May 2012 radiation

I did not have a mold either...just 4 little dots. It was all over in 30 minutes...the rads themselves were a breeze.

Hi Mckenna, my first appointment went well.  Just an exam and a chat with the RO - she's very nice & treating my surgeon's wife who also has bc, so she comes highly recommended!  I have my simulation with CT/mold making booked for Thursday and hopefully I will have my first treatment Monday.  She says I need 33 treatments, so that will take me almost to the end of June. I forgot to ask about tattoos and the Glaxol cream but she did say she recommends Aquaphor.

Glad to hear you had a better day today! Is the infection clearing up? 

I hear a lot of people talking about simulation..Im not sure what that is exactly..I went in one day and spoke to my RO...they took me into a room and molded me..tatooed me and I was in the CT scanner for a few minutes...the next time I went in they told me was to take some final measurements and I was laying in the mold on the table with the rad machine and when I was through they said I had just had my first treatment..that was a week ago Thursday...was that supposed to be simulation?  Im trying to understand all the lingo and such here and I wasnt familiar with the term simulation. 

Thanks

mckenna - Sorry I sort of "wrote and ran" back on April 30. I'm doing most of my reading of these boards on my Kindle Fire and turns out I can't post from there. Finally have a few minutes at the good old PC so I can pop back in to say "hi."

dizzy215 - I'm happy your appointment today brought no new excitement!

My initial RO appt is tomorrow morning - very curious to learn which of all these various permutations I'll be having - simulation or not, custom mold or not, tatoos or not. 30 treatments? 33? 25? I hope only the breast and not the underarm, since all the axillary lymph nodes are gone, but again, we'll see.

Question: Do any of you have any evidence of lymphedema? I'm worried I might have some VERY EARLY symptoms and I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon with a physical therapist who specializes in LE. Anyone know if radiation is contraindicated if there are signs of early LE?

Spokanelle, I have early signs of LE, confirmed by a physical therapist and yet my RO claimed I didn't have it ... I think that's fairly common.  I guess they're not trained to know what to look for -- and since radiation increases the risk of getting LE, maybe they (ROs) don't care all that much if you have it going in. (Sorry, I'm not feeling too positive about radiation)

Nevertheless, I'm getting radiation to the armpit AND the supraclavicular nodes.  Just had my first treatment yesterday.

I don't know why it's affecting me emotionally so much.  I guess it's feeling like a slab of meat, with a bunch of guys walking around my half naked body, drawing on it, moving it around ... the lack of control and power I feel.  It's just depressing to me.  And I've only had one tx.

edited to add:  as far as I know, radiation is NOT contraindicated if you already have LE.  The attitude is that more LE is still better than a bc recurrence. 

Hi there,

I'm not sure if I should be adding myself to this group or not.  I found out for sure today that I will have to have rads.  I've met with a RO last week for a consultation, and have the measuring appointment on May 30.  The first week in  June is when I'll really start the treatments.   

Amen peacock...welcome to the next phase.

Hi Neeners - welcome to you too

Neeners - I wish I was done, just had tx #6 today out of 35 (28 regular and 7 boosts).  I have been through the proverbial wringer though, 2 surgeries and finished chemo on 3/22, started radiation and Tamoxifen on May 1st.  So glad most of you ladies don't have to go through all that.  It makes radiation seem like a breeze although I know it's not a breeze for everyone.  But we will all get through it together.  BTW, I'm 45 also!

Thanks!  Since my DH and I got screwed out of our newleywed year by BC we are celebrating with a trip to Chicago in 2 weeks to see Jersey Boys and let loose!  Our one year anniversary is Monday.  I just added all that crap to my profile, didn't know it would read like that in my signature, it's a little busy!

neeners wrote:  I'm sorry that the markings seem to make you conspicuous. I think that after months of being bald and puffy from chemo steroids, perhaps this seems like less of a problem. 

Maybe it is to you, and I guess I'm surprised as well by my reaction, considering everything I've already been through.  But I wasn't talking about feeling "conspicuous" per se -- I already look like someone who is very sick, and that doesn't bother me.  (And after all, one can always wear a wig to cover baldness.)

It's more the objectification of cancer treatment, feeling vulnerable and powerless, and knowing all the damage that radiation can do ... Also, I guess I was a little more sensitive about being naked and helpless in a group of men since I was raped when I was young; I guess the simulation brought back some of those feelings.  

Mostly though I'm just tired of cancer treatment.  I'm glad it's going well for you.   

Wow etherize...that is so awful that you went through that!  I can understand that the vulnerability we feel during treatment would be tenfold for you....{{{{HUGS}}}}

I don't think anyone means any disrespect.  Those of us who went through chemo have very visible outward signs that we have gone through it.  Yes, we can put a wig on but most of us have lost our eyelashes and eyebrows too.  The point is not to diminish anyone's experience because at the bottom of it all....we have cancer and that is emotional for all of us.

{{{{HUGS}}}} to all!

I think treatment-wise radiation is the easiest for me.  However, up until radiation I dealt with only women doctors and nurses also.  Even though I am long past the point of modesty, it is no fun to be on the table uncovered while male techs position you and stare at the markings on your exposed boob!  I hate that part of it!

Sorry, neeners ... and peacock, thanks for clarifying.  

Kelloggs, thanks for the hugs. :-)  I also went through chemo, but I was "lucky" enough to get CMF.  So I didn't lose all my hair, and I'm grateful for that.  I do understand how traumatic it is to have major body changes from medical treatment, though -- I have a co-morbidity that has permanently changed my face and body in drastic ways.  

I apologize if I made anybody feel I was diminishing the impact of their treatment.  It all sucks, no matter what we go through, and I wish there was a magic pill that could make it less harrowing.

I am still having treatments - 4 left out of 25 ---

I wear a bra and tshirt -- I also use Glaxol base lotion in a tub -- that was recommended by my RO -- cannot apply for up to 2 hours before treatment.

I did the exact same thing. Yes you underwent a CT simulation.