May 2012 radiation

Since I'm the caboose on this Rads train, I totally get it if people don't want to stick around until then.  I'm so happy for all of those that are done!  Lately I've been feeling slightly more anxious when getting zapped.  No idea why.  Hopefully it will go away.

I *clinked* you last night mckenna, both for starting the thread and for finishing your treatment 

I, for one, plan on sticking around until we ALL graduate.   Since we continue to cook for a while after our last zap we can share recovery tips until we all move over to the "rads recovery" thread en masse!

I hope everyone is doing well, I am wasting my time trying to figure out if I have a grade 2a or 2b skin reaction (does it matter - no, but I am curious and apparently unwilling to wait the 2 hours before I see my RO today).  My angry rash is growing, is not giving me any relief (for a while it was worse at night and better in the AM ... not anymore).

It is 6:56 AM and already 82F ... I have to go for my run before the sun gets too hot for my even-more-sun-sensitive skin.

On a non-radiation note, we are heading to Salt Lake City this weekend for a wedding.  They are having a 5K run in the morning and then the wedding at night.  Should be fun, I wish I could race, I will be lucky if I can stay awake for the wedding  (oh, and the bride is mormon, so there won't be any alcohol -- but that is ok, we are an industrious couple and if we need a drink I am sure we will be able to find one -- of course, we should wait until after the 5K). 

Neeners - Hopefully the next few weeks will fly by for you!  I sometimes feel anxious right before the machine starts.  I am also getting tighter where they zap.  Ugh.  I guess I need to stretch out more during the day.

OMG - tech called me on the way to treatment this am (7 a.m.) and told me the machine was down and to call back in 45 minutes.  I was already on the way so I just kept going since it takes me 40 minutes to get there.  Luckily the machine was up and running within 20 minutes and I only started a tiny bit late.  I didn't want to miss a day and have it tacked on the end!  She was like we'll fit you in later in the day.  Wrong suggestion.  Anyway, today was the lady after me last day of treatment and I wanted to give her something and thank her for keeping me company these past few weeks.  So, I did get to see her and we got to talk a bit more since there was that tiny delay.

Since there was a delay I got to see the first patient (her name is Lisa too) and it was her last treatment too and she got to ring the bell.  I almost cried.  I really can't wait until I get that last treatment and can take these markings off me and get my TEs refilled!  I need to make that appointment too.

Had to jump on the May thread and congratulate Mckenna and Etherize! How wonderful to be finished with rads. Now, back to June...

This is a great thread, I'm still here for Neeners and all. I received a call from my neighbor friend she was diagnosed with the dreaded cancer yesterday. As I mentioned I am road tripping back to MN. Wish I was there for her in person. She is seeing my surgeon on Tuesday. Doesn't it just make you wonder what the @$!# is going on?

Neeners815...hang in there. the end is in sight!

I am toasting everyone tonight... right now I am at the peeling stage its wierd because where i got the boost isn't that bad it the rest of my boob that peeling!

Oh nooooo blisters mckenna?? ouch.  

Thanks for the toast jitters  

So, my rash is worse.  Last week the "sub" RO said I could use over the counter hydrocortizone ... it did not work, so I have been using some prescription stuff I have ... well, that helps with the itch, but it burns like crazy and it has not stopped the rash from spreading.  When I showed "my" RO today, she said not to use the prescription stuff, the area is too large and it means I am absorbing too much cortizone ... she wants to see me again at the end of the week, to see if it is getting any worse and until then she gave me some Radx cream that has lidocaine in it (that numbs my skin).  I am willing to give anything a try.  I did not tell you guys, but my daily "regime" has been off because of this rash ... all my lotions failed me -- although lefty liked them a lot ;-).

I also discussed "follow-up" today, and I guess I will be trading off seeing my RO and BS for the first 2 years (every 6 months) and then yearly after that ... I am still not sure what the mammogram schedule will be, but I told my RO I would be really happy with yearly, and I think she agreed.  Nice to have that out of the way ;-). I still have a follow-up MRI because of some silly thing that they saw in March -- that was not serious enough to biopsy, but they wanted to check again.  I am sure it is nothing and I am looking forward to no more MRI's either!!

Sorry to hear about your neighbor, Jan ... she is lucky you are around to help her navigate things ... send her on over here too, we know how to give good hugs (and cheers).

Happy evening ladies. 

mckenna, I am so sorry about the pain.  I was so uncomfortable last night that I did not think there was any way I could sleep.  It is a little better today, but not much.  Crying did come to my mind too.  I am worried about the wedding this weekend, my skin is so bad I just can't imagine what I am going to do (or wear for that matter) if it is as bad as last night.  The lidocaine, unfortunately, seems to make it worse.

3 more after today, I really feel like playing hooky.  If I thought it would feel better if I didn't go, I wouldn't go, but I think the damage is done now, and it will take a while to get better - so I might as well see it through to the (bitter) end.  

I took a valium before my mri, it made it much better -- I also take one before all my biopsies too, it just "takes the edge off" enough to make it 'bearable'.

Happy Hump Day ladies!  Carry on!! 

ha ha Neeners -- you can't always protect the girls from the truth 

ok you guys, maybe I am just silly (ok, I know I am), but we need to publish this stuff:

 "RO and nurse are happy with they way my chest looks"  - we all are Goodie, we all are 

In all seriousness, I think that the lotions might help in the beginning, but some people are going to have problems at the end, and some aren't ... hard to tell who is who.   In the big scheme of things, mine is not serious, just very uncomfortable.  I was so depressed about it last night I was thinking that I was going to have to cancel my plans for the wedding this weekend, but I think that was just me being overly dramatic.  I am sure that this too shall pass, and maybe if I am busy enough I won't think about it (ha). 

Had the last of my whole breast rads today...yippee!!  It was great to finally take that sticker off my cleavage - looks so weird not to have anything there after so long!  7 boosts start tomorrow. I'm worried about the position they are going to put me in - lying on my left side with my right arm above my head - and me with a right rotator cuff problem, ouch.  They tell me each session will be super quick, so thats a blessing.  

BL and Mckenna, sorry to hear about rashes & pain.  I agree the 1% cortizone doesn't work. It hasn't ameliorated my itching or the spots. On the whole, my skin has fared well so far and the techs said it was holding up just great but I think the boost area is going to take the brunt of it .  I may have to go braless for a while and go back to the baker boob treatment to stop any chafing.

I've decided I'm going to make my team a fruit basket, just like Edible Arrangements, but at a fraction of the cost .         

Thanks BL, we'll see how the arrangement works out....if I fail miserably there's an EA store that's on my way to the hospital, so I can always stop in on my way there!!!!