January 2012 rads

I'm so sorry for all you ladies who are having bad skin reactions and hard times with the pain. I hope you get past this time and heal soon.

I'm now almost 2 weeks out since my last full breast tx and 1 week past my last boost. The skin under my arm is back to pink again from the red it was last week. I'm better able to tolerate skin on skin than I've been in quite a while. The rash I had on my chest is going away and just leaving some dry skin. The rest of my chest is turning kind of tan. All those would have been from my whole breast tx.

My breast itself is just starting to heal from the boosts. It's turned back to pink from the pretty dark red it's been this last week. I only had three boosts but they really had an impact on me. The nipple itself is quite sore and doesn't like to be bumped or jostled. I have a bit of pain inside and have to take ibuprofen when it acts up. I'm still putting on miaderm and aloe 2-3 times a day. I've had no peeling and I didn't ever blister. I count myself lucky to have escaped the worst of the wrath of the rad machine. But I also went into this without having to have chemo and I know that made a difference too.

I haven't been as tired as I was during tx. But I still go to bed fairly early and took a nap this weekend, though usually I would have napped all my days off. I seem better able to make it through a whole workday without having to fortify myself with caffeine to make it through. It does get better ladies, it just seems to take some time to get our feet back under us. And for some who have weathered more damage to their bodies I'm sure it takes a little bit longer. I'm holding you all in my thoughts and prayers that you are back to a new kind of normal soon.

Thank you twistedsteel, Ossa and chef127. Chef127: I am so glad to see you here and getting something out of this. It's a hard road for all of us and it's important that we support each other.

Ossa and anafoefana, Thanks ladies!  Here's hoping everyone else finishes up comfortably.

Well... 20 of 25 done. My "foob" is really tan/redish, I have two tiny blisters but it is not sore and it doen't hurt. My underarm is really dark "peeling", wounded and it's sore and hurts. I keep applying aloe vera and emu oil on my "foob", but I am afraid to apply anything under my arm, since I have mild lyphedema on my upper arm and I was told that any wound or infection could agravate it. Wait to see what the nurse says tomorrow, hopefully she will know what to do.

Oh Anafoefana,

That suks. but you only had 3 nodes removed. Are they tx'ing the node area with rads? That was one of my fears. I would get a LE sleeve no matter what the cause. Compression. I wonder if an ace bandage would sufice? Stop sleeping on that side. I sleep on my left side and its not a smart thing but it is my comfort position. Let us know what he dr says........GOOD LUCK

Maureen

Maureen,

Thanks, I only had 3 nodes removed but had them radiated, both axillary and supraclavicle.  I knew going in it was a possibility, and even after they are done.  My RO said she really felt strongly about treating them because of the size of my tumor, even if my margins and nodes were clear.  She told me it was a significant difference it the probability of recurrence.  Oh well... 

Hope she has something to help! I will ask for a compression sleeve prescription. 

 I try not to sleep on my left side, but I do end up that way sometimes.  I try to follow the guidelines for preventing LE, but I guess it just happens.  Like I said...oh well.  I have been fortunate to not have other SEs...

Ana, get ye to an LE therapist pronto. Ace bandages are NO good. You need a low-level compression sleeve with a gauntlet. I have had mild LE problems ever since chemo and have been wearing a sleeve all through rads, as well as seeing my PT once a week. It may seem like overkill, but the sooner the better with this stuff.



Also, on the left I only had the sentinel removed, but I get swelling there too, mostly in the armpit and back, so the number of nodes is apparently not that important. Take good care of yourself.

Chef

Hahaha, imagining all these animals running around your yard and peacocks admiring themselves in your window,, thanks for the laugh.. Emu and ostrich are similar looking birds (cousins) Emu is about half the size of an ostrich. Emu.. gray/brown with a blue head.. Ostrich Black and white with a white head..

Ladies does any of you have burning pain on the side of your mastectomy? This happens sporadically.. Would be about where the redness from rads. stops on the  side under my arm... Was told it is nerves trying to reconnect????? I am also experiencing numbness in the tips of my thumb, pointing and middle fingers on my affected side. This started on the weekend.. Thinking it might be my tissue expander pressing on a nerve b/c of some swelling from rads???? I do not have LE and hope not to get it

Yay Ossa.  It  will go really fast! 

J-Bug,  RO says it is not lymphedema.  She thinks my muscles are just inflamed/tightened and she gave me some exercises to do and told me to take Advil.  She measured me for a sleeve, said she wanted me to have it in case. I will be driving one handed to work tomorrow.   I also got a prescription for Silvadene for my clavicle. So, tomorrow will be better right??

They have a gong at the radiation center and everyone who completes treatment gets to hit it the last day.  I am looking forward to making a lot of noise this Friday!

Ossa..I am having major pains on my left side--the one where the positive nodes were-and I am now feeling the backside of my arm more and more each day.  I am getting swelling in the trunk...minor LE but no swelling of the arms yet.  I wear compression sleeves everyday during rads by suggestion of my Lymphedema specialist.  They are awefully uncomfortable and do not help with all my hot flashes from chemopause but no arm swelling.  Thinking about getting a compression tank to wear for the trunkal LE.  Any suggestion on where to get??? 

tomorrow I turn it around to 18 done and 17 to go woot woot!  better than half done.

Maggie

Chef, I'm down to 7 treatments left.  And yes, you're right about the burning! Someone on these boards told us about using honey to help and I found Medihoney and have been using it at night. The nurses and my Doc are all surprised at how well my skin is doing and I attribute it to the Calendula cream and the Medihoney. 

Today they told me to use Domeboro in the evening. We'll see if that helps! I'm running around the house topless these days; I feel like I'm back in Yap!

Oh, and this past weekend I had to fly to a funeral at the last minute and was told by my oncologist and radiation oncologist to use a compression sleeve while on the plane. Fortunately I was able to get a prescription quickly and get the sleeve in time. It was tight, but doable. 

Anafoefana, I'm so glad it was not LE!!

One last thing: today I almost forgot to go to my treatment! I was so absorbed in work that it slipped my mind. I was able to get there just in time, but it was close! Give me 3 days off and you get nothing but trouble...

WooHoo J-Bug and Rockym!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finished 26 regular today and tomorrow start my 9 boosts.  My skin is ok. A little pink, a little red and a little tan.  For those who have finished the boosts with the electron rads, does that do less or more damage to your skin?  Like, does that area get worse?  

Been awhile since I've written - been checking in though - looks like everyone is heading towards the home stretch.  I finished number 25 today and have 9 left.  I did my 5th of my 5 boost today, they moved them up because my skin was/is not doing well.  I'm very very burnt and I don't even know what to say about my nipple - it's like leather!

I do have to share my weekend with you all!   I had my 25 year High School Reunion the week after my diagnosis and when I told a few people about it, they got together along with a bunch of other classmates and put together an all day fundraiser for my family!  They did kid things and a meat shoot during the day followed by a raffle, live bands and great adult conversation at night.  It was unbelievable - I was able to make it from 2pm to 12:30 at night - of course it took a lot of doing nothing the week before and many many naps!  Feeling it now but have to say it was so worth it!  I can't believe how generous and amazing peole can be - I always thought of myself as a kid in High School who just went through with my head down - but my class has made me see I really did matter.

Heather, thanks for the congrats!  To answer your question, I had very little skin changes during the 28 regular rads.  My RO uses the IMRT machine.  Not sure if this newer technology had anything to do with it.  For the last 5 boosts, I started to have some pink near my incision (which is almost directly under my arm).  I finally peeled a little on the last day of the boosts.  It was about a 3 inch vertical by 1/4 inch horizontal peel.  It's been 2 days since my last zap and the area looks almost healed.  My best guess is it will be back to normal by Friday.  Hope this helps.