Any February 2012 radiation gals out there?

Hi, I'm new on this thread. I started Rads on Feb. 6. I am one third done. I need 33 treatments, with the last few being boosts. I am not as tired as I was on chemo. I had Taxotere/Cytoxan for one round then had to switch to Navelbine since I was allergic to Taxotere. I also get Herceptin and have started Tamoxifen. I'm 46. I hate going to Rads but am trying to make the best of it. I am so self-conscious around the male Rads techs, and they had some procedures which made me feel less than comfortable. I told my Rads nurse how they could help female patients feel more comfortable, (not having male and female patients and family members in gowns in the same waiting area, etc.) and they've helped by letting me change in the treatment area, instead. I still hate it but know it is the right thing for me to be doing.

oops Nancy Jill-- I just realized i was SUPPOSED to start rads on the 6th (long story) but actually started on the 13th.  So you are a week ahead of me.  WISHFUL THINKING ON MY PART!

I had #11 today.  Since I am having a bit of redness on my R side (non-radiation side), the MD personally checked my alignment today.  She says everything looks perfect.  They tried to explain my redness/dry crusty skin spots on the R side (that look just like my spots on  the left side...) as a reaction to the lotion.  I don't think so.  I've been using that lotion for months.  They also checked me for redness behind my left shoulder - said the rads is designed to come through my body at an angle, and come out my back, so it may very well get red there too.  That really freaks me out.  All this leaves me even uneasier.  Ugggh.  I can't wait for this to be OVER.  I dread going in there every day, even though they all are sooooooooooooo nice.  The thing I keep hanging onto is this is a top notch facility with a top notch doc, so I'm sure I'm getting top notch treatment.  I just don't want the treatment, and I feel like I'm dragging myself there every day.  I keep having to remind myself that this is necessary to prevent cancer recurrence.  Such a mental struggle for me. 

I just hate everything to do with this disease and daily rads is a daily reminder.  Sorry, in a bad mood today!   Hope I don't bring you guys down, I need somewhere to express this! 

 Oh and we have separate male/female changing rooms and waiting areas.  

50% of my techs are males.  Oh well.  I figure they see it ALL day and are pretty immune to seeing reconstructed boobs.  However, if I were a lumpectomy I suspect it would bother me more. 

Thanks Chicago!  I don't dismiss the mind body connection at all!  I feel better already after the venting!  I swear, I have been like a child going kicking and screaming all the way to rads, LOL.  

I had #16 today. RO said my redness is mild. I haven't felt uncomfortable or tired at all. I did just pick up some Aquafor to add to my Aloe Vera, because I know I will get redder in the coming weeks.

shron, thanks - the skin isn't super red or anything, but it's just the fact that some pinkness w/dry patches is seen on the very inner part of the R breast, when that is not supposed to be in the radiation field.  Granted, it is much less pink than what is on the L, but still, it makes me think there has to be at least some scatter going on.  From what I've read, it is impossible to avoid some scatter to the other side.  Perhaps my skin is just super sensitive so even a little bit of scatter rads is making it react.  I still trust my RO implicitly...but it was scary there for a moment thinking something had been done wrong.  Was very glad she double checked everything.  She's extremely thorough. 

Lungs are always zapped in rads, unfortunately.  It is just a small sliver, but it is impossible to not hit them.  This is because the lungs/chest wall are shaped like an arc, but the rads beams are straight beams.  To hit the full breast tissue, a small sliver of lung has to be hit.  It can't be avoided.  Fortunately, though, it is minimized and should not cause symptoms for most.  (This was all explained to me by my very thorough RO!)  The part where it comes out of my back would be just behind my L shoulder (near my armpit).  The beam starts from the inner breast and comes through at an angle.  It doesn't go straight down through my chest to my back....eeeks!  That's what I first thought when the nurse told me I may have skin changes on my back.  I about had a panic attack at that moment, LOL!   My RO showed me how the beams are planned for my session (on a diagram on a piece of paper) so I could see exactly what tissue it is going through.  She is awesome, I must say. 

Howdy My Friends!

I had my #15 today. No issues. I am tan witha tiny bit of irritation on my upper chest, below my collarbone but I think it has more to do with getting a hot flash and I got a bit clammy there and scratched it (I forgot about the rads and being gentle...oops).

I also saw my PT today and she is switching to one day a week instead of two because I am doing good and have full range of movement in my arm (I have axillary cording).

My techs are half and half. One of the guys is a real cutie though! It is weird just being "all out there." But I have had more people look and touch my boobs in the last year than I did my whole life so I am kinda "meh" to it now.

Oh...I also picked up the CD of my PET/CT Scan from last Thursday. I havent heard from my ONC so I figure no news is good news because they HAVE to call you right away when it is bad. So, I printed out the Final Path Report and it says, " There is no current focus that can be determined to be metastatic disease or residual primary disease by both CT and PET criteria." I'll take it! There is a bunch of other goobledy-goop (mostly related to post-surgical reparative change) but since my ONC hasnt' called, I'll run with the good part!

 Just had #12 today.  Starting to turn a pale pink.  No real bad fatigue--just tired of doing this every day!

Lots of interesting posts from yesterday and today.  Dance, thanks for the explanation about the lung exposure.  My RO explained it to me a couple weeks ago, but I needed to hear it again.  I swear sometimes I feel a little tight in my chest, and I have this little cough.  I am soooo freaked out about the lung thing.

We get little private changing rooms, stylish (kidding) gowns to wear.  Only a couple male techs.  No heated blankets, tootsie rolls or chocolates, unfortunately.  I would just be happy if the techs made a point of warming their hands before they start work. 

Oh, and is it my imagination, or is my R breast (the one being treated) getting smaller?  Anyone notice this?  It already was smaller than the L because of the lumpectomy.  But now it seems the difference is more pronounced. 

Beegee, it is possible that it is getting smaller.   I've heard that you can experience either swelling or shrinkage depending on how your body reacts.  Sounds like we are on the exact same schedule - #12 is a bit later this morning for me.  I'm still pale pink, too, hope it stays that way as long as possible. 

I've heard that too, Beegee, and it makes me stare at my "booblet" now and then--the lumpectomy already took more than they expected, and that took a little getting used to. (Tumor was not big--1.5 cm--but was irregular in shape and I'm small to begin with.) I'm looking into foam bra fillers.

GirlPowerDebbie, I'm pretty tired too, although it was worse after weekend travel and the stupid endometrial biopsy. Any chance you can get a day of rest? (and our spring bulbs are coming up here in Chicago too, weird!)

I decided to bag my usual pilates because it seemed to be more taxing than it was worth. Found out my local yoga center has someone who is trained in "breast cancer yoga," so I'm going on Friday. She said over the phone that yoga would be more "restorative" than pilates right now--sounds good to me. (Thank you to Relda for mentioning her yoga classes.)

I'm glad to know that YorkieMom is feeling no fatigue and that Misha is keeping up with exercise. This forum kind of reminds me of a baby group I was in when my oldest son was born--reassuring to know that there's a lot of variation rather than just Good or Bad, if that makes sense...

Hmm, water walking. That sounds restorative too! I'll look into it.

Crossing my fingers for NancyJill's MRI results (another Chicago resident!).

Also wanted to say: Dancetrancer, was it you who recommended tumeric? I found a recipe for lentil soup with tumeric and it tasted really good, which I choose to believe means that it's good for me!

And have been wondering if Sherry's burn is better -- hope so.

And a quick confession: I have never actually seen the radiation machine in action. I close my eyes from the minute I lie down until the tech says, "Okay, time to come back to earth!" I just try to visualize things healing the whole time I'm lying there... Wimpy, but it works for me!

Had my 12th treatment today - only 18 left to go!  My breast feels sunburned and is a bit pink,  I am slathering myself with aloe vera jel and eucerin lotion.  Nurse looked at it this morning and felt it was ok, no blistering, no bumps just a bit pink.

I kinda wish I was experiencing the shrinkage - cause the inflammation that I have is not very comfortable.  But I am told that once we finish rads it will go away.  I am taking Re-levx for my arthritic fingers and that is a pretty good anti inflammatory.  I just started  taking it Monday after my RO approved it and am already seeing improvement in my fingers.  Hoping it will help the old boob too!

Today I am really feeling the fatique.  Sitting at work and wishing I could curl up somewhere and sleep for a bit.  I may have to book off a few days just to do that!  

I am finding the daily trips to the cancer centre to be very tedious!  I go every moring kicking and screaming, fight for a parking spot, etc etc.  Intellectually, I know that this treatment is a good thing, but damn it all I am tired of the poking, prodding and zapping.  Since last August it seems that my weeks revolve around appointments, scans, tests, needles etc.  I am ready to be done!  

Sorry to be such a whiner, thanks for being a safe place to vent and whine.  I am pretty sure my family is tired of me being tired!

Hello ladies! Geegster...great news about your results!!

I had #15 today. My burn is still there, but the RO gave me some hydrocortisone cream for it and it is helping with the pain/itching. He said the silvadene the tech recommended was more for burns that had blisters. Thankfully mine is not quite that bad. I have the little bumps too and the spot under my arm is so red it almost looks purple. The end of my MX scar is REALLY tender. Is anyone else getting supraclavicular rads? The other part of me that is really burned is that treatment area and of course my seatbelt manages to hit me right on it. I am also really feeling the fatigue. I am usually in bed by 9 and it keeps getting harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning. 

Okay, I am done whining for today.  I hope everyone has a good night. Only 2 more days of getting zapped this week.

Sherry