickers that were keeping my marks in place. I have round white spots where the stickers were, showing me just how much my skin has changed. That said though there is no blistering or peeling yet. The rad tech says she doesn't think I'm going to even though the next week or so after treatment is supposed to be the worst. I'll cross my fingers, hope and continue to slather on the cream. The other thing that I've been doing that might have made a difference is that I've been eating turmeric every chance I get. Some studies show that it may help the radiation burns. I made up a mixture of turmeric, black pepper and red pepper and I put it on my eggs in the morning, on my tuna for lunch, on my salad for dinner, everywhere I can figure out to put it. I've also been eating a lot of Indian and Thai yellow curries. I really believe that it has helped cut down the burning that everyone expected me to get. I'm not taking any as a supplement, just using it in the course of my daily diet. You might try it if you're feeling at the end of your rope. It can't hurt.

I see my RO again in two weeks for a checkup to see how I'm doing. I'll let you all know how my skin does in the next few weeks. Hang in there ladies! It's almost your turn for this to end!!

Ardychan - don't be so hard on yourself.  Do what you can for your job, for your family and for your daily life but take care of YOU first and foremost.  Only you know how you are feeling and if you can go on working.  We are all here for you and wishing you only the best.  Gentle hugs to you. 

It's a sad day for me.....Got thrown out of rad tx today. the nurse told me take a week off from tx. I only have 2 to go before the boosts. I'm not sore, just very red. They know better than me. I'm really upset.

I'm planning a trip to the west coast to visit my family soon ater the rads are done, so that will be postponed. I haven't visited them in over 12 years. After 9/11 in NYC I swore I'd never fly again, my son worked at the WTC and I was horridied for years. Still am.

Well I better start the saline compress and slather on the cortisone cream.

Stay well and Cool 

Lifechanging- Seriously! Everything that I have read said the opposite: "unlike aromatase inhibitors, tamoxifen can be used to treat breast cancer in premenopausal women". If you want to have children is a different story, but ovaries suppression or tamoxifen are standard procedure for woman that are ER+. You have the choice to decide if you want to do it or not, but it is the first time that I heard that you can't have tamoxifen because you are premenopause. Sorry, I am not a doctor, but I think you should have a second opinion. Good luck!

Hello ladies.  I see we are all doing as well as can be expected.  I have 2 whole breast rads to go and 5 boosts.  They measured me for boosts today and also the RO prescribed sulfadene (sp?) for the area underneath my breast.  It is so so, red, and the skin is peelling really bad.  So I use Aquafor for most of my boob except the underneath part.  I will be so glad when this is OVER!    If all goes well, I will have my last treatment a week from Thursday!  Yeah!

Here's wishing each and every one of you well and I hope you sail through your treatments with ease!

Love and HUGS!

Lifechanging, have you considered getting rid of your ovaries?

Hi scgirl, I'm from the February group and just started rads, but just thought I'd let you know that emu oil is the only thing my RO wants me to use. 

Momine

My RO wants me to use salt water compress 4 times a day.. Saying it cools the skin,, using lots cream after. Wish all RO would be on the same page.. so confusing how we are all told different things..I find the salt water compress to be very soothing (even had a saline kit given to me at rad.)

I am getting a bit apprehensive about being done treatment in three weeks.. Then what.. will be hard to go back to normal whatever normal is. Have had so many dr. appointments, surgery, treatments etc. over the past year that this has become my new normal.. When Rads are done I have one (possibly two) surgery left Then only MO every three months yikes.. a little scary. Guess I will get used to that too.. Just need to learn not to over react every time I have a pain

Hang in there ladies.. Wherever you are in your treatment be proud of how far you have become and what you have endured

This is the 2nd day after finishing rads.  Why does it feel hotter and hurt more (well, only in 1 spot, but I'm still not happy).  I'm waiting for the Dr. to call me back.  Ugh.  I hate this - I really thought since I got through the 25 treamtments without too much trouble that it would be OK.

Ossa, I know, it really gets confusing with all the different opinions out there.

Itsjustme, Sorry, Finished my whole breast treatments 6 days ago and still getting worse.  Told to keep treating whole breast while doing boosts.  That part getting even worse too.  Said symptoms peak about 2 weeks after treatment and then it should start to heal.  Saw my RO yesterday, using saline soaks to cool it down.  Doesn`t dry it any more than heat.  I wish it was just finished too.

Yay Anafoefana for being done whole breast.. Went to buy emu oil, but found it very expensive. $35.00 For a tiny 2 oz spraybottle ( I am in Canada)  going to check Amazon hope price is better there

15 done-- 13 to go.. woohoo like that the second umber is getting smaller than the first.. Feel great was sore for a few days, but today... nothing..

Hey all, #20 done today and saw RO as well.  I was very itchy and blisters over the weekend, but it was not painful at all.  Late yesterday and today the blisters cleared up and my breast feels less hard and leathery.  My RO said today that the body just gets used to the treatments and decides this is the new normal and adjusts.  However as we all know, each day brings a new "gift" and today my chest wall and my SNB incision are very tender and I have a rash which the RO says will remain for the rest of treatments.  She is giving me a new mixture of lotion, mixing what I use now (Medline Skin Repair), lidocaine and cortozone.  Tomorrow is the beginning of week 5 (of 6.5), so more than 1/2 way through.  All in all it's not been horrible.  Fatigue is interesting in that it comes and goes.  I'm going to bed much earlier and taking naps on the weekends.  Some days I feel good, some days not so much.

For all that are done, congratulations, I am very happy for you.  For those who are coming up behind, hang in there. YOU CAN DO IT.  For those who are really struggling, know that you are in my thoughts and I truly wish I could help. 

Chef, I am sorry for the loss of your son.  Both of my sons' are in the military and both have been to Afghanistan doing their part to stop the group responsible for the horror of 9/11.  I hope it gives you a sense of peace knowing that they truly are doing the best they can.  We will never, ever forget those who were lost that day and continue to lift the families in prayer. 

Ladies, I'm not sure why we were all chosen for this journey, but I am blessed to have you all here to share it with.  

Julie,

I'm happy your tx are going well.  I don't understand why I was given a week off tx when I only had 2 more to go before the 10 boosts. There is no skin deterioration just red. OH well! They are being overly cautious. I should be happy but I'm disappointed.

THANKYOU for your sons service. You must be proud. But my son made it home after being "missing' for 9 hours. It was a terrifying day for the whole country. It will be with us all forever.

Maureen

Ralston - I don't know whether its the saline, the advils, or just knowing there's nothing unusual  wrong, but the saline seems ot have helped a little - it cools it down, and the nurse said if you put the Aquaphor on while your skin is still damp from it, it'll absorb better.

I'm going to do the saline again soon - they said to do it 3X/day.