Any February 2012 radiation gals out there?

Yay Chicago & Bak!!!!!! I am ALL DONE too! I starting crying before I even got into the building.......!! I brought in an orchid, chocolate covered pretzels and a card......I got a graduation certificate! LOL.........I am not really toasty......just ITCH LIKE ...H.E. double toothpicks!!!! I am refusing Tamoxifen so I am DONE! My percentages are 4.8% without taking it and 2.1% with taking it........I don't think it is worth the side effects.......and my RO agreed with me.......my MO begs to differ but it is my choice Hugs to everyone!!! I will still come in here to check in on you all ...........tonight I am celebrating with beer and a bonfire outside!!!!

Yipeeeee!!!!  Druanne! 

Today a guy friend came over to visit. As we were sitting and talking I noticed the maxi pad that I had under my arm sitting on the table jeesh the things that have become so commonplace. I didn't say anything and wonder if he noticed, but I did have to chuckle.

Woooohoooo for druanne, bak, and Chicago and an early Yippee for gerrib.

Mac-too funny!!!

Druanne-I am pretty itchy too, and have some pain. I had bmx, and my skin is tight! Feels like I have a bra on when I don't! I want to wear my prothesis, but I am too sore. I have to wait about a year for reconstruction. I go back and forth about it. I don't want more surgery, but it I miss my boobs, it is much harder to find things to wear, but the prothesis do help.

Congratulations misha!!!  Oh happy day!

Congrats Misha!! 

bak - do you like your prosthesis? I am finally breaking down and getting one. I said I wasn't going to do it, but I think having one will make things easier. Like you said clothes fit better and I would be able to wear a bra again.  I am also still unsure about reconstruction and would be waiting a while before considering it. 

Hope everyone has a good rest of the week! 

Sherry - I do like my prothesis, pretty comfortable and they look natural. I worry about them being hot in the summer though....

Misha - Congrats!!!!!

Hi, everyone, I had my last treatment on Friday! It was supposed to be Thursday, but the machine crashed. I was disappointed, but held it together. I practically ran out of the clinic on Friday! That night my husband treated me to a celebratory dinner out. Most of my skin is in good shape. It is the worst where I had had plastic stickies covering the permanent ink outlining my boost area. I had to take them off myself, and the top layer of skin came, too. I got rid of the permanent ink and feel less like a "target." Soon it will be a week post-rads. I am already less tender. Let the final healing begin!!! 

Congrats Nancy!!!!  Ya-hoo!!! 

Hurray for everyone!!!

And thanks so much for the long-distance companionship.

(Geegster, hope your fatigue was a fluke and goes away. Maybe you're fighting off a cold or something.)

(NancyJill, I had the same feeling about the stickers on irritated skin and the marker. So glad to have it gone. My boost is still bright red and tender, but the rest looks pretty darn good!)

(Druanne, that's a great oncotype score! I'm with you, the difference between with and without hormonal therapy is so minimal...)

I did not have that experience, but early in the game I literally took my calendar in and synched it with theirs.  Counted off the totals, then the boosts.  I wanted to be sure I was done by a certain date so we were all over it. 

Caroline,

Finishing rads is a wonderful feeling!  Over a week out I'm nursing a blister that completely covers my areola.  Hoping it won't pop.   No nipple involvement because it was removed.

So sorry to learn that you lost your sister to melanoma, and that you now are dealing with the diagnosis too.  What is the next step for you?  Are they going to check on lymph node involvement?  I'm fuzzy on that, but did a little reading before my bc diagnosis.  

I know how frightening it is just to have melanoma suspected.  My core needle biopsy came to a screaching halt when the dr thought I might have melanoma instead of bc.  He refused to do the biopsy and sent me straight to the surgeon to have an excisional biopsy.  This dr told me flat out I didn't have bc, but if cancer, it was skin cancer. (Very rare in a breast and likely a met.) I made my DD look all over my body for signs of possible melanoma, but she couldn't find anything unusual.  I knew I had cancer because the tumor was visibly growing and quickly.  So relieved to find out it was "just" IDC.  

 Please let me know what happens next. 

Caroline, sorry to hear about the melanoma. As if you didn't already have enough to deal with

I actually have 1 more left, somehow I didn't count right and thought I would have been done on Friday. Oh well, I guess I can handle one more. The skin under my arm is really pretty bad, but it is still numb from the ALND, thank goodness! The RO prescribed Silvadine so hopefully it won't take too long to start healing. Ready to pop some champagne tomorrow!

Beebop--early wooohooo for you!!!

Caroline--so sorry to hear about the melanoma. Hopefully the doc will give you good news regarding it.

doxie--I no longer have nipple or areola, but I hope that your blister calms down. The Silvadene was very soothing to my skin when it blistered. 

Just as a warning to anyone who might not think of this like I didn't: I was driving home from visiting my daughter at college this weekend. I had a v-neck top on and didn't even think about the fact that I would be driving in the sun all afternoon. All of a sudden I started really hurting and realized that the area on my collarbone that had been treated was getting a ton of sun. By the time I got home it was bright red. I guess I have to get better about putting sunscreen EVERYwhere before I get in the car.  

I took Monday and Tuesday off since I figured I would be tired from my visit and I am even though it was fantastic to see her. Wednesday I start back to actually going into the office to work. I have really enjoyed the freedom of working from home...wait I think I really enjoyed being able to work in my pjs Oh well, I hope everyone has a wonderful week this week. 

Sherry