May 2012 radiation

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  • Goodie
    Goodie Member Posts: 244
    edited June 2012

    Neeners - I have no idea how much this costing me! LOL  figuratively and literally and mentally.  I have an orange card with my name and id number on it that gets scanned before every treatment.  I do my online shopping when I get home.  I've been buying new absolutely beautiful earrings for my going topless next week (Patricia Locke are my new favorite) and meditation and yoga cds for me. 

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  • Neeners815
    Neeners815 Member Posts: 358
    edited June 2012

    Goodie - huh!  I don't have anything like that.  Interesting.  And your going topless next week?  Uh, what?  LOL  Gonna look up Patricia Locke now.

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  • Goodie
    Goodie Member Posts: 244
    edited June 2012

    I'm going to go without my wig in public!  So, I'm hoping people will know I'm a girl with my fancy earrings.  I discovered them at a little shop downtown and also some on ebay. 

    Oh my, mckenna that was so funny about Neeners tech! 

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  • Goodie
    Goodie Member Posts: 244
    edited June 2012

    I think when they scan me in, my treatment plan must pop up for them from their database.

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  • mckenna
    mckenna Member Posts: 413
    edited June 2012

    neeners, glad i made you laugh, i was a little afraid i would offend but figured with this group not much is offensive.  my "credit card" was not orange, it was like a business card with a bar code on the back and i would scan it every morning before i entered the dressing room so they knew i was checked in. very efficiant.  interesting that you get your blood taken every other week???

    goodie, the spot under the arm did look like a big bruise at the start.  the spot on my nipple was just red and peeled no bruise or peanut butter look but the under boob is now looking like the under arm did.  my major skin issues started the last week of rads and now i am a week out and they seem worse than the last week but i do think most is healing rather quickly.

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  • mckenna
    mckenna Member Posts: 413
    edited June 2012

    you all were posting to quick.  goodie good luck going topless next week!

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  • Cindyl
    Cindyl Member Posts: 1,194
    edited June 2012

    We had a name tag with a barcode, but no one ever scanned it.  Hey maybe I was the lucky winner of free treatments?

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  • schatzi14
    schatzi14 Member Posts: 1,647
    edited June 2012

    LOL Cindy

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  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 2,889
    edited June 2012

    I get blood taken every other week too.  I think they're specifically looking for low WBC counts, since the radiation wipes out those cells in the area that's being radiated. 

    Goodie, I'm proud of you going topless!  I've been going "commando" for a few weeks now, and I love it.  My hair's about 1/2 in long now, and I can actually comb it over to the side a little.  I spend a lot of time on eye makeup, and wear big girlie earrings, and if someone doesn't like my hairdo...tough. 

    I'm at work and my brassiere had turned into a fiery torture device, so I took it off, foob and all, and stuffed it into my desk drawer.  Which leaves a concave spot on the left side, even though I'm wearing a loose shirt.  Swiffer duster to the rescue, again.  Rolled up and stuffed in, it's just the right volume to create an illusion of a boobie.  Ahhh.....

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  • BLinthedesert
    BLinthedesert Member Posts: 678
    edited June 2012

    I did not get a barcode or anything, "I had radiation and all I got was this stupid diploma" (well, and a grey nipple, purple underarm, and red oozing rash).  That said, one of my techs was really very very cute - a little young for me, but cute ... If I were 20 years older I guess I could have been a sugar momma ...

    I was sitting at my computer this morning after my run (it was SO hot this morning) topless and walked out into the kitchen and thought, "I hope we don't get a delivery this morning" -- and then, "I wonder who would be more embarressed, me or the delivery person?" -- and then, "but the May 2012 radiation thread would get a kick out of it!"

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  • Goodie
    Goodie Member Posts: 244
    edited June 2012

    SB - I'm surprised my place hasn't done any bloodwork.  Not that I'm about to ask with 3 treatments left! LOL  Even if insurance would pay for neulasta I'm not sure if I'd be up to that shot right now but I'd do it if it meant finishing my treatments on time. 

    I've been going "commando" around the house and outside on my deck for a few weeks.  My head still gets cold though so I wear my fleece caps around the house mostly at night.  I will probably wear my baseball caps out a lot too but I'm ditching the wig.  it is a very nice "real" hair wig but still hot as heck and just not me.  My new "hair" isn't me either.  Ugh it's mostly black, brown and a lot of grey and REALLY curly.  It has a mind of its own too.  Oh well, thus the new earrings and I will have learn to put more eye makeup on.  I'm doing it on Monday because that will be my last day of active treatment.  It's been a very long 9 months since my diagnosis. 

    LOL about the swiffer.  I'm sure it's more comfortable! 

    I feel like it's a credit card or like a school id or library card.  Whatever.  I'm sure it's going cha ching every time they scan it!  LOL

    BL - at first I thought you meant my topless without your wig and then I realized really topless. LOL  I'd love to see the UPS man's face at your door!  LOL 

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  • Jan24
    Jan24 Member Posts: 64
    edited June 2012
    I'm such a dufus.. lots of laughs.  SB, can't believe the scissors.  Goodie, my card was green.  I'm flying to Spokane to visit family over the 4th and Spokanellie and I are going to try to meet in person.  How cool is that?
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  • BLinthedesert
    BLinthedesert Member Posts: 678
    edited June 2012

    I am so jealous, Lynne, that is very very cool!!  Have a great time!  Each of you has to give the other a hug from me, deal?

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  • Jan24
    Jan24 Member Posts: 64
    edited June 2012

    A deal for sure!

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  • Goodie
    Goodie Member Posts: 244
    edited June 2012

    Jan - that is so cool you are meeting Spokanellie!  Yes, have a hug together for all of us!

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  • mckenna
    mckenna Member Posts: 413
    edited June 2012

    Jan and spoke that is very cool. I think you need to toast us all along with those hugs.

    My bil works for ups I will have to warn him

    Great way to celebrate independence from active treatment!

    Going to enjoy a kid free night!

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  • Neeners815
    Neeners815 Member Posts: 358
    edited June 2012

    Cindy - you won the boobie prize. 

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  • JNS
    JNS Member Posts: 24
    edited June 2012

    Congrats to the already finished ladies--I joined you after my last one this morning.  Got a cute certificate signed by lots of names that I didn't recognize--I guess they just get whoever's around to sign them?! 

    AEM47: glad you liked the saran wrap tip--it was purely a desperation invention on my part. :)

    Discovered a cord in my armpit last night and I think it explains the weird sensations I've had in my tricep since surgery.  Off to the lymphedema boards.

    Here's sending good vibes to those still going and manageable side effects for all!

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  • Goodie
    Goodie Member Posts: 244
    edited June 2012

    JNS - congrats on finishing today!  Yea for you! 

    Yes, good vibes to all who are still going and good luck with all these darn side effects! 

    Does anyone else do meditation?  I can't remember where I found this site information (it could be from this thread) but kaiser permanente has  healthy living audio libraries.  I've been doing the radiation one the past few nights.  It's very relaxing.  Try this link if you are interested. 

    https://members.kaiserpermanente.org/redirects/listen/

    30% off sushi night! and leftover pizza. 

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  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 2,889
    edited June 2012

    http://eyelineher.blogspot.com/

    This blog has several very entertaining videos on how to apply eyelashes, eyebrows, tie a headscarf, etc.  The model has hair loss due to alopecia, not chemo, but she's a GORGEOUS British beauty and very easy on the eyes to watch.  

    I only learned to apply eyeliner because of cancer.  Can you call that a silver lining? 

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  • Goodie
    Goodie Member Posts: 244
    edited June 2012

    I call homemade brownie recipe the silver lining.  LOL  Learning how to apply eyeliner may be another for me!  LOL again.

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  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 2,021
    edited June 2012

    Just popping in from the June group to ask a question of those of you further on...



    I have realised that a small strip of my esophagus is being hit and am wondering if you had the same what sort of effects did you notice and did you get any good advice from your centre on how to deal with it?



    I've only had 2 doses so far but both days that little bit of my throat has been dry and "scratchy" for about an hour afterwards...



    I don't see my RO till next Wednesday.



    Jenn

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  • surfgirl
    surfgirl Member Posts: 9
    edited June 2012
    I haven't been on here for awhile. I'm glad to see most of us are hanging in there. Congrats to the ones that just finished!! I've completed 20 rounds and my skin is just starting to get red. Today I was waiting to get zapped along with two older men and three older women when one of them asked me if I was waiting on my mom or dad to finish with their radiation apt. God love them, I told them I was getting radiation for myself. They all exclaimed that I was to young to get cancer. Yea, that's what I thought too but it made my day to be called a "youngster" at the age of 43. ha! Laughing
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  • etherize
    etherize Member Posts: 423
    edited June 2012

    Hi Jenn, a small part of my esophagus also got hit by rads.  And a couple of times I had a little tickly, scratchy throat.  But it never went anywhere, never got worse, soon went away, so I sort of chalked it up to just being nervous about my throat getting hit.  I did ask my RO after the first treatment or so, and he said toward the END of treatment I might notice a little tickle.  But after those one or two times, I never noticed anything else.

    Hey you little whippersnapper surfgirl, congrats on completing 20 rounds. :)  43 IS too young to get cancer.

    Goodie, I've done meditation off and on over the years.  Kaiser has some good materials; thanks for sharing the link.

    sbelizabeth, I say you have to grab all the silver linings you can find in this ordeal! 

    I am now exactly 1 week post rads and I am SOOOOOO tired!  It's amazing I can even type; but that's about all I can do. 

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  • Spokanellie
    Spokanellie Member Posts: 46
    edited June 2012

    Jennt28 - Not sure if this relates, but my dental hygienist reminded me today that dry mouth is another side effect of radiation. (Actually, I'm not sure I knew that.) I wonder if the scratchy esophagus is an extension of that?

    Yes, Jan24 and I are going to meet up next week! Isn't that wild? I've also been lurking on www.WomenRV.com/forum/ because of my secret retirement dream of owning an RV. Okay, not so secret now, but I haven't "come out" to them yet. LoL! Anyway I digress. My point was they meet up with each other all the time because they're already traveling anyway and it just seems so fun! So fraternal - wait - what's the feminine of 'fraternal'? Anyway, you know what I mean.

    So Jan24 and I are going to do our own little meetup over coffee. I'd love to do a little more than coffee, but I'm having trouble freeing up time. I told her I didn't think I was all that social, but I guess I am. This weekend is Hoopfest here in Spokane. It's the largest 3-on-3 street basketball tournament in the world and I'm one of the 3000 volunteers as a scorekeeper all weekend. They'll close off 42 city blocks and a bunch of parking lots in the heart of downtown Spokane. It's really cool. Check out the promo toward the bottom of this screen:  http://www.spokanehoopfest.net/

    Joanne2012 - Happy Endings! 

    Ellen 

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  • BLinthedesert
    BLinthedesert Member Posts: 678
    edited June 2012

    Hi Jenn, I had some problems with my esophagus too, they will tell you "it is not from rads" -- I don't believe them.  I found that over-the-counter Zantac worked well for me - I would take one or two at bedtime and I felt better in the morning.  Prilosec won't work with food (so beware if you take it to take it 2-3 hours after eating or 1-2 hours before eating), and did not work as well for me as Zantac.

    Good luck to you - and welcome to the May group, we are a fun group over here Smile 

    Surfgirl -- good to see you are doing ok -- congratulations on the 20!!  

    Etherize, the fatigue is the hardest to shake, well, and my boob (because it still hurts). 

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  • Jan24
    Jan24 Member Posts: 64
    edited June 2012
    Etherize sounds like you are having same level of fatigue I had, hang in there this 2nd week after rads has been much better.
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  • Neeners815
    Neeners815 Member Posts: 358
    edited June 2012

    So today my rads baby turned 18.  It can vote!  (ah well, gotta keep a sense of humor, right?)

    Yesterday I pointed out two things on my chest (not the boob) to the rads tech.  This is how the conversation went:

    "Hey, see these things? These are new.", me pointing out a couple of irritated areas.

    "Yeah, those aren't from rads." tech

    "Oh, those aren't in the field of where I'm getting zapped?" me

    "Yeah, they are, but with rads you only get pink or red skin." tech

    "..." me thinking about the ladies in this thread with the blisters, not to mention the nipple that fell off!

    I was dumbstruck. 

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  • BLinthedesert
    BLinthedesert Member Posts: 678
    edited June 2012

    ha ha.  I don't think the techs know anything about side effects -- although they definitely see it evolve over time.  I think they run the machines and that is it, I am pretty sure they don't much medical background at all.  I also think that as much as I really liked my RO and nursing staff, they seem to downplay SE's and love the expression, "thats not from rads" - which I really did not not like -- because HELLO -- I feel that anything that is new and occurs anywhere within 4 inches of the circumference of my breast while I am getting zapped is due to rads Laughing - and I would even go as far as just about anything I feel during radiation is the (even a cold) is somehow related!!

    Neeners -- ahhhh, they grow up so fast! 

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  • Cindyl
    Cindyl Member Posts: 1,194
    edited June 2012

    That is such a crock.  Hell, the consent form I signed before treatment has something like "pain, bleeding, redness, swelling, skin changes (rarely including cancers)..."

     Course the techs just run the machines, show it to your RO or nurse.

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