June 2012 Radiation Rads

Hi All,

So sorry to hear all the crappy tech stories. I have the same group of techs this second time around. They are great. Excellent at explaining things and making sure I know how long everything takes. I did have to fight to get a decent time slot. The first time I had rads (left side) I have a 1:10 appointment which meant going to work and driving to the hospital on my lunch hour and then back to work (about a 25 minute drive each way.) It was a pain and added to the fatigue. This time I'm in at 8:30, out by 8:50 and to work by 9:15 or so...

 I'm on day 6 of the Canadian protocol. 10 to go. No boost since the margins were huge. Skin is looking great per my oncologist. Not feeling any warmth. I didn't have any skin changes until the last week or so last time around, so I'm not expecting much. It is important to know that, as a nurse told me, we keep "cooking" after rads. Oncologist told me that with the shorter treatment, the skin changes can happen longer (last time they said 1 week, this time he said 2 weeks.)

 I'm keeping up with my aloe/calendula/aquaphor and/or coconut oil!

As for bras, I have 2 really nice stretchy ones I got at Kohl's. No underwire. If I start getting reddish, I'll switch to camisoles... I've stil been working out, so I use my jog bras but I get out of them as soon as possible.

I can't remember who said that my case was their greatest fear (cancer in the other breast.) It wasn't mine. Mine is mets.

Hang in there everyone! You are all doing so great.

I started my rads last Wednesday, today was number 6. I have to say, this is harder than I thought it would be....i am experiencing weird anxiety, just feel like i am a bundle of nerves. My skin is starting to pink up, is super hot amd my incisions from the lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy are killing me. My breast is swelling so it feels heavy and uncomfortable. I am using really good aloe that i keep refrigerated and that is helping a lot to keep it cool. I am also using Radx M, which my RO recommended, and that is keeping my skin moist...really like it There is another lotion Radx R that he told me to get if and when skin breaks down it has lidcaine in it to help with pain. Saw my RO today and he said it is pinking up early, but he said he figured I might because I am very fair and I have very small breasts, he said the incisions are still healing a bit and they are getting hit directly, he recommended massaging them with the cream and continuing to do arm exercises.



I also am getting really dull and nagging headaches every day. I told my RO about it today and he said it shouldn't be from the rads, he thinks it's anxiety and nerves I am feeling. I guess it could be. I I do know I hang on rather tight to the handles and I probably am gritting my teeth, maybe that's it. He prefers I see my primary care physician to get something for anxiety since she will take care of me long term, but she's on vacation, so have to wait a week. Does anyone else have headaches?



Jenn...so sorry to hear of your experience...good job standing up to them. I felt like I could feel burning the first couple too...like pins and needles sort of. I thought it was just me. I have really sensitive breasts normally so all of this is put that sensitivity into hyper mode or I am just super conscious of everything.



My tech is a nice man, but all I can think of is Homer Simpson....seriously which does make me giggle a bit. He is friendly enough and is pretty chatty if I let him be, but I really can't get Homer Simpson out of my mind, which is kinda rude of me but does make me smile The one really big downside for me is he is a huge Billy Joel fan since that is the CD playing everyday, not that I have anything against Billy Joel, but hearing Uptown Girl every morning is getting a little old. Of course, then I think of Christie Brinkley....by the time I'm done I should have a wole new story line for the Simpsons...Homer and Christie dancing or something of the sort.....geez maybe I do need anxiety meds, cuz I'm starting sound a little nuts!



It is helpful being able to share with you all, I do feel a little more relaxed! Hope everyone has a peaceful rest of the day!

Yup, got the same problem Jenn, it seemed worse last week (the first week) and better since the weekend break.  I can still feel it, but only when I think about it now.  I am fairly pale, but I tan well, so you can see from the brown tan square I have now it hits the lower throat of my corner.  Not really much I have found to do about it.  A great excuse for icecream though!

They tell me that if you keep up the exercise you'll avoid the worst of the rads fatigue, but I just didn't have the umph.

In your underarm area yes. But not on your head. You only lose hair in the area being radiated :-)



Jenn

Hi Riverangel

I have the exact same cancer as you, and did my 7th rad today. I have anxiety in my medical history and I can tell you that taking 1/4 Xanax, which in my case equals 0.125mg (which is less than the smallest dose) makes a HUGE difference in how your experience goes. I too clutch the handles and feel like I am going to have a panic attach right there. It is horrible. Today I did not take the mini dose and it was so hard. Everybody is super nice at the hospital where I go, but when they all leave the room, it is just you an in my case, the Trilogy machine.

I have been nauseous 3-4 hours. after treatment almost every day. It goes away after a couple hours. Is anyone else experiencing this??  Fatigue is starting to settle in as well. No redness yet, I do feel the breast getting warm during treatment and it stays warm all the time. Incision gets quite red (new skin), no real pain yet.

Someone told me to think of the fact that without God's help these fancy external beam radiation machines coud not have been invented by people. I now try to look at the big round "beamer" that circles around me as God's arm cradling me, giving me the best He can.  Maybe it will help you, it seems to help me too. I hope you will be able to get on some Xanax or Lorazepam (Ativan) to help you get through. I have been on Xanax for over 10 years, I never take more than I am supposed to, and I am at a mini dose only. It works as well today as it did 10 years ago.

Breast cancer has been a journey that, I feel, we take alone within us, but are surrounded by angels showing up in many forms. Just the people on this board are angels, because we have each other and are here for each other. I am thankful for everyone on this forum, for their honesty and together, we can get through this.

Iniah 

I went to Sears and bought two seamless exercise bras made from a very soft Microfiber. They extend at least 4 inches below the breasts and are very comfy and not tight. ( I got a larger size). They have wide straps and feel really good. They were with all the other exercise bras.

Hope this helps, in case anyone is looking for bras during rads.

Hang in there! 

Denise: GREAT SITE!

With my rads I have  never needed a blood draw or access.  I had my port taken out at my revision surgery

I waited about 6 weeks... 3 weeks after last dose of chemo for my surgery and 3 weeks from surgery to rads start   Hope that help!

Oh, another thing - I had my port removed on Thursday afternoon after my morning radiation, and went back to radiation as usual the next day.  My BS removed my port using local anesthetic and it was an absolute breeze.  The only SE was it took me a few extra seconds to raise my right arm above my head to grab the radiation bar, but just because I was worried about my incision.  So no need to take any time off (for me) from rads after port removal.

I will start Tamoxifen after rads. My MO said she doesn't like to start during rads - that way the SEs don't get confused...



I still have my port as I'm getting 3 weekly Herceptin until next March. I will have 2 of those doses during rads and so it will have to be accessed (and they should be flushed every 3 weeks anyway?). I didn't think about it yesterday before I saw my RO, but my port tubing must be in the rads field (not the actual port though). Now I am wondering if the rads are going to melt the tubing or anything :-/



I generally avoid soy products now but I'm not panicking about the soy in the protein bars because there's not much in the ones I got and the research is still so up in the air about soy being bad or good.



Jenn

MinMacsMom and NancyHB - thank you for all the info. My appointment with the RO is on the 17th of July but as you can see I'm ready to move on.



NancyHB - how long did or are you still having any lingering SE's from your last Taxol? A week out from my 3rd tx and still have some numbing of the toes and feet. Also some leg pains. Needless to say I'm worried the last one will be worst!



Hope everyone has a great day!!

Januaryice:  I had mid-range (?) neuropathy with Taxol.  Lost the feeling in my thumb and first two fingers, was starting to lose the feeling in my ring finger.  Kept dropping things, had trouble holding a pen to write, even typing was a disaster (I couldn't feel the computer keys).  My feet were the worst - walking was difficult, and going barefoot was too painful.  Now, five weeks PFC my symptoms are all but gone.  Very minor numbness at the tip of my thumb/fingers, and I don't even notice anything in my feet unless I'm paying attention.  I was so worried about long-term lasting neuropathy, and that doesn't seem to the be case for me.

The pain was gone completely about a week ago, however, I started taking Tamoxifen three weeks ago, so I don't know if what I'm feeling now is a SE of Tami, or lingering Taxol - or even rads.  *sigh*  But I can tell you that today, I have no bone pain from Taxol, that I *do* know.  I have joint tightness/stiffness, but I am attributing that to Tamoxifen.  Strangely enough, when I run or do yoga, all those SEs seem to disappear...

Just in case this is helpful, you don't have to have tattoos. I asked not to be tattooed and was given stickers that last for several weeks and were replaced. Some people find it offensive to be tattooed or tattooed for radiation.

They should be able to change the music, my first set of techs always asked