May 2012 radiation

Question re: Glaxol - is that from a prescription?  thanks!

Hi, I start next week.  I have to go in on Saturday for an xray (not sure why), and then they said my real treatments will start Mon Tues or Wed next week.  I am having 16 treatments.  I appreciate the comments and support I've read here for and from the rest of you and am happy to have some fellow rads people to "talk" with!

Mckenna: Did you get hold of your doc today - did they clear you for rads yet?

I just returned to my boot camp workout class at the gym today, 4 weeks post surgery and it felt fantastic to really exercise again!  

Hi,

I don't know why it took me so long to find, or even go looking for this but glad to have found this thread.  I started rads at the end of April and also had my first A/C chemo.  I am having 14 treatments, on my spine, they found a hairline fracture on one of my vertebra this is supposed to help, fingers crossed. So actually I'm almost done, but wanted to say hello and I have a question.

Is anyone else just ridiculously tired? I mean it seems like just getting back and forth from treatment is kicking my butt, especially by the end of the week.  My last treatment is next Monday and I can't wait.  I also can't wait for this stupid thing where swallowing hurts to be over.  My doc said they have something for that but it tastes vile, I found a solution of my own (one toke 10 min before eating..;)

Marlene

Neeners...no GLAXAL BASE is non prescription and found at most drugstores and CostCo. In Canada it is about $28 for a huge plastic jar. I have half left after I quit using it (weeks after rads were done).

mckenna, good luck!  I hope they get that infection under control soon, and that your new BS is a good one.

mckenna - I'm sorry you're having such delays. I feel like we started down this road together but your car demanded a pit stop. Have you seen a Medical Oncologist in addition to the BS? (That would be the BS with the 'BS'! tee-hee) Maybe a little more empathy from a MO?

mianed - I agree with etherize that your activity level shouldn't automatically decrease. On Tuesday, my RO told me that his busier, more active patients suffer LESS from fatigue than the more sedentary women he sees. Hmmmm.... maybe he was looking at my body shape (more than a little fluffy), making some assumptions and trying to warn me?

etherize - your simulation experience sounded awful and I was worried mine yesterday would be my undoing. I'm very relieved to report to all of you who haven't had that first mapping/tattoo session, it's possible for it to be more positive.

Right off when I came out of the bathroom wearning the gown, the radiation therapist (Phil) sent me back in to turn the gown around open to the back. When I looked confused he explained that if I wear the gown open in the front it tends to fall open all the time when I'm on the 'bed' for the measuring and tattoos. With it open in the back, he can better protect my privacy by only exposing me when he has to. Then he said, "My mother made me promise I'd do it that way." Don't you love it? I told him to tell his mom he did a great job at putting me at ease.

Meanwhile, my hunch about having early lymphedema was right. The RO said, "Nah, you look fine." Two hours later the lymphedema therapist was doing Manual Lymph Drainage and taping me up for compression. arrgghhh! I found out I also have some cording in my armpit, which was restricting my range of motion. Looks like I'm headed for a compression sleeve.  Those of you with LE: do you wear a sleeve all the time or only when you have some swelling? I guess I'll start lurking on the Lymphedema threads, too.

BL - damn, girl.  That's the first time you've cried?  I have DCIS, too, but have a hard time thinking about it 'just' being that.  I am thankful, definitely, but it's still a lot to go through emotionally and physically.  Roller coaster, indeed!

Hee hee the law chair in your office cracks me up.  I'm lucky in that I can work from home.  I'm hoping not to get too tired, but I'm going to have to do my treatments in the morning.  How many treatments are you going to have?  I'm going to have 30. 

I'll be starting in a week. I just met with the radiation oncologist this Wed and went over the basics. I still have to do the mold, tats, and simulation...(Oh my, that all together sounds like I'm talking about a drunken night out..lol ) I'm still trying to learn the lingo too. I'm very glad to meet everyone. It's great to know that I'm not the only one dealing with this. It sounds like we will be on this rad journey together..hopefully it will be predictable for me because I hate surprises. I hate roller coasters too..

Neeners -- I know, isn't it weird?  It not that I am an unemotional person, but I am a scientist, and until I actually got tattoo'd it just did not feel "real" -- even after surgery which was somewhat disfiguring. Are you going in the AM or PM?? 

My lumpectomy did not show any residual cancer (I had two biopsies, one performed by a surgeon who took about 10 11-gauge cores from the mass and 4 cores from an area of microcalcs) - so in the two weeks between lumpectomy and my follow-up with my RO I had convinced myself that I was going skip rads.  I even thought the RO might tell me it was optional.  Well, when I went in for my "follow-up" the nurse gave me a really nice gown, and started talking about my "cubby".  I told her that there must be some mistake because I was here to talk about my "options" (I even had 4 papers I had printed out).  Apparently, I spent two weeks agonizing about a "decision" that was not really offered!!  My RO said that no one (not even the authors of two of the papers I had brought) would consider me a candidate for lumpectomy only.  So -- I was somewhat in shock from walking in expecting a some "discussion" and walking out with tattoo's and a "plan".   One of the reasons I was planning to skip rads was the possibilty of lung damage -- so, my RO did offer me only 25 sessions (skipping the boost)  -- and that was a little more palatable.  But, apparently I had been in denial for so long that the experience really hit me only when I realized I was getting radiation ... weird!  The mind is a complicated thing

I can work from home too (I am a university professor) -- but I like a little normalacy, so  I will try to come to work as much as I can.  

Had my simulation today. They drew all over me with a blue sharpie and on Tuesday I will have the tats and my first treatment. It's weird though, I did feel a bit overwhelmed afterward, why does that happen at the sim appointment for so many of us?   The radiation therapist was a very nice woman and there was a guy there assisting her, which I did feel a little weird about. She gave me a modesty sheet to cover me when they slipped the gown off but of course that was taken off when they did the markings and the CT scan, so I felt a bit exposed.  Poor guy...I expect he felt uncomfortable too.

Spokanellie: I have some cording too but I have been stretching it and I have to say it's gotten better over the last week.

Mckenna: At least you've taken a positive step getting a new BS. Good luck on Tuesday.

Surfgirl: welcolme to our world  A lot of nice people here and a wealth of info. 

Neener - so wise to get a break before starting treatment!  I am trying to get mine out of the way to enjoy a break in July - when it is truly miserably hot here in AZ.  I could totally hear your "cancerrrrrrrrr" - I did that on the inside, just not quite on the outside 

So sorry about the Oncotype test results. I don't think they are offering the Oncotype test routinely (yet) for ER negative.  At least that was a criteria for the original Oncotype DX test used for invasive cancer. 

BLinthedesert, I do believe we have been to the same parties! I know how you feel. My surgeon gave me the option of a mastectomy or a lumpectomy with radiation. I'm barely recovered from the lumpectomy and I don't want to do radiation now. I want to ask my surgeon for a "do over". I changed my mind! I'm not looking forward to more people poking, staring or drawing on me. I've always been healthy. I exercise every day and try to eat well so I feel like my body is revolting against me. I had a meltdown too after getting calls about all of my tests and specialist appointments. I guess I just got overwhelmed. My hubby was beside himself because he didn't know what to do for me other than make sure my wine glass was full. 

The magazines at my cancer clinic aren't very positive either. They are all about cancer.(living with cancer, sleeping with cancer, eating with cancer...blah blah blah) The worse thing is all the of the magazines have ads for life insurance in them. What are they thinking? My next apt I bringing my own reading material..PLAYGIRL. I just read it for the articles of course...lol 

Neener-I just had the Oncotype DX test done along with genetic testing. I'm hoping for some good news about both next week. I called my hubby too when I found out. He left work and drove home to see me because I sounded so upset over the phone. I can be dramatic too. I think anyone in our position would act the same though. No one expects to get bad news like that.   

Hi,

I start radiation on may 15th for 7 weeks. I had bilateral mastectomy with nipple sparring almost 6 weeks ago. Having issues with my left (cancer side) nipple. it's a terrible black scap. anyone else have this issue? Worried radiation will make it worse?