Any March 2012 RADS out there?

15 down, 18 more to go...

I'm also 15 down, with 19 to go. No problems yet....my RO is VERY pleased with the state of my skin so far. No redness, dryness, or itching....  No fatigue, either. Hope this continues!

Today was lucky #13.  No fatigue so far, but skin is beginning to turn just a bit pink; my biggest complaint is that the whole area is hypersensitive to touch.  RO told me today that she expects I will be on the "high end" of skin reaction.  Ugh.

Mommymacc, we will finish right about the same time.  I have 20 to go - May 8th is circled in red on my calendar as my last day.  I haven't been ill, but my WBC was low the last time I had it checked - not sure why, but the MO did point it out so that worries me a bit.  Like you, I've always had a healthy immune system (or so I thought anyway) because I rarely caught bugs that everyone else seemed to get.  Hang in there - we'll make it!

Only 3 more boosts left, and I will be done!  My treatment area has gotten very dark, and my skin is very tender and itchy, especially around the nipple.  I also have dermititis and broken out into tiny red spots.  My MO said this was to be expected because I am fair-skinned.  I can't wait until my skin starts lightening up and becoming less sensitive.  It's really irritating!  I have just basically given up on wearing any bras this week, it's just not happening!

Good news though, the lymphadema-like symptoms I experienced last week were probably just side effects of the radiation.  Just glad I can see the finish line (for rads anyway!)

Snorkeler - Nice that you get to keep a blanket over you.  They've given me a warm one when I've expressed that I'm cold, but then I have to raise my arms and they take it off the left side of my body, so doesn't do much good except for 15 seconds.  They really get me in and out of there fast -- which is good.   I'm 11 down and 22 to go.  You're getting on the backside of this -- hang in there!!

Just curious if any of you who are done are still experiencing pain? I get these shooting pains sometimes by my incision and sometimes on my back. This along with severe joint pains from the Tamoxifen, pain from my TE removal surgery and pain from cording in my arm where they did the ANLD and I am just one big ball of pain and it is starting to get me down:(

WaveWhisperer - Good think it's the weekend so you can have a break!  Hope it's better by Monday for your last two!  I am down to four boosts...so excited to see the end!

Hello everyone,

I've been reading these discussion boards for a few weeks now and when I told my RO that I was learning things, she chastised me for not writing about my own experiences.  She made me promise that I would so here I am.

I was diagnosed in November 2011 and it was caused by the HER2 thingy.  I actually had two surgeries, one to take the lump out and one to take some more margin.  The second margin came back clear which was the best news.  I went to see this RO and we discussed radiation which I didn't want to do, but she convinced me.  She told me about Herceptin and I was all set to go ahead with that until I talked to the MO.  He said I would have the HTC injections.  I went away and studied information on the "T" and the "C" and declined them (I am doing the Herceptin only). 

I started radiation on March 19th.  Because I am large-busted, my radiation is done in the prone position.  Just my breast is exposed to the beams, no exposure to my heart, lungs or armpit.  I have had 20 of 30 treatments and I am showing no color.  I do have a slight rash on my upper chest (not in the radiation field, so we don't know exactly what it is causing it, perhaps the Herceptin).  I faithfully apply Miraderm four times a day.

Not only am I not experiencing any fatigue, my husband laughs and says I'm more energetic than he has seen me in a long time.  My RO said I'm a high-energy person and may never feel fatigued.

I think she mostly wanted me to write to show that there are some that don't experience all the problems written about.  I was scared to death of all the side effects that I had read different women had experienced.  I have emphasized to both doctors that my quality of life is much more important to me at this point in my life than quantity (I'm 63).  I have kept my diagnosis private from everyone I work with (except our team lead who I needed to let in why I changed my work hours).  I work in a large corporation and I just didn't want "the world" to know.  We have a small medical department (two rotating nurses) who have been able to answer all my questions and monitor my blood pressure for me.

Sorry this is so long, but I wanted "newbies" to know if is different for everyone.  Thanks for reading.

Mary625,

 I have nearly the same dx (ILC, node involvement but st.  II grade 1) and got the same chemo/rad rx as you also. I started rads on 4/11 and wondered how you are doing thus far. I won't be getting boosts, though.  

Claire

I also wanted to chime in to say that I have had virtually no problems with radiation thus far. I have had 19 whole breast txs, with 6 to go, plus 8 boosts. I am using Jeans Cream 2x/day. Other than the nipple looking "tan", you'd never know that I was getting radiation. Also, no fatigue at all.

I too thought I was getting through with virtually no side effects apart from the 'suntan' and some tenderness in the SNB area....and then the boosts came along. I was excited to get to the boosts because I thought it was not going to be as deep as the total breast.  I was not expecting the area to become so red,sore and comstant throbbing plus the nipple became extremely tender. I finished the boosts last Thursday (25 plus 8 boosts) and my skin worsened over the weekend as did the feeling of no energy. Today I feel that things are improving. Have the Tamoxifen sitting by my bed....not sure when I am going to take that first pill but I want to feel closer to 100% first. Happy to have the rads behind me....good luck to everyone going thru them right now.

After #22 I started having significant redness high up in the treatment field and also below the breast, and then I found a tiny area of skin peeling away. I spoke with one of the nurses who suggested that I keep applying the calendula cream, but then to follow it with a layer of Aquaphor (but not before treatment since it's too thick). She also gave me a few sample packets of Domeboro for the blistering. You dissolve a packet in water and then soak a cloth in it and leave it on the skin. It's supposed to be available in drugstores.

I haven't tried the soaks yet since the Aquaphor seems to be helping a lot and I haven't had any more blisters. She also mentioned that in case of itching, I can apply some hydrocortisone cream first, then the calendula cream and the Aquaphor. Apparently layering the products in a particular order is important for their effectiveness. I hope this info is helpful for any of you who are having some side effects. Hang in there!

Sorry I just realized I was on March Rads. Thought I was on April/May.  That's why my responses might not make any sense but then again maybe they do.  I read this group but don't post on it.  Sleepy and probably need to go to bed.